TEACHERS
Laurie Arnold
Cello Teacher
Laurie Arnold, 'cellist, began playing at the age of 8 in her hometown of Philadelphia, studying with Philadelphia Orchestra members Deborah Reeder and Lloyd Smith. In 8th grade, Ms. Arnold became a member of the prestigious Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, which gave her the opportunity to tour China and South America. She was a scholarship student at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia where she was a member of the Advanced Study Piano Trio. This group offered Ms. Arnold the opportunity to perform on the radio station WFLN, Philadelphia's classical music station.
Ms. Arnold received Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance, Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX where she studied with Lev Aronson and Christopher Adkins, former and principal cellists of the Dallas Symphony. She played in Master Classes for such cellists as Yo-Yo Ma, Channing Robbins, Anne Martindale Williams, Desmond Hoebig, and Glenn Garlick.
After graduating in 1994, Ms. Arnold free-lanced, taught, and played with several local orchestras including the Plano Chamber Orchestra, Waco Symphony (assistant principal), East Texas Symphony (principal), and as a frequent substitute with the Dallas and Fort Worth Symphonies. She participated in many festivals including the Dallas Symphony 1997 European Tour, American-Soviet Youth Orchestra (under Maestro Leonard Slatkin), National Orchestral Institute, Tanglewood Institute, Utah Festival Opera, and Music in the Mountains in Durango, Colorado. Ms. Arnold joined the 'cello section of the San Antonio Symphony in 1998. While in San Antonio, she was a coach for the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio, an avid chamber musician, and an adjunct professor at St. Mary's University.
In 2003, Ms. Arnold moved to Houston to teach at Space Center Intermediate School in Clear Creek ISD. In 2004, she became the Assistant Orchestra Director at Klein Forest High School in Klein ISD. Since she has been at Klein Forest, the orchestra students have played at Carnegie Hall, Chicago's Symphony Hall, Walt Disney World, and the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. She has been in the Who's Who of Teachers three times and was a Klein ISD Outstanding Teacher in 2007 and 2010. She is currently a sponsor of the Klein Chapter of the Texas Future Music Educators. Ms. Arnold continues to teach privately, which she has done since she was 13.
Her favorite things are traveling and spending time with the love of her life--her cat Abby.
Robb Brunson
Drama Teacher
Robb has performed in Youth Choirs, Pageants and Youth Camps/Retreats. Having forged his passion for the arts, he majored in Theater at the prestigious University of Houston and studied Technical Theater and Acting and had the honor of training with the ADPlayers theater company. Robb worked for the ADPlayers out of college for 6 years and later founded the InterActive Theater Company with 3 other actor/teachers in 1997. It is about to begin its 15th season as a creative children's theater company. He has written over 20 children's theater plays and collaborated with Houston's First Baptist Church on three Christmas Celebration musicals. Robb's passions have extended across the arts and include Puppets, Swordplay and Legos.
Laurelle Gowing
Voice Teacher
Laurelle Gowing is a graduate of RICE University's Shepherd School of Music where she received a Master of Music in Vocal Performance, as well as a graduate Wheaton College Conservatory, where she received a Bachelor of Music in Voice. Ms. Gowing has also studied, performed and taught voice at programs including Aspen Music Festival and School, Opera New Jersey, and CoOperative (Westminster College).
Ms. Gowing's operatic roles include Mrs Charlton, in "Dead Man Walking", Pink Lady, in "Lohengrin", Marguerite in "Faust", Noemie in "Cendrillon" Pamina in "The Magic Flute", Anna in "Intermezzo", Lady Billows in "Albert Herring", Suor Angelica in "Suor Angelica", Gretel in "Hansel and Gretel" and Contadine in "Gondoliers". Her partial roles include Female Chorus in "The Rape of Lucretia", First Lady in "Die Zauberflöte", Konstanze in "Entführung dem Serail", Contessa in "Le Nozze di Figaro", Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni" and Arabella in "Arabella".
Ms. Gowing has won numerous awards including, Metropolitan Opera National and District Auditions, Texas Young Artist Competition, Musical Merit of San Diego competition, and Aspen Musical Festival Concerto Competition.
Ms. Gowing is currently resides in Katy, TX. She performs regularly with Houston Grand Opera, teaches voice and collaborates with many venues around the US.
Sunjung Lee
Piano Teacher
Sunjung Lee, was born in South Korea and received Bachelor's degree in Music from Hansei University. She was awarded her Master's degree at University of Houston's Moores School of Music 2011 Summer, studying with Tali Morgulis. She also received support from Hirsch Scholarship Endowment and West, Neva/Wesley Endowment. Ms. Lee had performed several music festival including Atlantic Music Festival, Busan International Music Festival, Beijing International Music Festival and Academy, and Winter Euro Music Festival. She has performed many master classes with acclaimed pianist including with Abbey Simon, Martin Canin, Choong Mo Kang, Danny Driver, and Luba Poliak.
