Gary Packwood, Director of Music
Gary Packwood, D.M.A., is currently the Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Montevallo where he serves as the Associate Director of Choral Activities and Coordinator of Music Education. He is the conductor of the UM Chamber Singers, University Chorus and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music and music education.
A native of Baton Rouge, Dr. Packwood earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree in voice from Southeastern Louisiana University, the Master of Arts degree in choral conducting from Florida Atlantic University, and the Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting, music literature, and music education from Louisiana State University where he was the recipient of the Huel D. Perkins Doctoral Arts Fellowship. He has studied conducting with Kenneth Fulton, Patricia Fleitas, Sara Lynn Baird, Timothy Mount, and Judy Hicks.
Prior to his arrival at UM, Dr. Packwood held positions at Louisiana State University, Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL), Southern University (Baton Rouge), and for ten years he taught elementary and high school general and choral music in south Florida.
Dr. Packwood’s special area of expertise is the development of efficient teaching and program strategies essential to successful non-auditioned & auditioned choirs. He has contributed numerous articles to professional journals on choral development with adolescent singers, choral reviews, and is known nationally as a conductor of choral festivals and motivational speaker. Having served as conductor, adjudicator, and clinician in 15 states from Hawaii to New York, and Michigan to Louisiana, this Year Dr. Packwood’s engagements include Sessions Clinician for the 2006-2007 Louisiana All-State Choir/Convention & Florida – ACDA State Convention, Artist-In-Residence at the University of West Florida, Artist-In-Residence for the Las Vegas Academy for International Studies, Visual & Performing Arts, Adjudicator for the University of Mississippi Choral Festival, and guest conductor for the II Festival Internacional de Musica da UFPI in Brazil. Choirs under his direction have performed, by invitation, internationally at Notre Dame Cathedral, Chatres Cathedral, La Madeleine, Sacra Coeur, The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach (Normandy), Music Educators National Conference, the Florida Music Educators Association Clinic/Conference, three national television performances, and have toured throughout the southeastern United States.
A life time member of the American Choral Directors Association, Dr. Packwood has served as the Assistant Program Chair for the 2004 Southern Division ACDA Convention, the Advertising Chair for the 2006 Southern Division ACDA Convention, Repertoire & Standards Chair for Community Choirs for the Alabama Chapter of ACDA, and is currently the Southern Division ACDA R&S Chair for Multicultural Music. Dr. Packwood is also an active member of the Music Educators National Conference, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Vocal Association, National Association of Teacher’s of Singers, and the College Music Society. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Montevallo Chorale and the Director of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Write Gary Packwood at dir_music@uucbham.org.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham
A member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association
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E-mail: office@uucbham.org
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