Emmett G. Price III is one of the nation’s leading experts on Music of the African Diaspora, Christian Worship and the Black Christian Experience. He has spent much of the past few decades writing, lecturing and conducting cutting edge research on bridging the generational divide. He is a noted print and broadcast media expert, as well as a widely sought after keynote speaker and preacher. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Price received a B.A. in music from the University of California, Berkeley and earned both his M.A. and Ph.D. in music (ethnomusicology) from the University of Pittsburgh. He also obtained an M.A. in urban ministry leadership from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Currently he serves as Professor of Worship, Church & Culture, Dean of the Chapel, and Founding Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience (ISBCE) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Prior to his current post, Dr. Price served on the faculty of Northeastern University (2001-2016) as associate professor of Music and chair of the Department of African American Studies (2008-2012). An ordained minister, Dr. Price serves as Founding Pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship (Allston, MA), and is also the president and founder of the Black Church Music Ministry Project (BCMMP), an organization launched in 2006 to “serve, nurture and develop spiritual leaders in music ministry.” Since 2011, he has served as the Director of the James Abbington Church Music Academy as part of the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference & Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild. He has served as visiting professor at Berklee College of Music, Andover Newton Theological School and Brandeis University. He is a former research fellow of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University and Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society, where he served as the lead scholar on the Rhythm & Flow Initiative – a research project studying the various intersections of music and sport.

Mrs. Dwyer has been a director with the Indianapolis Children’s Choir (ICC) since 1988 and has been the ICC Director of Education in 1996. She is also ICC’s Composer in Residence. She has authored and contributed to several music education textbooks for ICC and Hal Leonard. She is also the editor of the Ruth Dwyer Choral Series at Colla Voce.

Ruth E. Dwyer is the Artistic Director of the Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir. She is an internationally recognized youth and children’s choir specialist and Kodály educator. Mrs. Dwyer has been the guest conductor for the OAKE National Children’s Choir, numerous All-State and Honor Choirs and for MidAmerica Productions Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center Youth Festivals. She is the former Founder and Artistic Director of Philthrusong, Inc. (Philanthropy Through Song) a non-profit organization supporting anti-impaired driving education and traumatic brain injury research through choral performance.


Prior to her fulltime position with ICC, Mrs. Dwyer served the State of Indiana for 19 years as a public school music educator. She has recently been awarded the National OAKE Life Time Achievement award, as well as, the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Golden Baton, the IMEA Elementary Music Teacher of the Year, the Hoosier Musician, and the IPS Rising Star awards. Mrs. Dwyer is a graduate of Indiana University and is an adjunct professor for Butler University.

Stephanie Trump is Director of Choirs at Armstrong High School, Plymouth, MN. Her teaching career has involved work at all levels of vocal development including five years as the Director of the Women’s Chorale at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul. Stephanie has served on Boards for MMEA, ACDA, MSHSL, and the Minnesota Arts Consortium. She was featured in an MPR Broadcast on high school choral music in Minnesota, served as National MENC Choral Mentor, Chaired the 2010 NCACDA High School Women’s Honor Choir, and coordinated the four Honor Choirs for the 2018 Central/North Central ACDA Conference. As the former Choral Vice President of MMEA, she coordinated Minnesota’s three All-State Choirs. She is currently serving as the President-Elect of Minnesota ACDA. Her choirs have been featured at national, regional, and state-level conferences. They have performed with Cantus, the Minnesota Orchestra, and Doc Severinson. In 2016 she was the guest conductor for the ACDA-MN Women’s 9-10 Honor Choir and leads annual choral projects with the Minnesota Twins. She is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator. Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Augsburg University, MN and a Masters of Music Education from the University of Hawai’i, Manoa. She is an active member of MMEA, NAfME, ACDA, and serves as a mentor to many student teachers.

Eric Nelson is Director of Choral Studies at Emory University and Artistic Director of Atlanta Master Chorale. Dr. Nelson’s choirs have performed throughout the world, including London, Rome, Berlin, Moscow, Seoul, Carnegie Hall, the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and the Sydney Opera House. He has conducted choirs at eight American Choral Directors Association conventions, including Atlanta Master Chorale’s performance at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis and Emory Concert Choir’s performances at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and Lincoln Center in New York City.

Dr. Nelson’s ensembles are characterized by their variety of repertoire and for their ability to fuse technical precision with warmth of musical expression. He appears regularly as clinician, lecturer, and guest conductor for honor choirs, conventions, symposiums, workshops, and all-state choral festivals. He is also past president of GA ACDA

Dr. Nelson’s choral compositions and arrangements are sung regularly by ensembles throughout the United States. He is the editor of the Atlanta Master Chorale Choral Series, a division of Morningstar Music Publishers and EC Schirmer. His compositions are also published by Colla Voce and Augsburg Fortress. He holds degrees in voice and conducting from Houghton College, Westminster Choir College, and Indiana University.

Zach Crowder is the Associate Director of Bands at Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis, IN. As a former children, youth and adult conferee at the Conference for Church Musicians he comes back as a band director whose groups have received consistent gold rating, numerous Indiana State School Music Association All-Music Awards, multiple marching band state finals appearances, and many "With Distinction" awards for Jazz and Concert Bands. Along with teaching, Zach has enjoyed playing keyboard and sax for Praise and Worship groups across the state and has been an active member with FABM for many years. He and his wife, Jessica have a son, Parker and twin daughters, Avery and Raegan.

Brian Childers is an accomplished composer, conductor, and clinician. His choral, instrumental, and handbell works have been performed across the nation and abroad. He has been a featured performer and clinician at music conferences and festivals across the nation, and his compositions and arrangements are published by a variety of publishers. Brian received his bachelor of music degree in piano performance from Appalachian State University in 1993, and the master of divinity degree in church music from the M. Christopher White School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University in 2003. An ordained minister, he serves as Minister of Music for Roswell's First Baptist Church in Roswell, GA. There, he oversees a comprehensive Music Ministry for children and youth and adults, including choral, instrumental and handbells choirs. Brian is married to Keely. They have two adult children—Hannah and Spencer. He is a rabid fan of the San Antonio Spurs and enjoys reading and running and composing in his free time.

Wednesday Concert Only

T. Jared Stellmacher is Director of Worship and Music at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Madison/Verona, WI, where he oversees the large and diverse music program across two campuses. Jared is also organist with the Chicago Gargoyle Brass and Organ Ensemble. The ensemble’s third CD, Ein feste Burg: Music of the Reformation, was released in 2019 and is available on iTunes and Amazon.

Previous positions include Director of Music at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Watertown, WI; Director of Music at Redeemer Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Hinsdale, IL; Interim Director of Music at First Church Congregational in Fairfield, CT; Accompanist for the critically acclaimed 100+ voice Fairfield County Chorale; Assistant Organist at the historic Riverside Church in New York City; Associate Organist at the First Presbyterian Church in New Canaan, CT; and Assistant Choral/Vocal Administrator at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.

Jared has received many awards for his performance excellence, most notably first place in the American Guild of Organists Region VI Competition for Young Organists held at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs; he then performed as a “Rising Star” at the National AGO Convention in Chicago.
Jared received his MM from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale School of Music and BMus from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music.