Fine Arts Department
 

Vocal Music

At the middle schools, vocal music is offered at each grade level to introduce and develop knowledge and skills in choral music. At the high school level, several choirs are available including a mixed choir, treble choir, women's choir, concert choir and chorale. In addition to these there are three other choir opportunities in the Jazz Choir, Chamber Choir and Show Choir. All-City concerts for the Vocal Music program feature all students from 6th through 12th grade.

Norman High  

Brenda Webb

School Phone 405-366-5812
School Fax: 405-366-5945
Email: bwebb@norman.k12.ok.us

Brenda Webb is a native of California who completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma.  She has also studied voice at the University of Oklahoma and done work toward her master's degree at the University of Central Oklahoma. 

Ms. Webb was the choral director at Longfellow Middle School for five years where her choirs consistently received superior ratings in choral competitions as well as performed as an honor group for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association.  After teaching at Norman High School North in its inaugural year, she moved to Norman High School where she directs two mixed choruses, three treble choirs and a jazz choir.  She also acts as the music director for Norman High's annual musical.

Ms. Webb remains active as a soloist, adjudicator for regional and state choral and solo contests and a choral clinician for music festivals.  She is married and has three grown children.

 

 

Stephania Abell

School Phone 405-366-5812
School Fax: 405-366-5945
Email:
sabell@norman.k12.ok.us

Stephania Abell began her teaching career with Norman Public Schools with the 2008-2009 school year.

Norman North

 

Tony Gonzalez

School Phone: 405-366-5954
School Fax: 405-573-3590
Email: tonyg@norman.k12.ok.us

Tony Gonzalez is currently in his thirteenth year at Norman North High School in Norman, Oklahoma.  He has held high school teaching positions in Alice and Edinburg, Texas, served as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma and is former musical director of the Norman Community Choral Society and the Oklahoma Vocal Arts Ensemble.

A native of Brownsville, Texas, Tony attended Del Mar College in Corpus Christi (Ron Shirey) and earned B.M.E. degree from Texas A&I University. He completed the M.M.E. at the University of Oklahoma (B.R. Henson and Bruce Govich) and has completed coursework toward the D.M.A. degree.

His groups have won Best in Class awards at state and national music festivals in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, and Washington D.C.  His choirs have performed for state, regional, and national conventions of OMEA, OCDA, SWACDA, and ACDA. Since the school’s inception, his choirs have won ten consecutive Sweepstakes Awards at the State Choral Contest.  He is active as a clinician and adjudicator, most recently as guest conductor of the Northwest Arkansas High School Honor Choir and the Arkansas All-State Children’s Chorus.   The Norman North Chorale will perform at the national ACDA convention to be held in March, 2007 in Miami, Florida. 

Tony is past president of the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association.    He has been named to Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers.  He was honored in 2003 by the National Music Educators Association in its national magazine, Teaching Music, as one of the outstanding music educators in the country.  He is the 2006 recipient of the state and regional Music Educator of the Year Award for the National Federation of Secondary Schools. He is the 2007 recipient of the prestigious National Citation Award as the Nation’s Outstanding Music Educator for the National Federation of Secondary Schools.    He currently serves as the R&S High School Chair for SWACDA. 

      

Darin Chapin

School Phone: 405-366-5954
School Fax: 405-573-3590
Email: dchapin@norman.k12.ok.us

Darin Chapin is currently in his eighth year of teaching, and this is his fourth at Norman North High School. He is the director of the Norman North Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and Freshman Women’s Chorus. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Baptist University and has previously taught in the Altus and Mid-Del public school districts. He is an active member of the Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Directors Association.

Alcott Middle School


Jeanne Lucas

School Phone: 405-366-5845
School Fax: 405-447-6572
Email: jlucas@norman.k12.ok.us

Jeanne Lucas is the Vocal Music Director at Alcott Middle School, where she teaches 6th 7th, and 8th grade choirs.

Jeanne has a Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma State University where she studied conducting with Jerry McCoy and Robert Ward, and voice with Julie McCoy. Her Master of Music in Choral Conducting is from the University of Oklahoma. At OU, she studied conducting with Dennis Shrock and voice with Sean Daniels.

Jeanne’s Choral Singing Experience includes; The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Stillwater Chamber Singers, and Canterbury Choral Society. She has also performed with a number of choirs and community theaters in Kansas and Oklahoma. She has been employed as a soloist at First Presbyterian Church here in Norman. In addition to being a performer, this is Jeanne’s 10th year in the classroom. She has directed choirs and taught music to students of all ages. Jeanne began her career at El Reno High School in El Reno, OK. She then spent time as a graduate assistant at OU where she was the Director of the University Chorus. After completing her Master’s she moved to Kansas where she taught at Abilene High School and Middle School. While in Kansas, Jeanne was also an Adjunct Instructor of Voice at Kansas Wesleyan University. In addition to working at Alcott, Jeanne is the Associate Director of the Norman Children’s Chorus, and the Director of Children’s Music at First Presbyterian Church in Norman. Jeanne has had a great deal of success building choir programs in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Irving Middle School

 

Renée Jerden
http://staff.norman.k12.ok.us/%7Edjerden/

School Phone: 405-366-5841
School Fax: 405-366-5944
Email: djerden@norman.k12.ok.us

Renée Jerden is the Vocal Music teacher of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade at Irving Middle School. Ms. Jerden received her Bachelor of Music Education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, having studied with Charles Chapman and Skip Klingman.

Her choral experience includes Apollyras at Moore High School under the direction of Lori Park, and Southwestern Singers under the direction of Charles Chapman. She has been a member of Oklahoma Music Educators Association/Music Educators National Conference for six years.

Longfellow Middle School


Melissa Karim

School Phone: 405-366-5948
School Fax: 405-366-5952
Email : mkarim@norman.k12.ok.us

Melissa Karim is the Vocal Music Director at Longfellow Middle School, where she teaches 6th 7th, and 8th grade choirs. Previously, Melissa taught at Madison Elementary in Norman, Lexington Public schools and Alcott Middle School in Norman. During a teaching hiatus, Melissa spent time as a graduate assistant at OU where she received her Masters in Music Education and worked with Dr. Steven Curtis and conducting the OU Choir.

In addition to the classroom, Melissa enjoys other musical arenas as well. She sang in the Band Banana Seat for many years and was then the female vocalist for the local band, Full Circle. Melissa is the Music Director and Song Leader of Unity Church in Norman. She is married and has two young boys.

Whittier Middle School



Marcy Porter 

School Phone: 405-366-5956
School Fax: 405-447-6562
Email: marcyp@norman.k12.ok.us

Marcy Porter is the Vocal Music Teacher at Whittier Middle School where she is in her sixth year of teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students.  Prior to teaching in Norman, Marcy was a music teacher with Chickasha Public Schools.  She received both a  B.M.E. in Vocal Music and a B.S. in English from the University of Oklahoma.  She is a member of OMEA, ACDA, and OEA.

 

In addition to the classroom, Marcy enjoys other musical arenas as well.  She is the female vocalist and keyboard player for the local band, Full Circle.  Marcy also leads worship at Faith Assembly.

   


last updated 11/16/09

 
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