Deborah T. Lee

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Deborah Lee holds BS and MS degrees in education (music/ vocal emphasis) from Missouri State university. Her 37 years of teaching experience include 19 years in the Springfield Public Schools and the Greenwood Laboratory School, MSU, where she developed performing choirs and programs for all levels, K-12. Lee's focus for the past 19 years has been the development of the Children's Choirs of Southwest Missouri. Long active in professional music organizations, Lee has served as R&S Chairperson for Children's Choirs in the

Missouri Choral Directors Association, and has held district and state offices in the Missouri Music Educators Association. She was recognized by the MSU Music Department as the 2003 Outstanding Alumnus Award Honoree. in addition to her CCSM duties, Lee teaches music to the fourth and fifth grade students at Hickory Hills School in Springfield.

Lee, her husband, Ed, an attorney, and their two children, Alex, age 21 and Katelyn, age 24 have always enjoyed their involvement with Children's Choirs of Southwest Missouri.

Lee, her husband, Ed, an attorney, and their two children, Alex, age 21 (CCSM Alumna and student at Miami University) and Katelyn, age 24 (Alumna and vocal performance major at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music), enjoy their involvement with Children's Choirs of Southwest Missouri.

Mark Bowdidge

Music Director: Lyric Singers

Mark A. Bowdidge earned the Bachelor of Science degree from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri double majoring in Music Education and Organ Performance, and the Master of Music and Doctor of Music Arts degrees in Choral Conducting from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Bowdidge has served in a variety of professional music ministry capacities in Baptist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, has taught high school choral music in Texas, and served on the music faculties of Brewton-Parker College, Mount Vernon, Georgia, and Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas.

Daniel Gutierrez

Music Director: Carolers and Cherubs

Daniel Gutierrez holds a Bachelors of Music in music education from Evangel university. He is currently a teacher at Rountree and Delaware elementaries in Springfield Public Schools. Daniel has been named 'Teacher of the Month' at both his schools and the district. Daniel has performing choirs at both of his schools. in addition to teaching elementary vocal music, Daniel is the church choir director at Messiah Lutheran Church, has a private vocal studio for students of all ages, and performs regularly with Springfield Regional Opera Lyric Theater. This upcoming March he will be singing the tenor role of Le Remendado in Bizet's Carmen.

'Mr. G' is thoroughly enjoying his first season with CCSM. He is looking forward to making quality music for years to come.

Leah Hamilton Jenkins

Music Director: Young Artists Showcase

Leah Hamilton Jenkins - With a voice "full of warmth"(KC Metropolis) and a "gutsy soul sound" (KC independent), Jenkins has performed numerous roles spanning opera, concert and musical theatre repertoire with the Kansas City Lyric Opera, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama at the Royal Theatre, New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park, MO, SRO Lyric Theatre, Springfield Little Theatre, Springfield Contemporary Theatre and Springfield Symphony Orchestra. She also sings professionally with Octarium, an 8-voice chamber ensemble based in Kansas City, MO and is featured

On their 2009 album release, Modern Masters, hailed by composer Stephen Hatfield as having "personality in the tone carried with such quiet strength through the different registers of the voice". Jenkins holds a BM (Vocal Performance) from the university of Kansas and a Postgraduate Diploma in Music (Vocal Performance) from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council and teaches for the Music Department at Missouri State university. Jenkins was named in Go Magazine's 20 under 30 (2008) and Springfield Business Journal's top 40 under 40 (2009) for her work in the Arts in Springfield. She is excited to return to her 5th season teaching for CCSM.

Norma May

Music Director: Choristers

Norma May holds BS and MS degrees in music education from Southwest Missouri State university and has a background of 33 years teaching experience. She began her career in the Blue Eye School District (Missouri) teaching both vocal and instrumental music in grades K-12. Norma then worked 28 years in the Reeds Spring School District (Missouri), teaching various levels of vocal music for grades K-6, and developing choirs for elementary children's voices. under her direction, the elementary choir program at Reeds Spring was widely recognized and twice selected to perform for the Missouri

Music Educators Association's annual state convention. Her choirs also participated in several performances at the Grand Palace in Branson with recording artist Kenny Rogers. Choirs under May's direction also competed every spring 1982-2003 at the Ozark Mountain Country Band and Choral Festival on the campus of College of the Ozarks, receiving “1” ratings (Excellence) at each competitive performance.

Outside the classroom, Norma has played keyboard and trumpet professionally in Branson, Missouri, and has served as pianist, organist, and adult choir director for her church. She also held district office in the South Central Missouri Music Educators Association.

She and her husband Greg (Reeds Spring School District band director for 32 years), have two children - James and Leigha, both CCSM alums.

Susan Smith

Music Director: Young Artists Apprentices and Eighth Grade Soloists

Susan Smith serves as Associate Professor of Vocal Music at Evangel university, where she has taught since 1980 in the areas of Voice, Music History, Vocal Literature and Diction. She served for 6 years as director of Frontline, a contemporary music group that traveled representing the university, and currently directs a small madrigal group featured at Departmental Christmas concerts.

She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oral Roberts university where she sang with the World Action Singers on a nationally syndicated television program. Susan and her husband,

David, have traveled in music/drama ministry with Living Sound international throughout the u. S., Canada, Europe and South Africa. Her Master of Music Education Degree is from Missouri State university. The Smiths both serve on the board of Children's Choirs. They have one son, Andrew, an alumnus of CCSM.

Kathy McCormick

Director of Business Administration

Email Kathy - kmccormick@missourichildrensing.com

Kathy McCormick is in her tenth season as Director of Business Operations for Children's Choirs of Southwest Missouri. She has over twenty-seven years of business management experience for both non-profit and for-profit companies. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art and works with blown, fused and lampwork glass. Kathy's daughter, Emily, is also in her tenth season with CCSM and is a Student intern and proud member of the Lyric Singers and Young Artists Showcase.

Kathy will gladly answer your questions and mail you information.