Donna McGinnis - Choir Director
Donna McGinnis, a music educator, has taught choral and vocal music in both Texas and Virginia. She obtained her Bachelor of Music Education with dual emphasis in vocal performance and choral music from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia where she studied applied voice under Agnes Fuller and choral conducting under Dr. Nancy Klein. One of her greatest honors as a young choral director was to participate in a professional choral conducting internship with Robert Shaw in 1993.
Mrs. McGinnis has spent 14 years successfully directing choirs of all ages. Currently she is the director of the Briarhill Middle School Choral Department. Previously she has held positions as Choral Director of the Lewisville ISD 5th Grade Honor Choir, Artistic Director/Conductor of the Musical Feast Choral Society of Greater Lewisville, Choir Director at McKamy Middle School and Deep Creek High School (VA). In addition to directing choirs, she is an active choral clinician, adjudicator and vocal coach throughout the state of Texas.
In addition to her teaching duties, Mrs. McGinnis has presented numerous workshops and lectures for graduate and under-graduate students at the University Of North Texas College Of Music covering the topics of The Middle School Choral Experience, The Boy’s Changing Voice and Reference Materials for the Beginning Choral Director.
Mrs. McGinnis holds professional memberships in Texas Choral Directors Association, American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Texas Music Educators Association and National Association of Teachers of Singing. She maintains a private voice studio in Highland Village where she resides with her husband, Rod, and their 2 wonderful children, Blythe & Matthew.
Juan De Leon - Voice Instructor (Private Lessons)
Juan De Leon is originally from Corpus Christi, TX. He will graduate in May 2008 from the University of North Texas College of Music with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. He plans to pursue a Master of Music in Vocal Performance at Southern Methodist University. Juan has performed roles in
Gianni Schicchi,
Die Zauberflote,
Le Nozze di Figaro,
L’Egisto and
Into the Woods – as well as performing as a chorus member in many other operas and musicals. Juan enjoys teaching students at the middle school level because he began his vocal training in 6th grade and firmly believes that a solid foundation is the key to success in the vocal arts.
Vanessa Guzman - Voice Instructor (Private Lessons)
Vanessa Guzman is from Laredo, TX. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Texas Woman's University and is currently working on her Master of Arts in Vocal Performance, also at TWU. She has experience teaching at the middle school level; Ms. Guzman teaches private voice lessons at Shadow Ridge MS in Flower Mound as well as Briarhill. Her singing experience ranges from singing as a church soloist, various choir memberships, she was a member of the Fort Worth Opera Chorus for their inaugural festival season, Dallas Hub Theater, Music Theater of Denton and singing with jazz/pop bands around the DFW Metroplex.
