Speakers

2010 Hosts:

Roger Beale is one of the nation's foremost vocal coaches. He presently works with professional singers in all areas of musical performance. His teaching and coaching facility, The Voice House, is involved in the management and care of the professional voice. Roger is a staff writer with the Christian Musician Magazine and is also a member of the music faculty of Atlanta Christian College. Many of his students have won national competitions, collegiate scholarships, and are well recognized artists in the field of contemporary Christian music.

Dr. Byron Cartwright is the chairman of the music department at Atlanta Christian College. He conducts the Concert Choir and teaches private voice at the college. Dr. Cartwright has served as the president of the Association of Christian College Music Educators. He has been a minister of music for many years and is recognized as a leader in the field of contemporary worship. His many students have been successful as ministers of music, worship leaders, music teachers, and nationally recognized artists in the field of contemporary Christian music.

2010 Keynote Speaker

Jazz Vocalist, Sandra Dudley is a versatile singer that has entertained audiences for almost three decades. An educator as well as performer, Sandra has been on the faculty at several universities including St. Francis Xavier University in Canada and University of Houston. She has been Assistant Professor of Commercial Voice at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee since 1995 where she teaches commercial voice, seminars, jazz vocal styles and graduate courses in commercial vocal pedagogy. She is also the coordinator of the commercial voice area. She was the director of Belmont’s Jazz Vocal Ensemble, “Jazzmin” from 1995-2008. Many of her students are enjoying career success such as Melinda Doolittle (American Idol finalist), Daniel Kirkley (Christian Artist on Centricity), Jason Baird, Dove Award Nominee with “Austins Bridge”, and many more. She is a clinician nationwide for commercial vocal technique and pedagogy. She is also on the faculty of the Nashville Jazz Workshop, a nationally recognized jazz school and serves on the Advisory Board.

Sandra has sung with many jazz bands including The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, The Jazz Orchestra of the Delta, and the Tennessee Jazz Orchestra. She has performed with Fred Hersch, Marvin Stamm, Dave Catney, Bobby Militello, Barney Kessel, husband Bruce Dudley and many others. Sandra has been the featured soloist with the Nashville and Memphis Symphonies, the Murfreesboro Youth Orchestra, and has been heard on American Public Radio, National Public Radio, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

In 1998 she was among the winners of the JAZZIZ Magazine’s Vocals on Fire Songwriting Competition with her song, “Billie”. She can be heard on the CD “Big Band Reflections of Cole Porter” with The Jazz Orchestra of the Delta on the Summit Label. Her first solo album, “Close To You” was released in September 2003. She can also be heard on the album entitled, “Last Night When We Were Young: The Ballad Album” produced by New York jazz pianist Fred Hersch and put out by Classical Action, a label based in New York. Sandra can be heard frequently in jazz clubs and in concerts throughout the United States. She is a member of the new jazz vocal quartet, “Third Coast Vocals” which will release their first CD this fall. She is currently working on several new solo projects including one with strings produced and arranged by composer, arranger Jeff Steinberg.

Session Leaders have included:

Robert Edwin has gained international recognition as a singer, composer, teacher, and writer. He has sung Bach cantatas in cathedrals and rock songs in Greenwich Village coffeehouses, recorded for Avant Garde and Fortress Records, and toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad. An active and ecumenically-minded Lutheran, he has worked with all the major Christian denominations. His songs, hymns, and choir anthems are sung in churches around the world. His diverse performing career is paralleled by an equally diverse teaching career. A leading authority on nonclassical and child vocal pedagogy, Robert Edwin preaches what he practices at his private studio in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. He a member and past Secretary/Treasurer of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and an Associate Editor of the NATS Journal of Singing. He also serves on the Applied Music Staff of New Jersey's Camden County College and is a frequent faculty \member of the Voice Foundation’s Annual Symposium on Care of the Professional Voice. A member of the prestigious American Academy of Teachers of Singing, he has led master classes and workshops in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Dr. L. Scott Martin - The Academy of the Arts has long been synonymous with its founder and director, Dr. L. Scott Martin, or “Dr. Scott” as he is often called. Scott has coached over 200 national and local album projects for stars like Glen Campbell, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Rachael Lampa, and Stacie Orrico. With A Ph.D from Juilliard School in New York, Scott has helped the Academy grow to become known nationally and internationally for its top-qualitytraining techniques in voice and performance allowing several individuals to achieve their dreams of a professional vocal performance career. The Academy works with all music genres and styles, but has had its greatest impact in the training and development of Christian artists.

Denise Coleman is a graduate of Agnes Scott College's (Decatur, GA) music program. Denise has been playing in the church for over 40 years, currently playing with the praise band at Fayetteville Christian Church. She has been teaching piano for over 35 years. She is in her third year teaching at ACC.

Sonza Curtis - Ms. Curtis' educational experience began at the University of Nebraska where she was a Biological Sciences major and earned her MPAS Medicine in 1996. She has over 10 years ENT experience, five years specialized in Laryngology. She has sung in various recording Gospel choirs since her adolescent years. She is a choir director and founder of her last church choir in Roswell GA. She serves on the advisory board at Safehouse in downtown Atlanta. Sonza is very active in missionary work in South Africa both medically and musicaly. She is married and the mother of four children. She holds certifications from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants NCCPA.

