Hymns of Thanksgiving 2023
DIRECTORS
Marcellus Brown is Director of Bands Emeritus at Boise State University. Currently, he is the director of the Treasure Valley Concert Band, a position he has held since 1992. He accepted the position as the Director of the Hymns of Thanksgiving Orchestra in the fall of 2007. Maestro Brown is very active and in demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician throughout the country. Recently, he has appeared regularly as a guest conductor with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra
For the 2023/2024 season Maestro Brown has accepted a conducting position as a Visiting Professor at Indiana University. In this position he will conduct the university’s top wind bands, mentor graduate conducting students and teach an undergraduate conducting class.
A native of Detroit, Maestro Brown holds a Master of Music Degree in Trumpet Performance and Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the University of Michigan where he took conducting classes with Elizabeth Green. He has done doctoral work at the University of Illinois where he was a Graduate Assistant in the University Band program.
Rich Lapp grew up in Southern California and has earned two degrees in Choral Music Education. He began teaching in Southern California, but after only three years he and his wife, Leni, moved to Boise, Idaho to further his career. He taught choir at Fairmont JHS for 6 years before moving to Boise HS for 8 years, then Timberline HS for 17 years. Following his 34 years in the classroom he served as music administrator for 2 years in the Boise Public Schools, overseeing 120 music and visual arts teachers.
Public school choirs under Rich’s leadership received superior ratings at local and regional festival all 34 years he was teaching in the classroom. Choirs under his direction excelled at traditional classical literature as well as vocal jazz and Broadway productions. He toured Europe two times with high school choirs and served as clinician and guest director in the Northwest. Rich has been a member of NAfMe and ACDA having served both professional organizations in leadership roles.
In addition to his music education experience, Rich has also been very involved in Barbershop singing since he was 17 years old. He directed choruses in Southern California in his college years and directed the Boise Chordsmen on and off since 1984. Most recently he was director of two Barbershop choruses in Ohio. Rich has been active as a quartet singer for most of his Barbershop life and earned Seniors Quartet Championship honors in the Northwest in 2015. Rich has also served on faculty at the International Barbershop School many times teaching conducting and rehearsal techniques.
Rich has been married to wife, Leni, for 39 years and they have 4 children ranging in age from 25-35.
Philip Miller is in his 28th year of teaching and currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Music at Northwest Nazarene University where his duties include administration, recruiting, directing the University Choir and Orchestra, and teaching conducting. Previous teaching appointments include California Baptist University, Southern Nazarene University, and Kansas Wesleyan University. Philip holds a Bachelor of Music Education/Piano from Oklahoma Baptist University, a Master of Music from the University of Oklahoma, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting, also from the University of Oklahoma. His ensembles are known for having a dynamic and uplifting presence along with a warm choral tone.
Along with his teaching duties, Philip maintains a rigorous schedule as a clinician and adjudicator. Married to a theatre professional, he is also active in musical theatre at the collegiate, professional, and community levels, serving in the role of music director/conductor. Recent theatrical productions include Sound of Music, Into the Woods, Seussical!, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Fantasticks.
Philip has been married to his lovely wife, Krista Jo for 28 years. Their four boys keep active schedules of their own, but can also often be found hanging out at rehearsals and concerts with Mom and Dad.