Dr. Emma Pettyjohn – Music Department Chair
Dr. Deborah Herring – Professor of Music
Dr. Deborah Herring serves as Professor of Music, Voice Area Coordinator, Arts Academy Director, and directs both Chorale and the musical theatre group, ACTS. In addition to directing, she teaches applied voice, choral literature, conducting, vocal pedagogy and other related courses. She earned her Doctor of Arts degree from Ball State University, Master of Music from Pittsburg State University, and Bachelor of Music Ministry from Ozark Christian College with a major in vocal performance and a secondary emphasis in Music History and Musicology. Her experience includes over 34 years of voice teaching both through her private studio and as adjunct voice instructor at Ozark Christian College, Missouri Southern State University, and John A. Logan Community College. Her music ministry experience includes leading worship, voice and choral workshops and over 25 years as a music minister, most recently shaving served at Royston Baptist Church (2007-2019). As a lyric-coloratura soprano, she performs as a soloist for college, community and outside events. Past solo performances include opera (PSU, BSU, Kansas Symphony Orchestra, and The American Institute of Musical Studies, Gratz, Austria), classical (Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, faculty solo recitals, and guest soloist for regional productions of Handel’s Messiah, Fauré Requiem, Vivaldi Gloria and others), Jazz (professional jazz soloist with The Lamplight Trio), musical theatre (Footlight Musicals, Springfield Little Theatre), and over 40 years as a soloist for church, conference and special events. Her conducting and directing experience includes working with choral groups, church choirs, cantatas, musicals, worship teams, opera workshops and summer music camps. She is an active choral clinician, adjudicator and current member of NATS and NAfME. Her honors include Phi Kappa Phi, Graduate Dean’s Scholar, Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellow, EC Firebaugh Faculty Award, Who’s Who in American Education and American Women. Her research presentations include applications of her doctoral dissertation “A comparison of Multiple Intelligence Profiles in College Singers and Non-Singers with Implications for Teachers of Singing” (Stark, 2004).
She lives on Lake Hartwell, GA with her husband, John and has two beautiful adult daughters, Hannah and Sierra. She is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys running, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, scuba diving, hiking, gardening, writing, photography, and traveling. Her favorite scripture is Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you: in His love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Her purpose and ministry in life is to mentor and train others to serve God through the musical arts.
Dr. Leslie Boucher – Professor of Music
Beth Chitwood – Professor of Music
Josh Bryan – Adjunct Professor of Music
Josh Bryan (M.M.Ed.) is a Adjunct Music Instructor for Emmanuel College, the Chorus Director at Hart County High School, and the Assistant Conductor for the Athens Symphony. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Emmanuel College in 2013 and his Master of Music Education from The University of Georgia in 2017.
His music experience includes arranging music for various ensembles, teaching private lessons, teaching music and theater at fine arts camps, accompanying on guitar, trumpet, or percussion for chorus or musical productions, rehearsing an a cappella vocal ensemble, and assisting with the high school band.
When not on stage or in rehearsal, Josh enjoys reading, arranging, and even doing some slight of hand magic.
