Dr. Stanton Usher
Dr. Stanton Usher is in his thirtieth year of teaching and is currently serving the community and students of Roswell as Choral Director at Roswell High School. Dr. Usher’s teaching career includes positions at Dutchtown High School, where he served as Director of Choral Activities, taught AP Music Theory and Theatre Fundamentals, Fine Arts Department Chairperson, 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year, Literary Team Coach 2010 Region, and State Champions and as a part of the Leadership/Better Seeking Team. He has also served at Henry County High School, Fairview Elementary School, The Augusta Mini Theater, The Conservatory of Dance and Fine Arts, Cooper Middle School, and Cleveland Avenue Elementary School. Dr. Usher has conducted the University Singer’s, Recital Choir, Honor Choir, Kantorei and the University Outreach Choir at the University of Arizona. While also in Arizona, Dr. Usher served as an Art’s Integration Specialist for the Opening Minds Through the Arts program in the Tucson Unified School District. His musical credits include Musical Director for Pirates of Penzance, My Fair Lady, Music Man, The Wiz, Annie, South Pacific, Bye Bye Birdie, Beauty and the Beast and Into the Woods. Dr. Usher serves as a LGPE Head Choral Adjudicator for the state of Georgia and he is an active conductor/clinician through-out the United States, where he has conducted the Clayton County All County Honor Chorus, GMEA District Six Middle School Mixed Honor Chorus, GMEA District Six Senior High Women’s Honor Choir, Richmond County All-County Honor Chorus, Cherokee County Middle School Honor Choir, GMEA District Thirteen HS Women’s Choir, GMEA District Fourteen MS Mixed Honor Choir, Newnan Sings Festival Choir and the Atlanta Public Schools High School Honor Choir. He has also been on the podium for the OMA Showcase Honor Chorus in Tucson, Arizona, and has twice conducted the Henry All-County Elementary Honor Chorus. His choirs have performed for both the Georgia Music Educators Inservice Conference, as well as the Georgia American Choral Directors Association In-Service Conferences, where he is highly active in both organizations. He is in high demand to provide choral workshops, professional development and seminars for many churches, community choirs and school systems.
Dena Byers
Dena Byers is Artistic Director for the Durham Children’s Choir (DCC) and has been with the organization since its founding in 2004. She currently teaches at Hillandale Elementary School and serves as one of the lead elementary music teachers. Dena has taught for Durham Public Schools since 1997. She is National Board Certified and has been honored by being a top four finalist for District Teacher of the Year and receiving the NC Symphony’s Jackson Parkhurst Award for Special Achievement in music education. An active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Dena has been a guest conductor for All-State Honor Choirs in Colorado, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina, as well as District All-County Choirs in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Wyoming. She has presented workshops for Orff Schulwerk chapters throughout the US and at National AOSA Professional Development Conferences. Dena currently teaches Level II Orff Schulwerk at the University of Memphis each summer. She received BA degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Music from the University of Minnesota and holds Level III and Master Level Orff Schulwerk Certifications from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the University of Memphis, respectively.