THE TEAM
The Superior Performances Choral Team has combined to achieve:
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Over 90 years of collective teaching experience in both public and private schools.
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Supervised student teachers, provided consultancy and mentorship, and served as judges in Choral UIL contests annually (2000-2020).
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Led a TMEA Performing Choir (Treble) in 2012, directed 10 Middle School and High School Region and Honor Choirs, and conducted numerous prestigious performances.
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Conducted district workshops on Vocal Health and Sight-reading, presenting inservice sessions on Vertical Alignment, Prep Sheets, UIL Repertoire, and more.
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Acted as collaborative pianists for diverse groups, offered consultancy and mentorship for 14 years, and contributed significantly to the choral community through innovative teaching, workshops, and co-authorships of sight-reading books.
DENISE EATON
Denise R. Eaton is a music educator of forty-three years, twenty-nine at the High School level, seven as an adjunct professor at the collegiate level and as a choral consultant to numerous secondary choirs over the span of her career.
Choirs under her direction have performed at four TMEA conventions and one SWACDA convention. Chamber choirs under her direction have won the prestigious American Classic Madrigal Festival an unprecedented six times.
An active clinician and conductor, Ms. Eaton spends time in choir rooms throughout the state of Texas as a clinician and has conducted over forty Texas Region Choirs. On the national level she has conducted regional or All-State choirs in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Known for her innovative teaching styles, Ms. Eaton has presented numerous workshops in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Missouri and Iowa. An avid proponent of music education, Denise is proud to have served TMEA in several capacities including Vocal Vice-President and-President.
Co-author of six sight-reading books, Ms. Eaton has served as the Choral editor for Carl Fischer & BriLee Music publications since 2011. Her favorite and most important role, however, is that of DeeDee to three perfect Grandchildren.
JENNIFER FRANZ MELADY
Jennifer Franz-Melady was the head choir director at Magnolia High School for 17 years. Her choirs received consistent UIL sweepstakes. She has had choirs participate in the American Classic Madrigal Festival in Dallas and San Antonio. She also had choirs perform at Southwest ACDA. Her Chorale was the co- winner of the American Classic Madrigal Festival in Dallas, 2022, and they also performed at the 2022 TMEA Convention in San Antonio as an honor choir. Her Chorale was The Foundation for Music Education national recording contest winner for 2017 and 2018. She has taught all grade levels from elementary music through supervising student teachers at Ohio State University. Jennifer holds a piano performance degree from The Eastman School of Music and a Masters in Secondary Choral Music Education from Ohio State University. She studied piano with Dr. Paul Vellucci at SMU and with Brooks Smith, Eugene List and Cecile Genhart at Eastman. She studied conducting with Maurice Casey, Jim Gallagher, William Weinhert and Mike Ware. She has been the accompanist for the Region 9 TMEA choirs and was accompanist for the TMEA All-State Women’s choir for 2016, 2017 and 2023. She accompanied the Small School TMEA All-State Mixed choir in 2020. She is an active choral clinician in the Houston area and taught for 38 years. She is recently retired from education. She is a member of TMEA and ACDA.
DIANNA JARVIS
Dianna Jarvis is highly respected in the choral music community and has earned a reputation for excellence in her work with students and colleagues. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her contributions to choral music, including the TCDA “Choral Excellence Award,” which honors elite musicians whose work has benefited choral music throughout Texas. Two of Dianna’s choirs were selected to perform at TMEA, the first being the Bush Middle School Treble Choir in 2005 and the Gentlemen of Bush Middle School in 2015. She has served as Vice President of TCDA, and worked closely with the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) through her appointments to serve on the UIL PML committee, the UIL sight-reading committee, and as a member of the UIL Advisory Board. Dianna was the TMEA Region 12 MS Vocal Chairman for many years and the Fine Arts/Elective department head at Bush Middle School, where she taught from 1998 to 2017. Dianna is often called upon to mentor young teachers and train college students with aspirations of becoming choir directors. Ms. Jarvis is frequently a guest clinician for Region Honor choirs and a guest speaker at Colleges and Universities. She is a consultant specializing in sessions about improving student performance, personal growth/development for professionals, and team building within organizations.
AMY LEWIS
Amy Lewis has been involved in Choral Music Education for 28 years. Amy was the Associate Choral Director at Spring High School for 15 years after graduating from Louisiana State University with her bachelor’s degree in music education. Since her tenure at Spring High School Amy has been active in the choral music community as a consultant, clinician, mentor, and adjudicator throughout the state of Texas. When Amy is not working in the classroom she and her husband Greg, are watching their 16 year old twin daughters Abby and Ella play Volleyball all over the country.
SUSAN NEFF
Susan Neff spent 32 years in public schools as a choral director/music teacher. While at Pflugerville High School her Varsity Women were a TMEA performing choir in 2012. She retired from public school teaching in 2014. Her next three years she accompanied choirs in various school districts and supervised music student teachers at the University of Texas. She returned to teaching in the private school classroom for 3 years as the choral director/piano teacher at Hyde Park High School. She now continues to accompany/consult/judge for school choir programs, serves as pianist for the Masterwork Singers and her church and supervising UT music student teachers again. She lives in Pflugerville where she loves spending time with her grown sons David and Mark, daughter in law Lindsey, and special Mimi time with her 9-year-old grandson Dylan.
