Dr. Jordan Cox
Dr. Jordan Cox is the Associate Dean for the School of Performing Arts at Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, MO overseeing the music, worship, theatre, and dance programs. Dr. Cox began his career as a middle and high school vocal music teacher and earned his PhD in Music Education with a dissertation on spirituality in choral music making. Other research interests include score study and rehearsal design.
As Director of Choral Activities and Music Education, he teaches music education and worship courses and directs MBU’s three choral ensembles. His choirs travel regionally and abroad, most recently to Carnegie Hall in New York City performing Robert Ray’s “Gospel Mass.” Under Dr. Cox's direction, the MBU Chamber Singers have served as a demonstration choir for Dan Forrest's session at the Getty's SING! Conference in Nashville and recorded their first album entitled, "Let it Shine Bright!" establishing MBU’s first choral endowment. His choirs enjoy frequent collaborations with area arts organizations like the Alton Symphony Orchestra, Crescendo Youth Choirs and Bach Society of St. Louis. Dr. Cox is an active adjudicator, clinician, and presenter. He has conducted numerous honor and festival choirs, serves as the Worship Repertoire and Resource chair for the Missouri Choral Directors Association and will be presenting a session at the upcoming Southwest ACDA conference in Denver, CO.
His life is full of adventure alongside his wife, Kasey, who serves as Director of Theatre and Dance at MBU, and their four beautiful, talented, and spirited children, Noah, Jobi, Katy, and Lawson.
Dr. Kay Pace
Dr. Kay Pace has had a long and distinguished career as choral director, concert and collaborative pianist, ethnomusicologist, composer/arranger, church musician, and music educator for all ages. She retired in 2019 from the M. E. Stilwell Performing Arts School in Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS), Jonesboro, GA. Before CCPS, Dr. Pace held academic posts in several universities: Southern Illinois (Carbondale), Alabama State (Montgomery), Morgan State (Baltimore, MD), and Clark Atlanta (Georgia).
At Alabama State University (ASU), her longest post, Dr. Pace served as professor of piano and music theory, Dean of the School of Music, and director of the ASU Touring Choir primarily. Under her leadership, the School of Music organized the only state (Alabama) sponsored celebration to pay tribute to composer William Dawson during his lifetime. In 2013 Dr. Pace's choral alumni established The Kay Pace Choral Excellence Scholarship at ASU in her honor.
Before retirement from CCPS, Dr. Pace served as H. S. Choral Lead Teacher and Head of Vocal/Choral Music at Stilwell. Her students consistently placed in All State Chorus, Reading Chorus, Literary, the Governor’s Honors Program, etc. and they were highly recruited for competitive scholarships and awards. Dr. Pace was selected as “Star Teacher” several years, Stilwell’s first Teacher of the Year, and in 2017-18 the CCPS Board voted to name the newest fine arts magnet school the Dr. Kay R Pace School of the Arts for elementary students.
Throughout her professional career, Dr. Pace has served as director of outstanding children's choirs in community and church-based settings. Highlights include the Ben Hill UM and Westhills Presbyterian Children's Choirs in Atlanta,, the St. John AME Children's Choir and the University for Children and Youth summer choral project in Montgomery, as well as the Ray of Hope Children's Choir in Baltimore, MD.
Dr. Pace has had other award-winning choruses perform in Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater (New York), the International Beethoven Festival (Germany), Spivey Hall, Fisk Memorial Chapel (Nashville) and at the GMEA In-Service Conventions in Savannah and Athens. She is also well known as a versatile concert pianist who has won numerous national and international piano competitions and who has performed world-wide as solo and collaborative artist.
In 2018, the Carter Presidential Library and Museum (Atlanta) presented Dr. Pace with a framed letter from President Jimmy Carter for her many years of service to the educational and musical communities. Additionally, in 2019 the Georgia ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) awarded Dr. Pace its first Distinguished Directors Award at Spivey Hall (Clayton State University) and in 2022, The Atlanta African American Music Society (TAAMS) presented Dr. Pace with its Atlanta Music Legends Award in recognition of her lifetime contributions to music.
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Dr. Pace holds degrees from Xavier University, Southern Illinois University, the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Pacific Western University and teacher certification from the University of West Georgia. She also holds memberships in GMEA, ACDA, NAWA and many other professional arts organizations.