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2026 ACDA Southern Region Conference March 4-7, 2026 Memphis, Tennessee

to developing harmony through quality repertoire. Jill Campbell works in choral/vocal
Many teachers often ask, “Why can’t my singers per- music and music education at Eastern
form music in parts?” The answer is in selecting the Kentucky University, where she teach-
proper repertoire to meet students where they are. This es undergraduate and graduate classes
session seeks to walk participants through the develop- in pedagogy, research, and sociology of
ing and pacing of many different musical skill sets as we music. She also directs choral ensembles and supervis-
build harmonic independence in our singers. es student teachers. Campbell is a direct and actively
engaged ally for all students and singers. She is a fre-
Eric G. Johnson is the assistant professor quent guest adjudicator and clinician for district and
and coordinator of music education for all-state honor choirs; she has also presented clinics
Gardner-Webb University. Prior to pur- and workshops in numerous states on topics of music
suing a PhD in music education with a education, church choir leadership, vocal health, per-
choral conducting emphasis from the formance-based assessment, dyslexia and music read-
University of Mississippi, he was the choral director at ing, and sight singing. Campbell is the state research
Holmes Middle School in Eden, NC, where he direct- chair for Kentucky MEA. Recent invitations include
ed a vibrant choral for ten years. With a BM in music the 2024 Southern ACDA Region Conference and the
education and sacred vocal performance from Appa- 2024 KMEA Conference.
lachian State University and an MME from The Flor-
ida State University, Johnson is active as an educator, Sarah Marks is the director of family and
clinician, and presenter. He has presented at national community medicine at the University
conferences for both NAfME and ACDA and conduct- of Kentucky, including the Transform
ed honor choirs in North Carolina, South Carolina, Health Clinic. A native of Lexington,
Georgia, and Virginia. He serves as the president-elect Marks holds degrees from the University
for North Carolina ACDA and supports churches in of Kentucky and UNC Chapel Hill. She completed her
the region as an interim music minister. family medicine residency at St. Joseph Family Medi-
cine Residency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She worked
in medical student education and the interprofession-
al teaching clinic at the University of Kansas before
Prism of Perspective: coming to the University of Kentucky in 2019. At UK,
Cultivating Transgender Vocal Identity Marks is the associate program director and maternity

care director in the Department of Family and Com-
This session convenes a diverse panel of experts to munity Medicine and is focused on residency educa-
support choral directors at all stages of their teach- tion and curriculum design. She is one of the primary
ing. Featuring a medical doctor, a DMA-trained voice physicians with the Transform Health program at the
teacher and performer, and a PhD professor of vocal University of Kentucky, an interprofessional health-
music education, the panel will address key aspects of care home for LGBTQ+ patients of all ages.
working with transgender voices. Topics covered will
include vocal health, repertoire, pedagogy, terminolo- Brittany Benningfield is a lifelong per-
gy, and identity all aimed at fostering inclusive and af- former and teacher with an overflow-
firming choral environments. The session will explore ing vocal studio of singers of all ages,
relevant literature and resources for deepening under- including many transgender students
standing while also providing an opportunity for open both trans-masc and trans-femme. She
dialogue and questions. received her undergraduate degree in music education
from Campbellsville University and received master’s
and doctoral degrees in vocal performance from the

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5 123