Staff

LOUISVILLE YOUTH CHOIR STAFF

Dr. Louie L. Bailey, conductor of the Chorale, is in his 16^th year with the Louisville Youth Choir.  He has served in various capacities with LYC as conductor, accompanist and assistant conductor.  He has been Minister of Music/Organist at Crescent Hill Baptist Church for over 25 years, where he administrates a diverse program of musical groups for preschool-age to senior adults. He is Musical Director at The Temple Adath Israel/B’rith Sholom, and is Adjunct Professor at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, serving there as Chapel Organist/Choir Director.  He also conducts the Highlands Latin School Upper and Lower School Choirs, Madrigal Singers and Handbell Choir. He is Accompanist for the choral group Voces Novae, plays piano with the Louisville Trio, and teaches piano, voice and organ privately. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Campbellsville University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  A native of Decatur, Ga., he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Piano from Georgia State University. He received the Master of Church Music (Vocal Performance & Music Education, minor in Organ)) and Doctor of Musical Arts (Voice, Music Education & Music Theory) from Southern Seminary. He sang with the Robert Shaw Atlanta Symphony Chorus and has done post-graduate conducting and vocal study at Westminster Choir College (Princeton and Washington Cathedral), Oberlin Conservatory, Ohio State University, the Robert Shaw Carnegie Hall Choral Workshops, Choristers Guild Institute, University of Cincinnati and Southern Seminary, having studied conducting or been in workshop settings with Richard Lin, Jay Wilkey, John Dickson, Michael Lancaster, Lloyd Mims, Kent Hatteberg, Weston Noble, Z. Randall Stroope, Charlene Archebeque, Samuel Adler, Eric Nelson, Rodney Eichenberger, Emily Ellsworth, Anton Armstrong, Helen Kemp, Jo-Michael Scheibe and others. He is a member of the American Choral Directors Assn., National Assn. of Teachers of Singing, Music Educators National Conf., Choristers Guild and Ky. Music Educators Assn. Dr. Bailey has conducted, taught and/or performed in Kentucky, Massachusetts, Georgia, Florida, and Ohio; London, England; Kwangjou and Taejon, Korea; Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia; Mexico City, Mexico; and Toronto, Canada. He has prepared groups for concerts at the Ky. Music Educators Association and other festivals, and prepared the Treble Choir for a concert at Carnegie Hall in 2003 and the Chorale for a concert at Carnegie Hall in 2008. He is married to June Bailey, who teaches private voice and piano lessons, and they have two adult sons, Sean and Evan, who live in Louisville.

Terri E. Foster is currently in her 11th season with the Louisville Youth Choir, and was named Artistic/Executive Director in 2007. She is the former conductor of Bella Voce, Girls’ Choir, and The Louisville Children’s Choir, which performed at Carnegie Hall and received national and international performance invitations. She currently directs LYC’s Chamber and Aria choirs, as well as the all-female adult alumni choir, Lascito Coro. Mrs. Foster is a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education (vocal emphasis), and has completed master’s studies in vocal performance at UofL. Mrs. Foster’s conducting experience includes public and private schools, grades K-12. She is a former voice teacher at Sacred Heart School for the Arts, and maintains a private voice studio. She is a former choral director at Sacred Heart Academy (1997-2003), and choirs under her direction received superior ratings at district, state, and national competitions. Her choirs have toured extensively, including Toronto, Chicago, Myrtle Beach, Orlando and New Orleans, to name a few. Under her direction, The Louisville Children’s Choir was selected and performed for the 2005 Ky. Music Educator’s State Conference, and the Louisville Youth Choir, under her direction, performed with the Moscow Ballet in their U.S. touring production of The Great Russian Nutcracker in 2007. Mrs. Foster is an active member of the Ky. Music Educators Assn. and the Ky. American Choral Director’s Assn., where she served as the Repertoire & Standards Chair for Children’s Choirs. She was also the coordinator for the 2005 and 2006 KY-ACDA Elementary All-State Choruses. She is a past chair for the K.M.E.A. SSA All-State Choirs, and is a judge for the K.M.E.A. Ky. All-State auditions. Mrs. Foster currently holds the 12th District Festival Chair position for K.M.E.A.  She has been conducting since 1993, and has worked with Z. Randall Stroope, Charlotte Adams, Dr. Meg Hulley Frazier, Dr. Sandra Willets, David Harman, Kimcherie Lloyd, Frank Heller, Gina Epifano, David Brown, and Bill Lathon among others. Mrs. Foster is a past Assistant Guest Choral Conductor of the Stephen Collins Foster Music Camp at EKU, as well as past conductor for the Jefferson Co. SSA All-County Choir. She has been the guest conductor for the KY-ACDA SSA All-State Choir, the Northern Kentucky Middle School Honor Choir and the Lafayette High School Women’s Honor Chorus. Mrs. Foster is often called upon as an adjudicator and clinician. Her other professional affiliations include Music Educators National Conf., American Choral Directors Assn., and Delta Omicron. Her professional vocal career includes performing with the Kentucky Opera, the Stephen Foster Story, community theatre groups and various solo engagements with churches and private events. She is married to Scott Foster, and they have a seven-year-old son, Aidan Rhys.

