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2022 ACDA Southwestern Region Conference

P e r f orming
Performing ChoirsChoirs

Baylor University Charles Patterson Middle School

A Cappella Choir Varsity Tenor Bass Choir

The Baylor A
Cappella Choir is
the fl agship cho-
ral ensemble at
Baylor University.
Selected by com-
petitive audition,
the choir com-
bines some of the
most advanced
singers at Baylor,
both music majors
and non-music majors, and focuses on cultivating mean- The Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir at Charles Patterson
ingful fellowship and rich, artistic singing. The choir has Middle School comprises 15-35 diverse students. Both
performed by invitation for the TMEA Convention, its diversity in size, demographics, and socioeconomic
the Texoma Region of NATS, and the ACDA National status is due in large part to its location. Killeen, Texas,
Conference. is a cultural melting pot due to its association with Fort
Hood, the United States’ largest army base. The CPMS
Brian A. Schmidt is associate professor Varsity Tenor-Bass choir has put on several quality per-
of choral music and director of graduate formances at UIL and was an 2020 invited TMEA Hon-
choral studies at Baylor University, where or Choir.
he conducts the Baylor A Cappella Choir
and Chamber Singers. He is also a Gram- Gerald Nicholas earned his BME from the
my-nominated conductor and founder/artistic direc- University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Since
tor of the South Dakota Chorale. Previously Schmidt 2014, Nicholas has been the head director
served at Duke University Chapel, where he conducted at Charles E. Patterson Middle School in
the Duke Vespers Ensemble and founded several new Killeen, Texas. He was selected as the 2020
ventures, including the monthly Bach Cantata Series CPMS MS Teacher of the Year and one of TCDA’s
and Cappella Baroque, along with publishing recordings Young Directors of Distinction. His boys’ varsity choir
on the MSR Classics label. Schmidt completed an MM received the distinction of state honor choir and traveled
and DMA at the University of North Texas. to Austin, TX, in February 2020 to perform at the Texas
MEA Convention.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2022 Volume 62 Number 5 91