Bruce J. Snyder has been teaching choral music in Bloomfield Hills Schools for 24 years.   With a B.A. in Music Education from Albion College, Bruce also has a M.M. degree in conducting from Michigan State University and an Ed. S. in administration and leadership from Oakland University.  His choral groups at Andover High School have been recognized in statewide festivals, have performed for music educators conferences and tour Europe every other summer.  They have been privileged to work with the Detroit Symphony, Kenny Rodgers and Aretha Franklin.  While teaching holds a sense of calling for Bruce, his involvement in the life of a local church has probably created his most profound musical experiences.  He directed his first youth choir at his home church while he was still in high school.  Since that time, Bruce has consistently sought to serve the Lord through music in the church.  He served on staff at the Covenant Baptist Church, West Bloomfield, MI for twelve years and for the last six years has been the Director of Music Ministries at Orchard Lake Community Church.

Brad Holmes is a native of the Southwest where he received the M.M. degree in conducting from the University of New Mexico and the D.M.A. degree in choral music from Arizona State University.  While in the Southwest, Dr. Holmes served as Choral Director for the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Musical Director for the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera and Conductor of the University of New Mexico Chorale and Collegiate Singers.  In 1985, Mr. Holmes moved to Iowa where he and his wife, Beth, both assumed choral positions at Luther College.  Since 1991, they and their three children have lived in Decatur, Illinois where Brad is Director of Choral Programs at Millikin University. Under Brad Holmes direction, the choral program at Millikin has grown to five traditional choirs and a variety of smaller ensembles involving 325 students and four choral/vocal ensemble staff.  In additional to teaching conducting and choral methods, Dr. Holmes conducts the Millikin University Choir, the Millikin Men as well as assisting in the vocal jazz program. Dr. Holmes choirs have toured 45 states and have performed overseas throughout Europe as well as such exotic locations as New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti, Barbados, Venezuela, Panama, Guatemala, Haiti, Samoa, and the Fiji Islands 26 countries in all.  Most recently, Millikin University has created educational ties in the Dominican Republic with the Instituto Cultural Dominico/Americano.  His choirs have sung at Music Educators conventions in Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois as well as the regional convention of the American Choral Directors Association.  They have been invited to sing at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC and were seen recently on ABCs Good Morning America.
 

ANDRÉ J. THOMAS, Owen F. Sellers Named Professor of Music, is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Choral Music Education at Florida State University.  He previously served on the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin.  Dr. Thomas received the baccalaureate degree in music education from Friends University, the master's degree in piano performance from Northwestern University, and the Doctorate of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Illinois.  He is frequently in demand as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and director of Honor Choirs and All-State Choirs throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.  He has conducted choirs at the state, division, and national conventions of Music Educators' National Conference (MENC) and American Choral Directors' Association (ACDA).  He has served as a conductor and clinician for the International Federation of Choral Musicians.  In 1998, Dr. Thomas conducted the World Youth Choir in the Republic of China and the Phillipines, and returned in 1999-2000 to conduct the winter residency of the World Youth Choir in Europe.  In 1999, he and the Florida State University Singers performed in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, at the invitation of the Vietnamese government.  Besides his extensive conducting credits, he has distinguished himself as a composer/arranger.  His compositions and arrangements are published by Hinshaw Music Company, Mark Foster Music Company, Fitzsimmon Music Company, Lawson Gould, Earthsongs, and Heritage Music Company.  Dr. Thomas conducts several choral ensembles at the Florida State campus and teaches choral conducting.  From 1993 to 1995, he served as President of the Florida American Choral Directors' Association.  He is currently President-elect of the Southern Division of ACDA.

Anton Armstrong is the Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf College and Conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, a position he assumed in 1990. He came to this position following ten years in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he served on the faculty of Calvin College and conducted the Campus Choir, the Calvin College Alumni Choir and the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus.

      Anton Armstrong is a graduate of St. Olaf College and earned a Master of Music degree at the University of Illinois and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University. He holds membership in several professional societies including the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, and the International Federation for Choral Music. He also serves as editor of a multicultural choral series for Earthsongs Publications and co-editor of the revised St. Olaf Choral Series for Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Dr. Armstrong is widely recognized for his work in the area of youth and children's choral music. He served for over twenty years on the summer faculty of the American Boychoir School, Princeton, New Jersey and held the position of Conductor of the St. Cecilia Youth Chorale, a 75 voice treble chorus based in Grand Rapids, from 1981-1990. He currently serves as Past President of the National Board of Directors of the Choristers Guild. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Boychoir School and the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Orchestral Association.