CHILDREN’S CHORUS OF COLLIN COUNTY DIRECTORS

RUSS PORTER, CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Co-Founder of the Children’s Chorus of Collin County in 2007, Russ Porter serves as Executive Director.   He is a 1978 graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Church Music. His area of concentration was vocal/choral education with a minor in piano. He continued his education by attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where in 1980 he received his Master's in Church Music with a concentration in vocal/choral education.  Russ has served as Minister of Music for Baptist churches in Texas and Louisiana for the past 24 years before assuming co-ownership of the Rockwall School of Music in 2004.

He has had extensive choral/orchestral experience as a conductor as well as teaching experience as a clinician and adjudicator. He and his wife Karen have been married for 31 years and have two children. Their daughter Kristen and her husband live in Little Rock, Arkansas and their son Ryan attends Medical School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

JANIE OLIVER, CO-FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CONDUCTOR OF CONCERT CHORUS

Janie Oliver helped to found the Children’s Chorus of Collin County and has acted as its Artistic Director since its inception in 2007.  She taught classroom music for the Dallas Independent School District prior to becoming Associate Minister of Worship and Music at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. During a long career at Park Cities, Janie’s responsibilities included coordinating and directing Children’s Choirs, Handbell Choirs, Ladies Ensemble, Senior Adult Choir, Assistant Director of the Adult Choir, and helping to produce and direct the annual Christmas and Easter pageants.  She served as a State Music Specialist for the Southern Baptist Convention, and has conducted seminars and workshops for choir leaders throughout the United States.

She is a published author and composer and is a frequent speaker and entertainer for women’s groups, churches, retreats, and conventions.  She holds a Bachelor of Music degree and a Masters degree in Counseling and Guidance from Texas A & M  in Commerce, Texas.  She is affiliated with Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, and Choristers Guild. 

Janie and her husband, Wendell, have two grown sons, Jeffrey and Christopher, both of whom reside in the Dallas area.  Christopher and his wife, Erika, are parents to Janie's two grandchildren, Luke and Wyatt.

TAMMY KOTARA, YOUTH CHORUS DIRECTOR

Tammy Kotara holds a Bachelor's degree in music education with an emphasis in secondary choral and vocal performance from Baylor University.  At Baylor she studied voice under the direction of Dr. Robert Best, and Lise Uhl at McLennan Community College.

Tammy has instructed private voice for 6 years, teaching students of all ages, voices and musical interests.  Her students have experienced many successes in vocal festivals and competitions and continually experience success in school and community auditions for musical and theatrical productions.

Tammy is also a former head choral director, recently finishing three years at Schimelpfenig Middle School in Plano and one year at J.P. Elder Middle School in Fort Worth.  Under her direction at Schimelpfenig the choir program experienced great success at Solo and Ensemble festivals, All Region auditions and UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Festival.

As a choral director and music educator, Tammy obtained two certifications in the Kodály music education pedagogy, one specific to elementary music education and the other to secondary choral music education.  Tammy aims to further her Kodály research through study at UNT as a master’s student of music education, beginning the fall of 2010.  She wants to contribute to the new field of Kodály pedagogy specific to choir in secondary education.

Currently Tammy is the director of the Youth Chorus of Collin County, an auditioned chorus of young men and women grades 7-10.  The Youth Chorus offers students a rigorous musical experience through challenging age-appropriate literature and multiple performances each semester, local and abroad.

Tammy also has her own private voice studio, teaching students in Coppell ISD and private lessons at home.  She continues to serve as a musician at St. Mark Catholic Church in Plano as a church cantor, chorus section leader and substitute choral director.

Tammy is a member of Texas Music Educators Association and Texas Choral Directors Association, Organization of American Kodály Educators and Carrolton Music Teachers Association.