Ms. Lee also was involved in the AURA contemporary ensemble, which is a professional ensemble group for contemporary music in The Moores School of Music and worked as an accompanist and teaching assistant at the University of Houston's music school. In 2010, she appeared on KUHF Houston Public Radio 87.9. She currently serves as a pianist in Seoul Baptist Church and mentors students through private lessons.
Sherry Merritt
Woodwind Teacher
Sherry Merritt began her musical career in Hurst, Texas, and continued through high school and college while studying clarinet with Richard Pickar, principal clarinetist with the Houston Symphony. While at Sam Houston State University, she was principal clarinet in the Sam Houston Wind Ensemble.
After receiving her Music degree, she has taught band and clarinet in the Houston area for more than 35 years. Ms. Merritt's bands have won many honors, including more than 25 sweepstakes awards, and several of her bands were selected Outstanding Band in competitions throughout the state.
Ms. Merritt has had numerous students place top honors in All-Region and All-State bands and Solo Competition in Texas.
Currently, she is Director of Instrumental Music at First Baptist Academy in Houston.
She is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Association of Texas Small School Bands.
Brandon Pafford
Piano Teacher
Brandon Pafford began his musical career with his mother at the age of five and studied through high school. He began his collegiate studies at Brewton-Parker College, where he received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Mr. Pafford then studied with Dr. John Roberts at Mercer University in Macon, GA where he acquired a Masters of Music in Piano Performance at the Townsend School of Music. Mr. Pafford continued his graduate education by coming to Houston to study with Timothy Hester at the Moore's School of Music.
He recently completed a second Masters of Music in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music this past May. Brandon earned the Outstanding Musician Awards and has received music scholarships and teaching assistanships throughout his higher educational career.
Mr. Pafford teaches private studio, accompanies/coaches students, and serves in the music ministry at Bethel Church of Houston.
Nancy Pollard
Administrator
Nancy Pollard was born into a musical family. She started singing and harmonizing as soon as she could speak. She sang in children's choirs and started playing flute at the age of 11. She continued flute and voice throughout school, receiving pre-college flute instruction at University of Tulsa.
Nancy received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oral Roberts University with primary emphasis in voice and secondary emphasis in flute. While a student at ORU, she was member of the World Action Television Singers. After moving to Texas, she pursued graduate studies toward Kodaly Certification at Stephen F. Austin State University and Sam Houston State University.
After graduation, she embarked on a 23-year career in teaching elementary/middle school music in Oklahoma and Texas. While in Oklahoma she directed children's choirs and was an adjunct instructor of flute at ORU. Through the years, she supervised numerous student teachers from SHSU and was an observation teacher 2 days each week for junior level education students from SHSU. She served as an In-Service presenter in the field of elementary music for school districts around the Gulf Coast area of Texas. During this time she was a chorus member and soloist with the Huntsville Community Chorus and the Tomball Choral Society.
After early retirement from teaching, she joined the staff at Champion Forest Baptist Church where she served as Music Associate for 12 years. Nancy was a contributing writer for Made For Praise children's choir curriculum for Lifeway, as well as guest clinician, speaker, and conductor for churches, associations, and conventions.
Jack Potts
Photography Teacher
Jack Potts has established himself as a fine art portrait photographer, performing gallery shows and taking personal commissions. His lens captures not just a body, but a soul, as he strives to understand his subjects and see them as God does—beautiful and distinct.
Jack stretches himself to do anything necessary to present the image his clients want. So far, this has included painting an entire room (including the couch) white for a band shoot, buying 300 heads of lettuce to make a dress. He's taken photos for catalogues and other commercial works, but his first love will always be capturing in images the uniqueness of each human being.
He is currently working on a book with his two sons. When Jack is not behind the camera he devotes himself to his other loves: family, faith and teaching. Jack has been married since 1995, and finds himself constantly entertained by his 4 children. His favorite photography students are his sons, the oldest, Jackson began apprenticing with him in 2007 and now shooting on his own.
He pursues a relationship with God, the eternal source of all creativity.
