Joey M. Martin
Dr. Joey Martin is a musician regarded for his diverse musical interests, engaging artistry, and passionate enthusiasm for the choral art. He is Professor of Music at Texas State University-San Marcos, Associate Director of the School of Music, and serves as the Director of Choral Activities teaching graduate courses in choral conducting, choral literature and vocal pedagogy. Dr. Martin has been recognized as a Favorite Professor at Texas State as well as being recognized as the School of Music Professor of Distinction both in Teaching and Service. During his time at Texas State he has directed four of the five university choirs. Choirs under his direction have appeared at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference (2009), the Southwest Division of ACDA (Denver, 2010), the National ACDA Conference (Denver, 2011), and the International Kodàly Festival. Dr. Martin has toured abroad with Texas State ensembles giving concerts in Hawaii, Vienna, Budapest, Salzburg, Bratislava, Prague, and throughout the Garden Route of South Africa.
In addition to his work at Texas State, Dr. Martin has served as the Artistic Director for the Alamo City Men’s Chorale (San Antonio), the Choir Master for the Mid-Texas Symphony, and as part of the Artistic Team for the Victoria Bach Festival. He is the music director for historic First Protestant Church (New Braunfels, TX). His schedule is filled with engagements as guest conductor/clinician throughout the US and Europe. Recent engagements include conducting the Connecticut American Choral Directors Association Women’s Honor Choir, Conducting Professor for the Transient Glory Choral Symposium and Festival at NYU, and conductor for the Southeast Region Oklahoma Honor Choir. He also enjoys collaborating with vocal artists in recitals serving as coach/accompanist for such diverse artists are Jennie Olson, Maria Jette, Timothy Jones, Cheryl Parrish, and Juli Wood.Currently, Dr. Martin serves as the National Repertoire and Standards Chair for Youth and Student Activities for ACDA.
Dr. Martin received his DMA in choral conducting from the University of Texas-Austin where he studied conducting with Craig Hella Johnson, piano with Betty Mallard, and voice with Martha Deatheridge. He received his Master of Music and Bachelor of Music Education (Vocal/Choral) from Southwestern Oklahoma State University where he studied voice with Dr. Charles Chapman and piano with Dr. James Breckenridge.
Jonathan Babcock
Dr. Jonathan Babcock is a respected choral musician, educator and clinician throughout the United States. He has been privileged to work with such artists as Stephanie Blythe, Carol Meyer, Matthew Garrett, Anton Belov and recent Tony Award winner Victoria Clark, in such esteemed venues as The Tilles Center, Symphony Space, Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. Working as an advocate for contemporary choral music, he has overseen the commissioning of new works by composers such as Paul Moravec, David Del Tredici, Mark Miller and Stephen Paulus.
Dr. Babcock is an Associate Professor at Texas State University where he conducts the University Singers and Men’s Choir. In addition he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in choral conducting, literature and pedagogy. Prior to coming to Texas State, Dr. Babcock served on the faculty of the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. Under his direction the Conservatory Chamber Choir performed at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Winter Conference in 2005 and performed a concert tour of China as part of the opening celebration of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Dr. Babcock received his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam where he studied conducting with Brock MacElheran and voice with Patricia Misslin; and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Hartt School, University of Hartford where he studied conducting with Paul Oakley and Edward Bolkovac
Lynn M. Brinckmeyer
Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University. During 2006-2008 she served as President for MENC: The National Association for Music Education, and currently chairs the MENC Council of Past Presidents. Past offices include: President for the Northwest Division of MENC, Music Educators Journal Editorial Board, Washington Music Educators Association General Music Curriculum Chair and Conn-Selmer University Advisory Board. She also served as a Music Expert on the Disney, “Let’s Play Music” Site. In addition to chairing the Eastern Washington University Music Department for six years and conducting the EWU Concert Choir, Dr. Brinckmeyer received both the PTI Excellence in Teaching Award and the CenturyTel Award for outstanding faculty. Other awards include the Washington Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, the MENC Northwest Division Distinguished Service Award and Eastern New Mexico University’s Outstanding Alumni Award.
Dr. Brinckmeyer is a contributing author in The Music Director’s Cookbook: Creative Recipes for a Successful Program and The Choral Director’s Cookbook: Insights and Inspired Recipes for Beginners and Experts. She founded the Eastern Washington University Girls’ Chorus while teaching at EWU. She also served as Artistic Director for the Idaho State Children’s Chorus in Pocatello, Idaho and the South Hill Children’s Chorus in Spokane, Washington. Dr. Brinckmeyer is a co-founder and Artistic Director for the Hill Country Youth Chorus in San Marcos, Texas. The Hill Country Youth Chorus presented a joint concert with the Austin Children’s Chorus and the Grammy Award winning duo Tingstad & Rumbel.
Dr. Brinckmeyer’s degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Music Education from Eastern New Mexico University, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from The University of Kansas. In New Mexico she taught elementary music and middle school choir, then moved to higher education in the Pacific Northwest. At Texas State University Dr. Brinckmeyer teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in choral music education and directs the Texas State Women’s Choir. Dr. Brinckmeyer has conducted all state choirs, honor choirs, lectured, presented master classes and performed in forty-seven states in the US and ten different countries, including China and South Africa.
Craig Hella Johnson
Distinguished choral conductor Craig Hella Johnson, founder and Artistic Director of the highly acclaimed Conspirare, begins his association with Texas State Music as a Resident Artist in Choral Music. He will visit the San Marcos campus on a regular basis to mentor advanced students in choral conducting and offer open workshops for choral singers and teachers in training. Also the Artistic Director of the Victoria Bach Festival, Dr. Johnson has produced many fine recordings and received Grammy nominations and other recognition for his artistry and creativity. He is also a recognized composer, arranger and editor of choral music.
A native of Minnesota, Maestro Johnson studied at Juilliard and earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale University. You can read more about Dr. Johnson’s background here.
Craig Aamot
Craig Aamot joined the faculty at Texas State in the spring of 2013, conducting VocaLibre and the Texas State Men’s Choir. He began his work at Texas State in fall of 2011 as a graduate assistant in choral conducting.
Aamot comes to San Marcos from Wisconsin, where he led one of the largest and most respected high school choral programs in the Midwest. Aamot’s choirs performed at state and divisional ACDA conventions, throughout the United States and Europe including Italy, France, Spain, Austria and the Czech Republic, in venues ranging from the Vatican to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. His 75-voice Men’s Choir performed at the 2010 North Central Division ACDA convention and the 2008 National Convention of the Intercollegiate Men’s Chorus Association. Under Aamot, Appleton North performances drew attention for their creativity, expressivity, and wide appeal, receiving an audience of over 4500 each year for their holiday concert. The choral program enrolled over 350 singers in six choirs.
In addition to his work in choral music, Aamot is active locally and nationally as a quarterback coach and lecturer. A two-sport scholarship athlete in college, Aamot works with one of the premiere quarterback development programs in the country. Speaking and clinician engagements have taken him to over twenty states throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Aamot received his M.M. in Choral Conducting from Texas State University where he studied with Dr. Joey Martin and Dr. Jonathon Babcock and his B.A. in Choral Music Education from Carroll University in Wisconsin. Aamot has also studied with Craig Hella Johnson, Rene Clausen, Jerry Blackstone, Sharon Hanson, Sandra Snow, and Joanne Miller. His father Mark is a retired choral director and his brother Kirk directs the choral program at Montana State University in Bozeman.