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Instructors:

Billie Leach, NCTP (Co-Founder and coordinator of SSSFAC, Inc.) As an independent certified music teacher, her students have won numerous local, state and national music awards. She spent seven summers of advanced music studies in Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Hawaii, Scotland, and Alberta including Alexander Technique and the Dalcroze Movement. Mrs. Leach has served as Past-President of the GSMTA, in several LMTA offices, seven years with Shreveport District LFMC Junior Festivals, seven years as LMTA Rally District Chair. She is the founder of the Young Virtuoso Club.  She is a member of GSMTA, LMTA & MTNA.

 

Charles Jones has been a member of the music faculty at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in Natchitoches since 1993.  He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a winner in the UNC Concerto Competition and an alternate winner of the NCMTA Collegiate Artist Competition.  He holds the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.  In 1991, he won second prize at the Bartok-Kabalevsky International Piano Competition.  He is listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers and Who's Who in the South and Southwest.  He has served two terms as president of the Louisiana Music Teachers Association and is currently LMTA Treasurer.  He also served as President-elect of MTNA's South Central Division and is now Director of the same division.

 

Virginia Walker teaches voice locally and teaches piano at Southfield School.  She also sings in local productions. She has a B.Mus. from Salem College, MM from Julliard School of Music, both in Vocal Performance with minor in piano. Virginia studied and performed in Europe for seven years.  She is a member of GSMTA, LMTA, and MTNA.  Ms. Walker will be assisted by Hannah Barkley and Joan Liu in directing the musical this 2010 summer.  Hannah and Joan are both secondary school student-assistant directors.

Gary Leach  is associated with Acrynon Productions and Publishing and Rosewood Studios.   His Rosewood Studio is ranked #3 Studio Country Recording and Mixing. Mr. Leach’s accomplished works include records productions in Country Music Genre for LeAnn Rimes making her albums a Top 10 Billboard Country Singles Chart from 1996-2002.  He also produced records for Steve Holy making his albums Top 20 Country Charts and #1 Billboard, #1 R&R and #1 Gavin concurrently for 5 weeks in 2002.  He then produced records for Mark Tinney making Mark Tinney’s album #1 Power Source Christian Chart.  With Christian Music Genre, Gary Leach wrote and produced award winning records  for Rosewood Studios from 1985-2006. Gary Leach also wrote, co-wrote, and recorded for Tami Faye and Tami Sue Bakker from 1985-1986.  These records sold 160,000 units.  Gary Leach wrote, co-wrote, and produced award winning songs and records for Paul Baloche from 1999-2006.  Gary Leach has been involved in All Broadcast Audio Production for U.S. Television  for Billy Graham Evangelistic Association since 1994 until the present.  In film/soundtracks, Gary Leach produced for Warner Brothers in 1998 and 2001,  and for Touchstone Pictures in 2000.  Gary Leach earned RIAA certifications such as Delta Records label and Curb Records label.  Gary Leach and Greg Hunt’s albums sold in numbers ranging from 500,000 units to 6,000,000 units.  Gary Leach’s client list includes the following famous people and organizations:  Annie Herring, AOL / Time Warner, Bailey Cruthird, Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc. ( Amy Grant, CeCeWinans, DC Talk, Jars of Clay, Michael W. Smith, Point of Grace, Steven Curtis Chapman, Take 6, Kirk Franklin, Bill Gaither and the Gaither, Vocal Band), Bryan White, Capitol Records, CBS Sports,Curb Records, Dallas Holm, Delta Records, Disney / Touchstone / Buena Vista, Eisley, Elton John, EMI, Hannah McLendon, Integrity Records, Ladonna Gatlin, LeAnn Rimes, Lilia McCann, Maranatha Praise Band, Mark Tinney, Mary Griffin, Matthew Ward, Neal McCoy, Paul Baloche, Perfect Stranger, Saddleback Church, Second Chapter of Acts, Steve Holy, Teen Mania, Trevor Horn, Tyler Junior College, University of Texas at Tyler, Warner Brothers, Youth With A Mission.

Bryan Bierbaum is the Director of Music and Organist at Noel Methodist Church of Shreveport. After attaining a degree in organ performance from Henderson State University in 2001, he has developed a passion for church music, and has presented numerous workshops and recitals throughout Arkansas and Louisiana. He has also served on planning teams for the Presbyterian Association of Musicians and served on the faculty at the Music & Worship conference at Montreat, NC. Bryan is currently the dean of the North Louisiana Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  He resides in Shreveport with wife, Kristi, and five-year old son, Parker.  

Leon M. Brown received a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University in 1979, a Master of Arts in 1992 at San Jose State University, and K-12 Certification from Centenary College in 2005.  He has been teaching music in the Talented Arts Program with the Caddo Parish School District since 2003 and is currently an adjunct faculty at Centenary College since 2006.  He will be teaching beginning guitar and intermediate and advanced classical, jazz guitar this summer with SSSFAC, Inc.

 

Marilyn Henderson has a B. A. in Art Education from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and a Masters Degree from Louisiana Tech University.  She is an Art Instructor at Huntington High School with twenty-one years of teaching experience.

John Hoffman was born on March 29, 1980 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was destined for a life of music. The son of a musician, (keyboardist Stanton Hoffman/The Killer Bees) John received his first drum set before the age of 2. By the age of 4, John was already playing gigs in his own band, "The John Hoffman Experience". He spent his early childhood under the wing of his father, traveling and experiencing the music scene and lifestyle first hand. By 16, John was touring the country with many different working blues and jazz acts, further broadening his musical horizons, and continued on into his early adulthood playing with countless musicians and bands, while further developing his own reputation as a very skillful, knowledgable, and energetic professional drummer. John now resides in Louisiana where he makes a living through his craft. He has played with virtually every professional musician in the region and continues to keep his reputation of being a first call live performance and studio drummer. John is a master of ALL styles of music, providing a solid and confident structure to any musical situation while still offering a truly unique "John Hoffman' sound. As a soloist, John stands alone. Not only does he have a seemingly enless bag of tricks filled with jaw dropping chops and rudiments as well as a thorough understanding of odd time signatures and polyrhythms, he plays with a musicality combined with an energy and intensity that is completely unique and unmatched.

Patricia Ley received her Bachelor of Arts Education at LSU Shreveport.  She has taught arts to public and private elementary schools students for many years. 

Brian White received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition, theory and piano at Centenary College.  He directed the Evangel Christian Academy High School Marching Band and currently teaches twenty-five (25) piano students at Shreveport Music Company.