JANWIN OVERSTREET-GOODE
Janwin Overstreet-Goode is a secondary choral music consultant, following 36 years as a HS choral director. She is also the Coordinator of Student Teaching and Certification for the University of Houston Moores School of Music and Artistic Director of Casulana, the Women’s Choir of Houston. Choirs under her direction twice performed for the Texas Music Educators Association convention (2001, 2008). Goode was honored by the Houston Symphony Orchestra and Fidelity FutureStage as the 2008 Outstanding Music Educator in the Field of Choral Music. She served as Vocal Division Vice-President, President-Elect, President and Immediate Past President of TMEA from 2011-2016 and was Secretary-Treasurer of the Texas Choral Directors Association from 2007-2009. Goode was twice recognized for Best Musical Direction by the Houston-area Tommy Tune Awards.
MARIE PARISOT OLSEN
Marie Parisot Olsen is the inaugural head director at Sprague Middle School in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, opening for the 2023-24 school year. She began her career in 2012 as the sole choir director at West Briar Middle School in HISD. She later became the head director at Arnold Middle School and continued Arnold Choir’s rich tradition of excellence with national and district-level honors, as well as consistent superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-Reading for the last decade. She has been invited to conduct the CFISD 5th Grade Honor Choir twice, and was invited to bring the Arnold Varsity Treble Choir to perform at the District Leadership Team meeting in December of 2021. She was named Arnold MS Teacher of the Year in 2022. She resides in the Houston area with her husband, Brent, and their fluffy cats Tormund Giantsbane and Quiche.
SHARON PAUL
Sharon Paul is a music educator of forty-one years, twenty-five in high school, fifteen in middle school, and one year in elementary.
Ms. Paul served as Choral Facilitator for Cypress Fairbanks ISD, and Fine Arts Department Chair and Head Choral Director for Cypress Creek High School until she retired in 2022. Her professional service includes TCDA High School Vice President, TMAA Vocal Division Vice President, and TMEA Region 27 President.
As a choral consultant, clinician, and adjudicator, Sharon Paul has presented at TMEA, TCDA, and published articles in the UIL Leaguer, TCDA and TMEA magazines. Ms. Paul has her Administrative Certification from Stephen F Austin, Master of Music from Sam Houston University, and Bachelor of Music from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor. She is a member of TMEA, ACDA, TCDA and TMAA.
Choirs under her direction have performed at TMEA convention, earned numerous Awards of Distinction at the prestigious American Classic Madrigal Competition, earned consistent UIL Sweepstakes, and won music festivals. She has also conducted choirs at the Vatican, United Nations, and Linz, Austria.
HEATHER ORR
Heather Orr is beginning her 29th year teaching and 23rd year as the Montgomery High School Head Choir Director. She holds a Master of Arts in Vocal Pedagogy from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Heidelberg University.
Choirs under Orr’s direction, have been invited to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in 2024, 2018, 2010, and 2005. In addition, they have been invited to perform at the National ACDA Conference in 2021 and 2011, as well as the SWACDA Divisional Conference in 2022 and 2018.
Orr’s choirs consistently earn Sweepstakes at UIL Competitions and choirs under her direction have been recognized with First Place at the Madrigal Festival in San Antonio, Madrigal Festival in Dallas, and Celebration of Excellence in Houston. This year, the Montgomery HS Choir Department is honored to present 3 Honor Choir performances including the Madrigals at Madrigal Festival San Antonio, the A Cappella Women at Madrigal Festival Dallas, and Chorale Women will perform as an Honor Choir at Celebration of Excellence and also as an Invited Choir at the TMEA Convention.
Orr has been recognized with the TCDA Choral Excellence Award, UIL Sponsor Excellence Award and Fine Arts Teacher of the Year Award for Montgomery County. She is actively sought after as a Presenter on Developing Tone and Vertical Alignment, a Region Clinician, and Adjudicator. Orr has presented at several staff developments, and at TMEA, TCDA, ACDA and will serve TMAA this year.
Heather resides in Montgomery, TX and has been married to Will Orr for 30 years. They have four children, Abby, Carly, Christopher, and Claire, all of whom are active as musicians.
MIKE WARE
Mike Ware taught elementary, middle school and high school choir during his 30 years in public school teaching. After retirement, he founded UIL Region 26 serving as the Executive Secretary until 2007. Beginning in 2008, he served as Managing Director of the Music Educators Resource Network as a volunteer with the Foundation for Music Education and helped pilot the TMEA Mentor Program. In 2014, he became an adjunct faculty member of the Sam Houston State University Music Department and Conductor of the SHSU Concert Choir and Women’s Choir. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in conducting degree from Sam Houston State University. Choirs under his direction have been invited to perform for the Texas Music Educators Association, Southwestern ACDA in Dallas and National ACDA in Chicago. He was recognized by UIL as an outstanding educator with the Denius award in 2003 and the Texas Choral Directors Choral Excellence award in 2012. He has conducted performances in Constitution Hall, Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall. He has served as a clinician, adjudicator and in service presenter for public schools and regions across the state. In addition, he has presented clinic sessions at TCDA and TMEA. He has a series of renaissance editions that are published by Carl Fischer Music. Mr. Ware is a Past TMEA President (2005) and Past TMEA State Vocal Chair.