Jeff Earle has been in the ministry for over 23 years. He and his wife Joy were music artists on the NEST Entertainment Label. They traveled extensively doing concert ministry, as well as doing music and teaching at marriage conferences and various spiritual growth conferences. He has been writing songs and producing artist projects throughout this time. He currently owns and operates Red House Recording Studio. For the past 17 years, he has not only recorded the Earle’s own music but has also worked with artists such as Babbie Mason, Eddie Middleton, Russ Lee and more. Jeff has been a panelist at various seminars: vocal judging, song writing, as well as doing various studio and “live” sound technology breakout sessions. He is also currently a guest lecturer at Atlanta Christian College on Music Technology. Jeff has been pastoring a church for the last 4 years in Acworth, where he lives.

Bryan Gibson is an ordained minister, singer/song writer, associate pastor of ministries of Fellowship Church in Manchester, Georgia and President of Day Star Media, Inc. But most importantly he is husband to Stacey Gibson and father to Kaylee and Bryce. Through Day Star Media, Inc., Bryan has produced and edited countless commercials for corporations all over the United States and Canada. He has also won 4 national awards for his creativity and effectiveness. With a powerful testimony and passionate heart he ministers throughout the Southeast bringing a message of hope to many.

Kent Morris delivers a bridge-building perspective to the technical arena. He is a live sound engineer for Tommy Walker, Paul Baloche, Don Moen, and Israel Houghton and served as a senior pastor for a decade. Currently, he is an audio/video system designer with Cornerstone Media, whose clients include Mt. Paran Church of God and In Touch Ministries. Kent is an editor and writer for several magazines including Worship Leader, Your Church, Church Sound and Technologies for Worship. He has been a member of the Audio Engineering Society for twenty years and teaches for NAMM, NSCA, NAB, LDI and NRB on church technology issues. As an engineer and instructor for Integrity Media and Maranatha! Music since 1996, he has taught thousands of worship techs how to provide “Audio Worthy of Worship.” Kent resides in Atlanta with his wife Melani and their two sons.

Dr. Oral Moses, bass-baritone, performs regularly throughout the United States and Europe. He has had numerous successes with opera companies performing major roles. He began his singing career as a member of the US Seventh Army Soldiers Chorus in Heidelberg, Germany, and as a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers while attending Fisk University following his military career. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, he was awarded a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provided him the opportunity to return to Germany for further study in vocal performance and opera. Upon his return to the United States, he attended the University of Michigan where he earned a Masters of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance and Opera. He was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant in 1986 and in 1991. His premier CD recording, “Deep River: Songs and Spirituals of Harry T. Burleigh” is featured in the PBS film documentary, “Antonin Dvorak in America”. He just released his second CD, “Amen! African-American Composers of the Twentieth Century”. He collaborated with Babbie Mason on the CD/Video project, “Treasured Memories: A Celebration of Our Gospel Music Heritage”. A second CD collaboration entitled, “Third Day Offerings: A Worship Album”, allowed him to record with the contemporary Christian rock group, Third Day, and earned him his first gold record. In addition to his busy performance schedule, he serves a guest lecturer and clinician for gospel and spiritual music workshops in the US and Europe. He is Professor of Voice and Music Literature and Director of Vocal Studies at Kennesaw (GA) State University.

Dottie Niles is presently assisting singers through her vocal studio, Vocals by Design. Dottie has also performed with her own concert ministry throughout the United States and Canada. She has been a church music director for over ten years and has been an arranger and songwriter for the ministry group, “Unveiled Heart”. Dottie has also been a member of the Max Davey Trio, the Roger Wagner Chorale, and has performed with such notables as Jerome Hines, Pat Boone, and the Cathedrals. Dottie has a Bachelor of Music in Composition/Vocal Performance.

Larry Pounds has worked in music education and music ministry for over thirty years. A graduate of the University of North Texas, he holds the degrees Bachelor of Music and Master of Education in Music Education. He was a choral director in Texas for nine years, teaching in junior high and high schools. His choirs were consistent award winners including a performance at the American Choral Directors Regional Conference in 1976. Larry has taught private voice and piano as well as serving a number of churches in the capacity of minister of music, organist or pianist. He has served as an adjudicator and clinician regularly throughout his career, including serving for the past eleven years as an adjudicator at the Babbie Mason Music Conference International. He is currently employed at IBM. He and his wife Martha are active members of First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Brian Smith is a musician, composer and arranger residing in Athens, GA. Brian began playing the guitar at the age of 11 in his hometown of Augusta, GA, where he studied with classical guitarist George Westafer. He continued his studies with John Sutherland at the University of Georgia where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Guitar Performance. Brian is a member of the Georgia Guitar Quartet, a nationally touring classical guitar ensemble; One Ton Tomato, a Latin jazz ensemble in which he plays bass guitar; the Odd Trio, a jazz trio that blends classical, jazz, rock, metal and funk styles into a uniquely distinct form of jazz; and the Musicsmiths, a flute and guitar duo performing music from classical to jazz to pop. In addition to performing, Brian is an active composer and arranger whose pieces and arrangements have been met with acclaim by critics and fans alike. Brian also teaches guitar at LaGrange College and Atlanta Christian College and teaches guitar privately in Athens.

Allison Upshaw Spragin is an adjunct voice teacher and holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Louisiana State University in Voice Performance. She joined the faculty of Atlanta Christian College in the spring of 2007. Allison has performed in operas and concert performances throughout the eastern United States. “Classroom OPERAtunities”, an arts infusion and outreach company has been accepted to the arts education rosters in Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, North Dakota, and Georgia. She is currently a member of the Actor’s Equity Association.