Our musical arrangement..

Director: Julie Ann White    Artistic Director: James Douglas White

President: Kirk Kirkpatrick  Vice President: Brenda Clayton  Treasurer: David Robertson

Julie Ann White, Director

Mrs. Julie Ann White is the former Fine Arts Coordinator for the Owensboro Public Schools where she served as curriculum specialist and consultant for their music, art, drama and dance programs and curriculum K-12. She graduated with high honors from the University of Montana where she studied piano, percussion and voice. She has also founded and directed treble choirs since 1972 which include the Knollwood Children’s Chorus (Atlanta, Georgia) The Brescia Boy Choir, The Sutton Singers, The City Singers and the Owensboro Center Chorus and the Kentucky Youth Chorale.

Mrs. White’s choirs have performed with the Atlanta Symphony and the Owensboro Symphony; they have performed for the Kentucky School Board Association State Conventions, CMENC and numerous KMEA conventions. They have sung with the Chattanooga Boy Choir and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. They performed in Carnegie Hall in 1999 as a nationally auditioned chorus selected from over 200 applicants. They premiered on KET (In Performance at the Governor’s Mansion), the only public school musical group to do so to date. They have also sung for the opening session of the Kentucky Legislature. In July, 2002, the Owensboro Center Chorus won a highly coveted invitation to perform in the Pacific Rim International Children’s Choral Festival in Hawaii. Nicholas Palmer, conductor of the Owensboro Symphony has said, “I have worked with many children’s choirs throughout the United States and this is one of the best I have ever encountered. Much praise must go to their excellent conductor Julie White who has remarkable control over the choir and the ability to motivate them to the highest standard of performance.”

Mrs. White was selected the 1988 Owensboro Public School Teacher of the Year and in 1993 she was honored as the KMEA Elementary Music Teacher of the Year. She has received the Ashland Oil Teacher Achievement Award and the Owensboro Mayor’s Award for Excellence. She has served on the Kentucky Department of Education Task Force to revise and assess Kentucky’s music curriculum and has also worked for the Kentucky Arts Council. She has served on the Kentucky Arts Advisory Council. She is the 2007-2008 recipient of the highly coveted Governor’s Award for the Arts in Education. Mrs. White conducts district choral festivals throughout Kentucky. She currently directs the Kentucky Youth Chorale. For more information, please contact Julie or James Douglas White, Artistic Director at 270-929-1226.
 

Brenda Clayton, Vice President

Bio coming soon…

 

David Roberson, Treasurer

 

Bio coming soon…

 

Joyce Goodwin, KYC Accompanist

Joyce Goodwin grew up in Minnesota in a musical family of seven children. Her mother was her first piano teacher and her experience as a choir accompanist and church pianist began in junior high. She received Bachelor’s degrees from Pillsbury Bible College and Mankato State University in Minnesota, and a Master’s degree in piano performance from Bob Jones University in South Carolina.  Joyce has taught in three Bible colleges. In addition to having a studio in which she teaches students of all ages and levels, she is organist at First Baptist Church.

As an accompanist, Joyce has extensive experience with soloists, ensembles, and choirs in churches, schools, and communities. Since 2005, Joyce has been choir accompanist for the 5-6 Center, Owensboro Middle Schools, and Owensboro High School, enjoying the opportunity to work with Julie White, Jenifer Wiggins and Alecia Meyer.   In 2011 she received the Owensboro Board of Education’s Tom Maddox Outstanding Service Award. Joyce’s husband, David, is a bass trombonist, Music Librarian for the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, and a piano technician with Kerrick Piano. The Goodwins have two adult children

 

Pam Howell, Director Preparatory Choir

Pam Howell is the music specialist at Highland Elementary School in the Daviess County Public School System where she has taught for 21 years. She founded and directs the Highland Choir and Percussion Ensemble which are featured in the school’s signature Renaissance Faire. She formerly taught in Owensboro Public System and Warrick County School System.

Pam serves as music director at Eaton Memorial Baptist Church. She has directed adult, youth and children’s choirs at the church and serves as worship planner. She also serves as Vacation Bible School Director, Sunday School Teacher, and Church Council Member.

Ms. Howell graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a Bachelor in Music Education. She completed her Masters in Music Education and Rank One in Elementary Counseling from Western Kentucky University.

Pam was selected as the Kentucky Music Educators’ Elementary Music Teacher of the Year for District Two in 2001-2002 and again in 2003-2004. She also received the Campbellsville University Excellence in Teaching Award in 2003.  Pam was recognized as Highland Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2013-2014.

Pam has also served as District Two Elementary Chairperson where she organized the Elementary All-District Choral Festival. She has represented the DCPS on the Riverpark Arts Advisory Board and has served as an Artist-in-Residence of the Riverpark’s Summer Arts Camp.

As an assistant for the Kentucky Youth Chorale since its inception, Pam serves in many different capacities;  working with singers on vocal technique, ear training and sight-singing.

Pam assists the choir with organizational planning, mentoring and co-directing.   She is one of many supporters for this extraordinary group. She presently directs the preparatory choir.

James Douglas White, Artistic Director of IYM

James moved to Owensboro in 1975 as professor of music at Brescia University & Concertmaster of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra. During his twelve seasons with the orchestra he was guest soloist seven times. James has soloed with the Nashville Symphony, the Twin Cities Symphony and the Missoula Civic Orchestra. He has given countless recitals throughout the US, France and the Caribbean. He performed as solo violinist with the National Youth Choirs at Carnegie Hall in 1999. Other orchestral experience includes the Oakland Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. While teaching violin and conducting the orchestra at the University of Montana, Robert Shaw enlisted James to be Apprentice Conductor and first violinist in the Atlanta Symphony where he also conducted the Atlanta Sinfonietta and the Atlanta Youth Orchestra. Guest conducting appearances include the Memphis Symphony, the Nashville Symphony, the Twin Cities Orchestra, the Missoula Civic Symphony, the Portland Junior Symphony and members of the Louisville Orchestra. He is past conductor of orchestras at Brevard Music Center, the Owensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Louisville Youth Orchestra. He has taught at the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts and conducted All-State Orchestras.

In 1990, James received a formal invitation from the Soviet Composers Union to conduct and perform in many republics of the former Soviet Union. He was commissioned by them to premier a new work, The Peace Symphony, which was nationally televised and recorded for radio. In 1993, the Owensboro Symphony gave the US premiere of this work. The Owensboro Symphony also performed his Overture Before Summer at the ’83 Maple Mount Pops concert and have since performed several other works at RiverPark Center on their subscription concert season and Holiday Pops concerts.

James has received many commendations during his tenure in Kentucky. In 1987 he was awarded the Outstanding Kentuckian award and in 1995 he received a special Citation for Excellence from the Governor. He is a Kentucky Colonel, a Rotarian and an alumnus of Leadership Owensboro. The Alma-Alta Conservatory conferred upon him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music and Highest Professor status during his concert tour in Kazakhstan. He has received the prestigious 25 year award for String Teaching Excellence from the Kentucky American String Teachers Association and the 25 year service award from the Kentucky Music Educators. He received the Owensboro Mayor’s Award for Excellence in 1996. Through his many activities and tireless devotion to the Institute for Young Musicians, White continues his deep interest and leadership in developing the musical talents of young musicians.