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.