Mark Rios
Trumpet and Bass Teacher
Mark Rios graduated from Elsik High School in Alief in 1992. He then began his studies in Music Education at Houston Baptist University. In 1997, he graduated from HBU with a Bachelor of Music Education. In the Fall of 1997 Mr. Rios began his graduate studies at The Moores School of Music at the University of Houston. He graduated with his Masters Degree in Applied Performance in Trumpet in 1999
Mr. Rios has taught privately throughout Houston in Alief ISD, Fort Bend ISD, Houston ISD, and at Houston Baptist University. He has been a featured artist with many performing groups throughout Texas. His performance venues include orchestra, big band jazz, brass quintet, chamber music, and freelance work. He has performed for various political engagements from Democratic Party engagements to The National Republic Convention. He has also performed at the prestigious Texas Music Educators Convention in San Antonio, TX. Highly involved with his church orchestra, Mr. Rios is the president of the orchestra at Houston's First Baptist Church. Currently, Mr. Rios is an active freelance musician in the Houston area and is in demand throughout the United States.
Mr. Rios began his full-time teaching career in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in 1999. He taught band at Watkins Middle School from 1999 to 2006. From the Fall of 2006 to the present, Mr. Rios has taught Kahla Middle School as the Head Director of Bands. His students have been very successful earning top chairs in various Region Bands and also at the All-State level.
Mr. Rios continues to strive for excellence from his students and demands a strong performance level. He continues to make music learning an enjoyable experience for his students and provides a warm environment for all of his students to foster positive learning.
Johnny Simmons
Drums/Percussion Teacher
Johnny Simmons has pursued the art of drumming since the age of eight. He has played professionally for twenty-five years, and has been serving the Houston drumming community as an instructor for twenty-four years. He has spent his career learning and refining methods and techniques which can help any student attain his drumming goals.
Johnny specializes in a natural approach to technique and in understanding rhythm as a language. Beginners will learn the fundamentals of hand and foot technique, the International Drum Rudiments, how to read and properly execute the basic rhythms of popular music, and the basics of Rock, Jazz, and Latin drumming. Experienced students will refine their technique, improve their reading skills, and work on coordination exercises to improve their playing in all styles.
Students will work towards performing a level-appropriate recital piece on snare drum and drumset.
Emily Tallant
Flute Teacher
Emily Tallant holds a M.M. degree in Music Education from the Moores School of Music at University of Houston, and a B.M.E. degree in Music Education (flute and voice) from The University of Tulsa. Her primary flute teachers include Dr. Kimberly Clark, Dr. Ann Fairbanks, and Dr. Leonard Garrison.
Ms Tallant teaches flute lessons in Cypress Fairbanks ISD, where she previously taught Middle School Choir. Emily has been on the faculty of Floot Fire Houston since 2007 and has performed at Wildacres Flute Retreat, ARIA International Summer Chamber Music Academy, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. She sings with Cantaré Houston, a professional choral ensemble, and is the Secretary of the Board. Her flute quartet "Flutations" performs regularly in the Houston area.
Emily Tallant has played flute and piccolo in the First Baptist Church Orchestra since 2007.
Anthony Tran
Guitar Teacher
Anthony Tran received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he studied under Christopher Laughlin. He continued his studies under Paul Henry at Roosevelt University while pursuing his M.A in Music Education in Choral conducting.
He has done collaborations through song writing, arrangement, recording, production and performance with a variety of bands and solo artists, in several cities including Houston, Chicago, and Nashville. He also has played guitar, bass, piano/keyboard, and violin at many churches in Chicago and Houston. He currently serves as a guitarist, bassist, pianist, and violinist, leading worship at Second Baptist.
Eve Woodard
Guitar Teacher
Eve Woodard received her Master of Music Degree from Sam Houston State University. Ms. Woodard received her Bachelor of Music Degree from Houston Baptist University, graduating Summa cum Laude.
Ms Woodard is an established and versatile guitarist among professional musicians in the Houston, Texas music community. Her talent and ability to play well in every style of guitar music along with her high level of professionalism has provided her the opportunity to play with Houston's top musicians and to play for musicians and entertainers of world-wide renown. Her experience includes playing guitar (electric, acoustic, and classical) and playing electric bass as a professional musician in a variety of styles including jazz, classical, popular, rock, country, R&B, worship, ethnic, and folk. Her performances have varied from casual club dates to concerts and big name shows. Ms. Woodard has performed with such notables as Johnny Cash, The Shirelles, Summer Wind Festival, Oklahoma City, OK., Godspell (Theatre Production), Houston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Ballet, Baytown Symphony Orchestra, Rice University Jazz Band in Concert, Buddy Brock Orchestra, Carl Lewis Band (Olympic Champion,) as well as a variety of professional musicians and ensembles. Ms. Woodard has played on numerous recordings as a professional studio musician, recording artist, and producer.
