Voices Valiant

Norma Freeman enjoyed a 40-year eclectic K-12 music teaching career in Illinois, Colorado, Texas, and most recently, Michigan, where she served as the director of choral music at Saline High School. Under her direction, the choirs at Saline High School performed at numerous state and national music conferences and were selected by the King Singers to be their demonstration choir at the 2002 NAfME (National Association for Music Education) national conference in Nashville, TN. Norma also directed the Intermediate choral music program at the Interlochen (MI) National Music Camp for 12 years. She has guest conducted, adjudicated and presented workshops in 10 states on choral repertoire, integrated arts curriculum, middle school music, opera education, sight singing, and solo singing in the choir classroom. Norma was a member of the author team for the popular choral textbook series, Experiencing Choral Music (© 2005 Hal Leonard / McGraw-Hill) and is a co-author for the general music resources, Aaron Copland: The Music of an Uncommon Man (© 2012 Hal Leonard) and Cenerentola: A Curriculum Guide (©1993 Dallas Opera). Norma has been honored as the Teacher of the Year by the Michigan NAfME (2002) and MSVMA (Michigan State Vocal Music Association; 2009). In 2017, Norma was overwhelmed to be one of ten national recipients of the Stephen Sondheim / Kennedy Center Inspirational Teacher Award.

Dolly Collins began playing piano at age 4 1/2 in her hometown of Buffalo, New York. Mrs. Collins received a degree in music education from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. She has been the organist at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor for 44 years and has taught private piano lessons for 40 years. An eclectic musician, Mrs. Collins played keyboard in the Saline Big Band for over 20 years and also served as business manager for the group. For over 25 years, Dolly has served as the accompanist for the Saline Schools Choral Music Department, accompanying concerts, musicals, dessert cabarets, recitals, and community events. She travels with the choirs for all performances at festivals and invitational events. When not rehearsing daily with the students, Dolly enjoys bird watching and flower gardening.

A two-time Michigan Emmy Award winner, a 2017 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, and a 2015 GRAMMY® Award nominee, Dr. Eugene Rogers is recognized as a leading conductor and pedagogue throughout the United States and abroad. Dr. Rogers is the founding director of EXIGENCE. Recently, he was named as the fifth Artistic Director of the two-time GRAMMY® Award-Winning Ensemble, The Washington Chorus (Washington, D.C.). At the University, Rogers leads the graduate choral conducting program, conducts the chamber choir, and administers the program of over eight choral ensembles. His choirs have toured throughout China, South Africa, the United States, and have appeared at national and regional conferences. In 2016, Rogers’ passion for issues of social justice and music was featured in the award-winning documentary Love, Life and Loss which highlights Joel Thompson’s powerful Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, and in 2013, he co-managed the production of the joint CD Ye Shall Have a Song with the Michigan, Yale, and Harvard Glee Clubs, a collaboration celebrating America’s three oldest collegiate choirs.

Karen TenBrink has been bringing people together through song for over 30 years as a conductor in four different countries. She holds Bachelor and Master degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Michigan, where she studied piano, voice, conducting and music education. She has taught choir in Michigan public schools and directed choirs in Germany, the United States, Japan and Thailand, including as the chorus master for Opera Siam in Bangkok. Karen has been the director of the Ann Arbor Civic Chorus since 2014, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary with a commission by Stacey V. Gibbs. Under her guidance, the chorus has grown from 65 to 180 singers in the past 10 years.

Building community and opening minds through song is the guiding principle in everything Karen does; introducing eclectic repertoire in all styles, time periods and from a variety of countries, as well as pushing singers to find their own personal best, allows for new musical experiences and perspectives for all of them. She also values collaboration and has worked together with such groups as the University of Michigan Sahānā Indian Classical Music and Dance group, the Out Loud Chorus, the PURe Dance Ensemble, the Dexter Community Orchestra and the Ann Arbor Youth Chorale. Karen has also directed the in-house choir at Glacier Hills Independent Living for the past 3 years, finding creative ways to sing together at in-house performances, singalongs and bringing music to all in the retirement community.

In addition to leading choirs, Karen is a voice teacher for secondary school students and adults in Ann Arbor and Jackson. Her singers regularly receive top scores at State Solo & Ensemble Festival, participate in State and All-State Honors Choirs and perform in regional shows and bands. She has been a vocal coach and pianist for the Ann Arbor Youth Chorale, teaches voice, vocal jazz and musical theatre at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and performs with the Vocal Arts Ensemble of Ann Arbor and the Beyond Choir. She is a member of the ACDA Michigan board as the Repertoire and Resources representative for Community Choirs as well as for Ethnic/Multicultural Perspectives. Karen is thrilled to join Voices Valiant to inspire singers of all ages to continue making music as a community.