Don Carlile, Roanoke, Texas
History of Public Worship
Don has a Master Degree in Bible and Ministry from Lubbock Christian University and serves as an elder with the Hilltop church of Christ, Ronaoke, Texas. He was a student at the Singing School from 1999-2002. He received the Public Worship Leadership certification in 2002 and joined the faculty and staff of the Singing School in 2003, teaching The History of Public Worship. He also serves as the singing school Housing Coordinator and Office Assistant at The Singing School.
John Dunigan, Houston, Texas
Sight Reading II, Intermediate Song Leading
Johnny has been involved in song leading, worship planning and singing groups since 1978. He was a member of the Lubbock Christian A Capella Chorus and Harding A Capella Chorale. He has sung for several different independent groups including Hosanna, The Northern Lights, The Masters Brothers, The Masters Four and currently The South Texas Boys. He has been with the Singing School for 10 years. Johnny teaches Sight Reading and Intermediate Song Leading.
Jim Fletcher, Friendswood, Texas
Women's Special Music
Jim has been a Worship Leader and Special Music Director for 38 years. He and Joe Ed Furr were instrumental in development of Worship Leader Conferences in Houston, Texas. He has also conducted singing emphasis events and workshops in Texas and Oklahoma. Joining The Singing School staff in 2005, Jim has taught Beginning Men's Song Leading, Advanced Men's Song Leading, and Women's Special Music.
Joe Ed Furr, Sherman, Texas
History of Church Music, Adv. Song Leading, Ministry of Public Worship Leadership
Joe is the preaching minister for the Western Heights Church of Christ in Sherman, Texas where he has worked for the past 25 years. He was the Curriculum Director for The Singing School in Sabinal, Texas from 1973 until the School moved to the campus of Abilene Christian University in 1988. He is now serves as Director of the ACU school. Joe teaches the senior level training class for worship leaders as well as Advanced Song Leading and also the History of Church Music.
Thana Furr, Sherman, Texas
The Role of Women, Children and Church Music
Thana has been married to Joe Furr for 42 years. They have 2 sons, Darren and David. She has her BA in Sociology and has more than 40 years experience teaching all ages specializing in ages PreK and fourth grade. Her curriculum for those ages is used in churches around the Brotherhood.
Scooter Gierisch, Roanoke, Texas
Video Coaching, Chapel Coordinator
Paul Hoffecker, Mesa, Arizona
The Science of Sound, Singers' Workshop
Heather Hoffecker, Mesa, Arizona
Women's Songleading
Jeff Jones, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Trends in Church Music, Adv. Song Leading
Michael Kersh, Manvel, Texas
Office Administrator
Michael has been associated with The Singing School since 1964, when he attended the old Sabinal campus as a student for the full three year curriculum offered at that time. Today he functions as volunteer Office Administrator in support of the teaching staff. Among his several duties are: assisting at registration, preparing the school roster directory, supplying instructors with classroom materials, etc. He may also be regarded as Tutor-at-Large, ready to help students who want assistance and/or advice. In summary, the goal of his position is to help the School function more smoothly, enhancing the overall experience of both student and staff.
Tony Kite, Lubbock, Texas
Harmony I, Song Writing
Tony Kite, student of SSACU from 1993-1997, began teaching Song Writing and Music Theory in 1998. He has taught Song Writing, Music Theory, Harmony, and assisted with Men's Beginning Song Leading. He sings sing tenor and currently singings 1st Tenor with Generations, a male gospel quartet out of South Plains church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, where he also serves as a deacon in the Missions and Music Ministries.
Tim Lowry, Weatherford, Oklahoma
Adult Begining Song Leading
Marilyn Pineda, Comanche, Oklahoma
Music Theory, Song Writing
Levi Sisemore, Floydada, Texas
Sight Reading I, Adult Begining Song Leading, Video Coaching, Webmaster
Levi first came to The Singing School as a student in 2001 from Barnaul, Russia where his family served as missionaries; in 2007 he joined the staff. He has led singing for many churches from California to Idaho to Texas. For several years he taught Song Leading and Music Theory at Music Camp near Colville, Washington. He and his wife Sara (whom he met at Singing School in 2001) live in Floydada, Texas where he currently preaches for the City Park church of Christ.
Sara Sisemore, Floydada, Texas
Women's Song Leading
Sara is a life-long learner and lover of music, who began studying shaped notes and music theory when she was five. She comes from a family that loves to sing, but gained her special love of singing and music from her aunt (herself a student at The Singing School). Sara’s music experience includes seven years of piano lessons, singing with a quartet in high school and the University Singers at Harding University, teaching song leading to girls for Leadership Training for Christ, and leading singing for Ladies’ Chapel at the Sunset International Bible Institute of Lubbock, Texas.
James Tackett, Austin, Texas
Harmony II, Singer's Workshop, Finalé (seminar), Copyright Laws (seminar)
James first attended the Texas Normal Singing School in 1963 and studied under Holland Boring Sr., Austin Taylor, and others. In 1968 he started teaching first year theory. After a three-year absence from The Singing School, he has been on staff ever since. Besides teaching at the ACU Singing School, he has taught theory at the Acappella Christian Music Seminar and ACAFest in Paris, Tennessee, Murray, Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennesee. For a few years, he joined former TNSS instructor John Blackstone at the singing school at Thorp Springs, Texas. James has directed The Sweet Expressions, a mixed choral group of Austin-area singers for some thirty years. After a career of 34 years with NCR (National Cash Register) where he was a large systems technician, he has devoted his retirement years to The Paperless Hymnal™, which supplies hundreds of churches with song slides that display both music and lyrics. He married to his best friend, Wally in 1969, has one son, Michael who was sound tech for Acappella for several years and is now an art director for a Dallas advertising firm. James and Wally live in Austin, Texas where James is the song leader for the Hyde Park Church of Christ.
David Williams, Marlton, New Jersey
Worship Development, Singers' Workshop
Don Wood, Mundelein, Illinois
Begining Song Leading (Teens), Music Theory, Videographer & Archivist
Don has loved music his whole life. He came to the Singing School as a student and not turned back. He has a deep passion for being a Worship Leader as well as for teaching others to increase their knowledge and love for their ministries. Don loves teaching the teens Beginning Song Leading and watching them grow. He also enjoys teaching Music Theory and is the school’s videographer, documenting the school each year with a DVD set.
Jerry Yoder, Plano, Texas
Harmony III
