Summer Leadership Institute

Mr. Joel L. Denton served as Director of Bands at Ooltewah High School for thirty-seven years.
Under his direction, the Ooltewah Band achieved a national reputation for musical excellence.
For his work at Ooltewah and his leadership for bands in Tennessee and across the nation, Mr.
Denton received the Legion of Honor by the John Philip Sousa Foundation at the 2015 Midwest
Clinic. He served as Chair of the Fine Arts at Ooltewah from 1982 until his retirement in 2018
and was selected five times as the Ooltewah Teacher of the Year. The Tennessee Governor’s
School for the Arts thrice honored him for outstanding teaching.

His professional affiliations include NAfME, TNMEA, ETSBOA, Phi Beta Mu, NBA, ASBDA and TNBA. Mr. Denton
currently serves as the TN State Chair for the NBA, as a Past President of the Tennessee
Bandmasters Association and as a Past-President of the East Tennessee School Band and
Orchestra Association. He has served as the State Legislative Delegate and Advocacy Chair for
TNMEA and served on the Tennessee State Department of Education’s Fine Arts Student Growth
Committee.

He is active as an adjudicator, clinician, and consultant for bands throughout the
nation. He has affiliation with Music for All/Bands of America, Drum Corps International, and
has presented at regional, state, and national conferences including NAfME, TNMEA, ETSBOA,
The Midwest Clinic, and several universities. Mr. Denton also works with band programs and
other organizations on developing leadership and teambuilding skills. Mr. Denton and Kerry, his
wife of thirty-six years, have two children, Alex, who is the Assistant Director of at Cleveland
High School, TN and Caroline, who is a Language Arts teacher in the Hamilton County Schools
in Chattanooga.

Jerell Horton has been the band director at Vestavia Hills High School since 2006. He is a graduate of Samford University. Prior to his appointment at Vestavia Hills, he served as assistant director at Pizitz Middle School and Vestavia Hills High School. While at Vestavia Hills, the bands have consistently earned superior ratings at district and state concert band festivals as well as the ABDA festival. The Vestavia Hills Wind Ensemble performed at the 2011 Alabama Music Educators Conference and the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in 2013. The Vestavia Hills High School Rebel Marching Band performed in the 2010 London New Year’s Day Parade in London, England and the 2018 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. The Vestavia Hills High School band was awarded the National Program of Excellence Southern Division Blue Ribbon Award presented by the National Band Association. Mr. Horton has served as an honor band clinician in the states of Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia. He is also on staff for the Auburn Summer Marching and Leadership camp and the Music for All Summer Symposium. Mr. Horton is a National Board Certified Teacher and was named to SBO Magazine’s 2014 list of 50 Directors Who Make a Difference. Mr. Horton was honored to serve on the 2017 Music for All Tournament of Roses teaching staff. He is married to Monica Horton (also an educator) and they have four children; Madina Jaimes, Israel, Chism, and Loula Grayce.

Matthew M. McCord is an accomplished attorney who has helped many clients in the Atlanta area with both criminal defense and personal injury cases. The Law Office of Matthew M. McCord, P.C. is based in McDonough, Georgia. McCord provides clients in Atlanta, Jonesboro, Fayetteville, and the surrounding cities and counties with aggressive, passionate, and informed representation. After receiving his law degree from Georgia State University College of Law, McCord worked as a prosecutor for the government as well as a defense attorney for insurance companies. He spent two years working for the Clayton County solicitor general and one year as an assistant district attorney for Newton County. These experiences gave him the well-rounded perspective he brings to his practice today. Matthew McCord also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of South Carolina, Columbia.

David Roth joined the faculty at Kell High School as the Assistant Director of Bands in 2008 and was named Director of Bands in 2011.  Under his direction, the Kell Wind Ensemble has performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic (2017), the Music For All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival (2017), the GMEA State Convention (2016), and the January High School Music Festival (JanFest) in Athens, GA (2013).  In 2010, the Kell Wind Symphony performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and the marching band won two BOA Regional Championships.  Prior to joining the Kell program, Mr. Roth was the Assistant Director of Bands at Kennesaw Mountain High School where he conducted the Kennesaw Mountain Wind Symphony at the 2006 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and was a part of multiple BOA regional championship marching bands between 2004-2008.

A native of Marietta, Georgia, Mr. Roth graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Music Composition and earned his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois.  He was a member of the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps from 2000-2003, serving as the corps’ drum major from 2001-2003.   While a member of Carolina Crown, he helped found the Carolina Crown Student Leadership Task Force, an initiative aimed at enhancing the level of student leadership within the corps that is still in effect today.

Mr. Roth is currently an active clinician, guest lecturer, adjudicator, and music arranger across the Southeast.  His professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, the National Band Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, Georgia Music Educator’s Association, Music Educator’s National Conference, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.  Mr. Roth lives in Kennesaw, GA with his husband Jeff and seven-year old son Jacob.