Martha M. Gibbs is in her 7th season with the Louisville Youth Choir, and acts as our music librarian, rehearsal assistant and as the Summer Camp Operations Associate. Previously, she had a 10-year tenure as Minister of Children’s Education and Music at Middletown Christian Church, where she directed two children’s choirs, three handbell choirs, and a touring middle-school choir. Ms. Gibbs holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Georgetown College, and is a licensed minister. She has also worked with youth from Beargrass Christian Church, Pewee Valley Presbyterian, Strathmoor Presbyterian, Midlane Park Presbyterian, and First Presbyterian in Frankfort. Along with her duties at LYC, she is the part-time Director of Music at Newburg Christian Church, teaches piano lessons at Maryhurst and Meyzeek Middle School, maintains a private piano studio, and is the calliopist for the Belle of Louisville.

Alison M. Hansen is in her 5th season as Development Associate with the Louisville Youth Choir, and comes to the Youth Choir with a current tenure at the Fund for the Arts. She is also a conductor of the Primary Singers Program at LYC. Ms. Erwin holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Eastern Ky. University, and has completed master’s studies in arts administration from Northern Ky. University. She has directed the choral programs at Camp Ernst Middle School and Garrard Co. Middle School, and has taught private voice and piano.

Rhonda Hibdon is in her 6th season with the Louisville Youth Choir, and has worked extensively in church music as organist, pianist, and accompanist for choirs and ensembles; directed children’s, youth and preschool choirs; and directed both youth and adult handbell choirs. She holds a B.A. in music (emphasis in organ) from Judson College in Elgin, Ill. Ms. Hibdon is the K-2 music teacher at the Highlands Latin School, and is the Director of Music at New Goshen Presbyterian Church. She is also a private piano instructor at Calvin Academy of Music.

Dennis O’Donoghue joins the Louisville Youth Choir staff this season.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music (vocal emphasis, piano applied minor) from Bellarmine University and a Master of Music in organ from the University of Louisville.  He has performed throughout the region as pianist, organist and singer, has conducted such groups as the Louisville Bach Society and the Bellarmine Chorale, and recently served as Events Coordinator for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians’ national convention.  Mr. O’Donoghue is currently the Director of Music Ministries at St. Michael Catholic Church in Jeffersontown.

Thomas A. Seacat is in his 31st consecutive season with the Louisville Youth Choir, and serves as the assistant artistic director and the accompanist for the Kantorei, Les Chambres and Lascito Coro Choirs. Previously, he served LYC as assistant musical director for the Concert, Aria, Bella Voce, and Chorale Choirs. Mr. Seacat is an LYC alumnus, where he sung under the direction of Arnold Epley and Michael Neeley. He is also currently the Director of Musical Ensembles and Organist at the First Presbyterian Church in Shelbyville, Ky., where he has been since 1997. For more than 24 years, Mr. Seacat served Trinity Presbyterian Church in Louisville as the Director of Music, organist, and former conductor of the children’s choirs. Mr. Seacat is recently retired as the Program Section Supervisor, Quality Control Branch, with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in Frankfort, Ky., where he worked for more than 29 years. He graduated with honors from the Univ. of Louisville School of Music with a Bachelor of Music Education degree (major in piano). He continued his graduate studies at UofL where he received a Graduate Teaching Assistantship in piano. Mr. Seacat received several fellowship awards, as well as the Most Outstanding Graduating Senior. He was the accompanist for the University Singers under the direction of Bill Lathon. His conducting experience includes direction of instrumental and vocal programs in Indiana public schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Mr. Seacat is frequently requested to work with local middle and high schools for seasonal performances, to assist in the preparation for annual solo/ensemble contests, and to prepare accompaniments in various recording studios for Miss Kentucky candidates. He has served as accompanist for the Ky. Choral Director’s Assn., Ky. Music Educators Assn., Junior/Senior High All-State Choruses, and All-County Choruses in Jefferson Co.Mr. Seacat has performed several seasons with the Louisville Bach Society and Southern Indiana Symphony Orchestra. He has studied under or worked with Sam Hodges, Dr. Maurice Henson, Doris Owens (Bickell), Francis Fuge, Paul Kling, Frank Heller, Edith Tidwell, Melvin Dickinson, Michael Neeley, Dr. Phillip Landgraves, John Dickson, Arnold Epley, Fletcher Smith, and John Rutter. Mr. Seacat is a member of the Presbyterian Assn. of Musicians, American Guild of Organists, and past member of Phi Mu Alpha. He has also worked with Embrey International Entertainment Agency in Nashville, Tenn.