Jeffrey Bowling (Bobo), Director of Choral Activities
Email: [email protected] Phone: 972-429-3100 x 7917 Education: Shorter University, Bachelor of Music Education Shorter University, Bachelor of Music/ Piano Performance Louisiana State University, Masters of Music, Choral & Orchestral Conducting |
Emily Mara, Associate Director of Choirs
Email: [email protected] Education: Concordia College Moorhead, Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education
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Karen Gonzalez, Private Voice TeacherKaren Gonzalez has lived in Texas all but the first 3 months of her life! She graduated from Oral Roberts University with Bachelor’s of Music Education degree and has her elementary classroom certification as well. Following graduation, Karen taught in the public schools (El Paso ISD 8 years and Garland ISD 22 years) as a HS choir director, MS choir director and Elementary Music specialist. She also served 2 terms on the Texas Choir Directors Association board - both as Elementary VP and then Secretary/Treasurer. Upon retirement, she did contract work for McGraw-Hill demonstrating and doing sales presentations for the upcoming elementary music curriculum adoption. Karen has served as a judge for all-region, pre-area and area auditions in numerous TMEA regions and has judged several UIL Concert/Sight Reading contests. Her private teaching career began 7 years ago in Plano ISD and has been exclusively at Wylie HS for the past 4 years. Students studying with her have made All-Region and TMEA All-State choirs as well as pursuing degrees in Music Education, Music Performance and Musical Theater.
Karen lives in Rowlett with her husband, Tony. She has 2 sons- Her oldest, Jonathan, was a 4 year All-State choir member, received his BME from Baylor University has taught for 8 years and is currently a HS choir director. He lives in Denver with his wife, Samantha(Baylor graduate as well!). David is getting his private pilots license this summer and will graduate from Stephen F Austin University May 2023 with a degree in Marketing. Karen enjoys traveling and playing golf. She loves her WHS students and enjoys watching them progress vocally as well as seeing their confidence and love of singing grow! |
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Mandie McMurdie, Private Voice TeacherMandie McMurdie was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and received her Bachelor’s of Music in Choral Education from the University of Texas at Arlington. Following graduation she taught for four years as an elementary music teacher in Plano ISD, after which she took a break from teaching in public school to raise her three children. During that time, she taught a summer music program for six years, and taught private voice lessons in her home studio.
Mandie has taught private voice lessons in Wylie ISD for five years, and is entering her second full year of teaching at Wylie High School. Her students in Wylie consistently earn the highest levels of success in their musical endeavors including exemplary ratings at UIL Solo & Ensemble and All-Region and All-State Choirs, and are frequently awarded leading roles in school musicals and community theater productions. Having a rich understanding of vocal pedagogy, Mrs. McMurdie’s approach to teaching is to create confident singers who have thorough understanding of their instruments, and her true passion is to instill in her students a love for singing while teaching healthy vocal habits and greater musical literacy. Mandie has sung in choirs throughout her professional career and currently sings with Plano Civic Chorus, Plano Chamber Choir, and Dallas Millennial Choirs and Orchestras, and has been featured as a soloist with both MCO and PCC. Mrs. McMurdie is active in her church’s music program, having directed youth and adult choirs throughout her career, and she currently directs a multi-congregational choir and orchestra. She is an active member of the Texas Music Educators Association. Mandie resides in Sachse with her husband and three kids who go to Wylie Schools; two of which are at Wylie HS and are active in choir and band. She is an avid thrift shopper, loves spending time with her large extended family, and doing anything and everything music related. |
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Ryan Wisniewski, Private Voice TeacherGive a warm welcome to our new voice teacher, Mr. Wisniewski!