Jennifer Sengin is the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Georgia State University where she conducts the Women’s Chorus and Choral Union and teaches graduate choral literature, graduate and undergraduate conducting, undergraduate choral methods, and supervises student teachers. Under her direction, the Women’s Chorus recently performed at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference in January, 2020. Dr. Sengin is very passionate about recruiting. In collaboration with the Director of Choral Activities, she has worked to increase enrollment in the choral program at GSU. In 2021, Dr. Sengin was named a semi-finalist for The American Prize in Conducting–college/university division and the Women’s Chorus was named a semi-finalist in Performance–college/university division.

Dr. Sengin also planned and coordinated the Georgia State Gospel Festival in spring of 2019 with guest artists Bishop Chantel Wright and Callie Day. This festival was a cooperative effort with the GSU Office of Educational Outreach and featured Atlanta area high school, community, church, and collegiate choirs.

An active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and presenter, Dr. Sengin has conducted honor choirs in Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, Michigan, and New York, and presented sessions with the Dublin Youth Singers (Ireland), NAFME Eastern Division Conference, ACDA Central/North Central Division Conference, Georgia Music Educators Conference, Florida Music Educators Conference, and at the Virtual mirabai Women’s Leadership Retreat among others. Dr. Sengin frequently provides presentations on recruiting and retaining singers, score study and rehearsal strategies, movement as a rehearsal strategy, and building community in the choral rehearsal in both a virtual and in-person settings.

Dr. Sengin earned her doctorate at Michigan State University, where she studied with Drs. David Rayl, Sandra Snow, and Jonathan Reed. At Michigan State, Dr. Sengin directed the Women’s Glee Club and led several large-scale recruitment events. In addition, she received the Dissertation Completion Award for her document that explores topics of performing culturally diverse repertoire, culturally relevant pedagogy, and cultural appropriation. She earned a Master’s degree from Ithaca College, where she studied conducting with Dr. Janet Galván and Lawrence Doebler and holds a Bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey. 

Prior to pursuing doctoral studies, Dr. Sengin was the Director of Choirs at East Brunswick High School in New Jersey. Under her direction, the choirs performed at Carnegie Hall, the New Jersey State Theatre, and Princeton Chapel on the Princeton University Campus. During her tenure, Dr. Sengin nearly doubled enrollment in the choir program (from 150 to over 270 students) and founded the Men’s and Women’s choral ensembles.

Dr. Sengin currently serves on the National Board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization, the R&R Chair for Youth and Student Activities on the GA-ACDA Board and as Faculty/Administrator of the Choral Music Experience for Choral Teacher Education course at Michigan State University, and has taught additional courses at Michigan State and Central Connecticut State Universities. She has published and contributed to articles in the Choral Journal and Tempo Magazine, and currently sings in The American Prize-winning ensemble, mirabai, under the direction of Sandra Snow.

Bridget Wildes is currently Fine Arts Assistant at the Buford High School after serving seven years as the Associate Director of Bands at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia.  Mrs. Wildes is a native of Lawrenceville, Georgia and received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Georgia State University in 2013 and Master of Music in Music Education in 2019 from Kent State University.  While at GSU, she was a member of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Wind Orchestra, and Symphony Orchestra.  She also served as one of the inaugural drum majors of the GSU Panther Marching Band.  Mrs. Wildes studied oboe with Dr. Lara Dahl and conducting with Dr. Robert Ambrose, Dr. Chester Phillips and Dr. David Vandewalker.

Mrs. Wildes currently assists with the band programs at both Buford High School and Buford Middle School, including the Marching Band of Wolves. She also works closely with the Buford High School Theater department, assisting with musical theater and the One Act Play competition. During her time at Mill Creek High School, their ensembles were invited to perform at the Kennesaw State University Concert Band Invitational, the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Band Festival at Georgia State University, the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, the University of Georgia January Music Festival, the University of Alabama Honor Band Clinic and the 2019 Music for All National Concert Band Festival as a featured ensemble. The marching band was a consistent grand champion at marching band competitions, ten time Bands of America Regional Finalist, and three time BOA Class AAAA Regional Champion. The Mill Creek Winds were also named two time WGI Winds World Championship Silver Medalists.

Bridget Wildes is an active clinician, adjudicator and freelance musician, as well as a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association and the National Band Association.  She is the current District 13 High School Band Chair, and plays an active role in the organization of District 13 events. She has presented twice at the GMEA In-Service Conference- in 2019 on developing and maintaining student leadership and in 2020 on taking the next step in your program to reach your goals. She has also been an invited clinician at the Georgia State University Summer Leadership Institute and Georgia State University Double Reed Day. Bridget and her husband Jacob, a band director as well, reside in Suwanee with their four year old son, Caleb, and their newborn daughter, Kerry Beth.