For the past fifteen years, I have served as the choral director for the Bowie Senior Chorale. When I started, I only intended to help them get through their first concert after the founding director fell ill. What I ended up finding was a wonderful group of people. Over the next few years, the choir quickly grew to it’s current size of 90-115 members. I credit the growth to the support and mentorship of the seniors involved, but also to the philosophy I hold that a choir is built on relationships first, singing second. I do my best to keep the programming fun and engaging, working with a range of abilities from those who have never been part of a choir before to some who had professional careers in music. I aim for programming that is meaningful, educational, and inspiring. Past programs have explored Broadway, Motown, 100 years of dance music, and friendship. Holiday programs have included a concert of all Alleluia/Hallelujah songs, an exploration of darkness to light, and our most recent celestial themed program performed in conjunction with the Howard B. Owen Science Center’s Planetarium! You can see highlights of past concerts on the Bowie Senior Chorale YouTube Channel.

In addition to my work with the Bowie Senior Chorale, I currently serve as the Director of Music at Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church. There, my responsibilities include directing the choir, playing piano and organ for services, planning service music, and resourcing others as needed. I love the diversity of the congregation which allows me to program all kinds of music. The choir sings gospel, classical, contemporary praise and worship songs…We’ve even sung Broadway and other secular songs in worship. As long as the music serves the purpose of creating a meaningful worship experience, I am willing to explore it.

In 2018, I spent time reflecting on how best to lead and grow this small music ministry. My vision is to create an outlet for musicians and artists to express themselves and fulfill dreams and projects they wouldn’t otherwise have the ability to do. I’m always looking for hidden or neglected talents to help shine.

In addition to my music duties, every year I deck out the sanctuary for Pentecost. In 2018, I channeled my interest in graffiti into a visual display with the words hope, spirit, power, God, and word translated into five different languages and “graffitied” on cardboard mounted around the church. Past years have involved billowing red fabric from the chandeliers or a rushing “wind” of tulle suspended above the center aisle of the sanctuary.