Children's Chorus
                                                   of Collin County

FACULTY

JANIE OLIVER
Artistic Director
Conductor of Concert Chorus

Janie Oliver taught Classroom Music for the Dallas Independent School District prior to becoming Associate Minister of Worship and Music at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.  During a long career at Park Cities, Janie’s responsibilities included coordinating and directing Children’s Choirs, Senior Adult Choir, Ladies Ensemble, Handbell Choirs, and helping to Produce and Direct the annual Christmas and Easter pageants.  She served as a State Music Specialist for the Southern Baptist Convention, and has conducted seminars and workshops for choir leaders throughout the United States. 

In 2000, she formed Janie Oliver Ministries, and has continued her career in singing, speaking, writing and teaching.  She is a published author and composer and is a frequent speaker and entertainer for women’s groups, churches, retreats, and conventions.

She holds a Bachelor of Music Degree and a Masters Degree in Counseling and Guidance from Texas A & M in Commerce, Texas.  She is affiliated with Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, American Choral Directors Association, and Choristers Guild.  

Janie and her husband, Wendell, have two grown sons, Jeffrey, who lives in Plano, and Christopher, who resides in Connecticut with his wife, Erika and their new baby, Luke.

Russ Porter is a 1978 graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a Bachelor's of Music degree in Church Music. His area of concentration was vocal/choral education with a minor in piano. He continued his education by attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where in 1980 he received his Master's in Church Music with a concentration in vocal/choral education. Russ has served as Minister of Music for Baptist churches in Texas and Louisiana for the past 24 years before assuming co-ownership of the Rockwall School of Music in 2004.  He has had extensive choral/orchestral experience as conductor as well as teaching experience as a clinician and adjudicator. He and his wife Karen have been married for 30 years and have two children. Their daughter Kristen and her husband live in Little Rock, AR and their son Ryan is attending the University of Arkansas, preparing for medical school.

EILEEN HALBROOKS, Chorus Assistant

Eileen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas.  She studied voice for three years at the University of North Texas and has performed publicly and been in choirs since she was eight years old.  Some of Mrs. Halbrooks performances have  included the University of Texas San Antonio Children's Chorus,  TMEA District, Region, and Area Choirs,  and the University of North Texas Acappella  Choir and Grand Chorus.  Mrs. Halbrooks has also had the opportunity to direct the adult choir at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church from 2001-2002.  A mother of four, she has homeschooled her four children for the past five years.  She has also taught voice lessons and music theory classes to select groups of homeschool co-ops.

SCOTT AYERS, accompanist

A native of Greenville, SC, Scott has been a church musician since the age of twelve. He has served churches in SC, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as presenting keyboard concerts in more than a dozen states. Currently residing in Dallas, Texas, Scott serves as accompanist and coach for various musicians and schools in the area as well as serving Royal Lane Baptist Church as organist and St. Andrew United Methodist as Music Office Administrator. Scott holds a degree in Theory and Composition from Oklahoma Baptist University, and has done graduate work at the University of South Carolina. Scott has taught keyboard improvisation classes at Glorieta, Ridgecrest, and a number of state keyboard workshops. He has produced 3 albums and has a number of published arrangements for choir and keyboard.

JOEL PRICE, accompanist

Mr. Price is in his thirteenth year of teaching, serving for the last eight years as the choral director at Westwood JH in the Richardson ISD.  Prior to coming to Westwood he taught in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch and Plano ISD's.  At Westwood, Joel directs five choirs and serves as the chair of the music department.  His choirs have consistently earned Sweepstakes awards for superior ratings at the annual UIL Concert and Sightreading contest.  His Girls Chorale received the prestigious honor of being invited to perform in the concert for the Texas Music Educators Association convention in February 2007.

In addition to his teaching, Joel serves the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) as Region 3 Middle School / Junior High Vocal Chair and was the organizer of the Richardson ISD 9th Grade Honor Choir for four years.  He served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Choral Directors Association as the Middle School / Junior High Vice President.  He is a member of TMEA, the Texas Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, and the American Choral Directors Association.

Mr. Price graduated from SMU with a Bachelor of Music in music education and vocal performance.  He has also completed graduate work at UNT.  During the 2004-2005 school year, Joel was honored to represent Westwood Junior High as Teacher of the Year and was selected as the Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Richardson ISD Tomorrow Foundation.  In 2004 and 2005, he was listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers. 

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