Some of the honors and awards of Ms. Woodard's playing career include being featured artist on the "Great Guitars of Houston Concert" 2004, featured artist, clinician, and master class instructor for the 2005 "TLU Jazz Festival" 2005, Seguin, Texas, featured jazz guitar soloist with Houston Symphony Orchestra, featured jazz guitar soloist with Lee College Orchestra, "Outstanding Jazz Ensemble Artist of the Year" with Houston Baptist University. She is a member of Houston Professional Musician's Union, a member of ASCAP and the author of Fretboard Mastery. Ms. Woodard is endorsed by and plays Marchione Guitars.
Ms. Woodard currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Guitar at Houston Baptist University. She also serves as Stage Band Director at Woods High School in Houston.
Erin York
Violin Teacher
Erin Stephens York graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the Baylor School of Music. Her principal teachers include Doreen Hanrahan, Dr. Eka Gogichashvili, and Lawrence Wheeler.
Mrs. York started teaching violin lessons while in college. After moving to Houston, she began teaching in Cy Fair ISD, at St. Francis Episcopal Day School, and at Cy Fair Music and Arts. During the summers, Mrs. York teaches violin, chamber music, and music theory at the American Festival for the Arts (AFA) Summer Conservatory. She has been on the AFA Middle School Strings faculty for five years.
Mrs. York currently teaches violin lessons and freelances in the greater Houston area. She is a member of a string quartet, and she plays with the Second Baptist West Orchestra.
Brendan Emig
Voice Teacher
Brendan Emig, Baritone, is a sought after voice teacher and performer in the Houston Area. He currently teaches private voice in the North Houston area and Houston’s First Baptist School of Fine Arts. He sings with Episcopal Church as a bass section leader and soloist and with Cantare Houston and Bach Society Houston, where he is often seen as a soloist. Mr. Emig holds a Master’s of Music from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, where he performed such roles as Schaunard in La Boheme, Azalon in Dangerous Liasons and Frank in The Postman Always Rings Twice as well as various scenes productions. While in Cincinnati, Mr. Emig worked for St. Peter in Chains Cathedral and as a young artist for the University of Kentucky Opera Outreach Program. He also performed Rossini’s Pettite Messe Solennelle, Carmina Burana, and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion as a Soloist.
Mr. Emig holds his Bachelor of Music from Sam Houston State University where he performed many Oratorio roles as well as Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, St. Peter in Too Many Sopranos and Guglielmo in Cosi Fan Tutte.
As a teacher, Mr. Emig’s students continuously make top scores at the UIL Solo and Ensemble competition and advance to the higher rounds of the TMEA All-State auditions. He is honored and excited to be a teacher at the School of Fine Arts here at Houston’s First Baptist and looks forward to the continued growth of the program.
Joy Harris
Piano/Voice Teacher
Joy Harris grew up in a musical ministry family of 9 where singing, playing the piano and performing were a wonderful way of life. She has performed countless concerts with in the church, her community and in more then 20 states across the USA, as well as Canada and Europe. Mrs. Harris has recorded solos with the California Baptist University Choir and Orchestra, Houston’s first Baptist Church Choir and Orchestra and G3 Publishing.
Joy Harris is a graduate from California Baptist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in Education. She is a certified teacher who taught general music, 3 years olds- 8th grade, at First Baptist Academy. Mrs. Harris is currently the High 5 Kid’s Choir Director and the Summer Week of Choir Camp Director at Houston’s First Baptist Church.
Mrs. Harris instructs both piano and voice.
Donna Dvorak
French Horn
Donna Dvorak, a native of Springfield, Missouri, graduated from Drury University with a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance. She played horn with both the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and the Springfield Regional Opera Orchestra for 26 years.
In addition, she was adjunct professor of horn at Drury University, Missouri State University, Southwest Baptist University, and has served on the faculty of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. She was also a long time member of the Chamber Orchestra of the Ozarks. She has performed dozens of musicals with Springfield Little Theatre, has played for Variety shows in Branson, Missouri, and is often called upon for solo performances, as well as ensemble and recording-studio work. As a member of the International Horn Society, Donna has performed as soloist at many regional IHS workshops.
When she moved to Houston in 2004, she joined the Houston Symphonic Band, where she continues as their solo hornist. In addition, after three years as principal horn with the Texas Medical Center Orchestra, Donna now performs as associate principal with the Baytown Symphony Orchestra. She has also been active with the Kingwood Camerata, the Scordatura Music Society, and the Houston Symphonic Winds. She continues to be in demand as a clinician, maintains a private teaching studio, and is an active free lance musician in the area. She enjoys participating in the worship ministry of Houston’s First Baptist Church Orchestra, and is happily married to composer, Robert Dvorak.