Ryan Wisniewski hails from Oceanside, CA and comes from a non-musical family; despite this, music has remained a big fixture in his life. It wasn’t until his sixth grade choir class that he started singing, but it was this exposure that began to pave the way towards a lifelong obsession! Finding his call as a singer, he attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas after graduating high school to study vocal performance and choral music education. He has been a proud member of the Barbershop Harmony Society since 2011 and an active performer with many of its top groups from California, including the Westminster Chorus, Masters of Harmony, and The Newfangled Four. Although no stranger to the performing circuit, Ryan finds most of his joy as an active coach and clinician, and has had the pleasure of getting to travel across the country coaching ensembles and hosting clinics and workshops in an effort to share his fascination and love of the voice. He is a Certified Singing Judge within the Barbershop Harmony Society, as well as a graduate of the New York Vocal Coaching Voice Teacher program, studying with the likes of esteemed vocal pedagogue Mr. Justin Stoney. Outside of his experience in the barbershop, choral, and a capella worlds, he also has experience with and enjoys singing classical, jazz, southern gospel, and rock. He is eternally grateful for the opportunities that have blessed his singing journey thus far, and he wants nothing more than to give back and help others find their joy in singing the same way he has! |
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Diane Camp, Accompanist
Diane Camp is a freelance accompanist serving school choirs and instrumental and vocal soloists throughout the Dallas area. For 10 years, she taught piano lab classes at Austin Academy for Excellence in Garland. Prior to joining the staff at Austin Academy, she taught private piano 16 years. She has been a church pianist for more than 45 years and also has directed church children's choirs and handbell choirs. She earned Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from East Texas State University in Commerce. Diane and her husband, Ken, have three adult sons, Daniel, Matthew and Nathan. If Diane is not in a rehearsal somewhere, she’s probably having fun somewhere with one of her four grandchildren.
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Lindy Perez, Vocal CoachLindy Perez taught Choir in Richardson ISD for 36 years, at Richardson HS and Westwood JH
where her choirs consistently earned Sweepstakes awards. Individual singers on each campus were selected annually for the All Region and All State Choirs. Under her direction, the Westwood Chorale performed at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and the Kennedy Center. From 2000-2021, Mrs. Perez directed the Richardson All District Elementary Choir, a select choir of 100 sixth graders districtwide. The chorus performed at the Eisemann Center, Majestic Theatre, Meyerson Symphony Center, and by invitation at TMEA in 2003 and 2015. Mrs. Perez was selected 4 times as “Most Influential Teacher” by top ten graduates at RHS and was honored to receive the UIL Sponsor of Excellence in Music Award. At RHS, she also taught the vocal music for the annual musical productions. Under her guidance, “Anything Goes” won best musical direction at the DSM HS Awards Program. Mrs. Perez has served as a vocal coach at Wylie High School for 3 years since retiring from RISD. She is currently the director of the Prelude Chorus with the Children’s Chorus of Collin County, and a supervisor for music education majors for Texas Tech University. She also enjoys accompanying solos for annual chamber and vocal festivals. As a member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, she frequently judges UIL Assessments each spring. Mrs. Perez holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Methodist University. Lindy resides in Richardson with her husband, Ruben. Their son, Aaron, graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Music Education, and is the Percussion Director at Frenship High School, a 6A campus south of Lubbock. Lindy loves spending time with her family, gardening, walking, and traveling to the beach! |
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Sandy Shelley taught middle school choirs for over 30 years. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Texas State University in San Marcos and her Master of Music Education at the University of North Texas in Denton. Sandy’s choirs won many awards at UIL Contest, Hurricane Harbor Choral Competition, and Hawaiian Falls Choral Competition. Her groups were invited to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association convention in 2002 and 2006. Sandy retired from public school teaching in 2017.
Since retiring, Sandy works most days tutoring choir students. She teaches voice lessons at Wylie East High School in Wylie ISD, where she has helped to guide multiple students in the Texas All-State process and choirs. She also coaches and accompanies singers at several other schools in the area. She is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and accompanist, and is a member of TMEA and TMAA. Sandy is busy at her church where she accompanies the adult choir, plays handbells, runs the cameras for online worship, and assists her husband, Don Shelley, who is the Director of Music. They have two grown children and four grandchildren (who are the smartest, most talented, beautiful grandchildren in the world!). |