WSMA Middle Level State Honors Project: Conductors
| 2008 Middle Level State Honors Conductors |
 |
Lynne Gackle is an active clinician, conductor and adjudicator for various choral clinics, honor choirs, workshops and festivals throughout the United States. She has conducted all-state choirs in 20 states and has served as conductor for several Divisional ACDA Honor Choirs and one National Junior High Honor Choir. She has served as conductor of the Australian National Choral Association's High School Women's Choir in Brisbane, Australia and the Alberta Choral Federation's High School Honour Choir in Calgary, Canada.
Gackle has taught at all levels, elementary through college, in Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi. She is the Founder/Artistic Director of the Gulf Coast Youth Choirs, Inc., a community choral arts organization in Tampa, Florida where she also serves as the conductor of the advanced touring ensemble, Le Petit Choeur and the mixed ensemble, Voce di Vita. She also serves as assistant professor of music education at the University of South Florida. Previously, she served as the vocal/choral coordinator at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida, assistant professor of music at the University of Mississippi and adjunct professor, music education at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Gackle received her bachelor of music education degree from Louisiana State University and her master of music education as well as her doctorate of music education from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
 |
Juan Tony Guzmán is a conductor, composer, arranger and music educator from the Dominican Republic. Guzmán is currently director of the jazz program and assistant professor of music education at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He has conducted the Florida State University New Music Ensemble, Dominican Philharmonic Orchestra, The Conservatory of Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Dominican Republic National Youth Symphony Orchestra, recording studio ensembles, shows and summer camps orchestras, among other instrumental groups. He has written many choral arrangements of Caribbean and Latin American music, some of which are published by Boosey & Hawkes. During the past 24 years he has conducted choirs, bands and orchestras in North America, Europe, Central and South America. He served as consultant for the design and implementation of the nationwide music education curriculum in the Dominican Republic.
Guzmán holds a Ph.D. in music education from the Florida State University and a degree in electromechanical engineering from the Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Guzmán received a bachelor's degree from Luther College, and a master’s degree from Florida State University in music education. While attending Florida State, he also received an associate degree in pedagogy of music theory. He frequently serves as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator.
 |
Quincy C. Hilliard’s compositions for wind band are published by a variety of well known publishers. He is frequently commissioned to compose works, including one for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and a score for a documentary film, The Texas Rangers. For many years, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has recognized him with annual awards for the unusually frequent performance of his compositions. Hilliard is regularly invited to conduct, demonstrate effective techniques and adjudicate festivals throughout the world.
Hilliard is composer in residence and the Heymann endowed professor of music at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. Previous teaching positions were at Nicholls State University, Florida International University, North Marion High School (Sparr, Florida) and White Station Junior and Senior High School (Memphis, Tennessee).
He holds the Ph.D. in music theory and composition from the University of Florida where, in 1999, he was recognized as the Outstanding Alumnus of the School of Music. He holds a masters of music education from Arkansas State University and the bachelor of science in music education from Mississippi State University where he was designated College of Education 1998 Alumnus of the Year. Hilliard’s early music experience was as a trumpet player in the public elementary and high school of his native Starkville, Mississippi. He is also president of Hilliard Music Enterprises, Inc. a personal consulting firm, which has a corporate board of distinguished music educators.