FBC has a talented team of music staff and faculty that God has brought together to lead in worship and ministry at all levels.Academy Administrative Staff is as follows:Michael T. SmithMinister of Music940.723.2764 ext 270msmith@fbcwf.org Dean SavageAssociate Minister of MusicDirector, The Music Academy940.723.2764 ext 272dsavage@fbcwf.org Brenda StephensMusic Administrative Assistant940.723.2764 ext 271bstephens@fbcwf.org Darlene BurgerMusic Assistant/Music Academy Assistant940.723.2764 ext 474dburger@fbcwf.org Amberly PetteyMusic Assistant940.723.2764 ext 274apettey@fbcwf.org David AllenMusic Academy Director of Development 940.723.2764 ext 220dallen@fbcwf.org
Our Music Academy is fortunate to have such outstanding teachers as these:
David Allen is the Director of Developement for the Music Academy and is teaching Guitar and Voice at the academy. David attended Independent Baptist College in Dallas, Texas and Midwestern State University before becoming Minister of Music at a local church where he served full time for the last 27 years. He has recently received his Bachelors degree in Music Education from Midwestern State University. David Allen has had the unique privilege of building a church music program from the ground up, where he organized, developed and directed adult, teen and junior choirs, as well as various vocal ensembles. He has had over 12 semesters of college level vocal training, most of which have been under the teaching of Dr. Don Maxwell at MSU. As well as teaching voice, David has taught guitar and is also a singer/songwriter. He and his wife Bobbi have two adult children, Matthew and Mindy.
Dr. Belcher teaches flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe and bassoon in the Music Academy. He is a native of Wichita Falls and graduated from MSU with a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1992. While working as a band director, he began his graduate studies at Texas State University where he graduated with a Master of Music Degree in woodwind performance in 1998. In 2004 he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in performance from The University of Oklahoma where he also taught Understanding Music and Woodwind Techniques. Dr. Belcher has been an active performer for many years having performed with the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra in 1983, been a member of the Texas All-State Band in 1986, held the principal clarinet chair in the MSU band for five years, and founded and performed with his chamber ensemble, Suite Winds. He conducted the Wichita Falls Chamber Orchestra for four years, and was Conductor/Music Director of the Wichita Falls Youth Symphony Orchestra for ten years. Dr. Belcher has played clarinet with the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra since 1988, and has been Education Coordinator for the WFSO where he develops and implements education concerts since 2005. His wife Sandra is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at MSU, and they live in Wichita Falls with their two boys, Griffin and Grady.
Jahn Crews received her Bachelor degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas with a concentration in piano. She had a private piano studio of 45 students in Lawton, Oklahoma for ten years. Jahn started Crews Yamaha Music Academy in Wichita Falls in 1971 where she was director and a teacher for 25 years. She is active in the Worship Choir at First Baptist Church and is a member of Encore!, a ladies chorus with about 45 members. She accompanies her husband, Norval Crews, for many different programs and events where they specialize in playing Christian music and music from the 30’s – 50’s. Norval is a faculty member of the music department at Midwestern State University, coming here as the director of bands and currently is teaching woodwinds, music appreciation, and a variety of other classes.
Ed Hefti has been a band director at Iowa Park Independent School District for 25 years. He is currently assisting at the middle school and high school, directing the Jazz Band, and is the conductor of the Wichita Falls Youth Symphony Orchestra. Prior to Iowa Park, he served as the junior high and high school director in Navasota, Texas and as a woodwind specialist and assistant high school director in Magnolia, Texas. He has served as the Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, Archer City as well as the interim music minister at First Baptist Church, Iowa Park and Lamar Baptist Church, Wichita Falls. He has worked as an adjunct faculty member at Midwestern State University assisting with the University Jazz Ensemble and teaching improvisation. He has performed with numerous jazz artists and pop groups and opened for the Fabulous Thunderbirds and BTO. Ed received a Bachelor in Music Education and a Masters in Performance from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He and his wife Dianne currently reside in Iowa Park.
Ms. Murphy is teaching Piano and Voice in the academy. Marlene received her Associate of Arts degree at Kilgore Junior College, her Bachelor of Music Education with piano concentration from the University of North Texas, and her Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Southern Methodist University. Having served as Music Specialist in various elementary, Jr. High and Sr. High schools around the state, she has served most recently as Choral Director for Wichita Falls High School. In addition to private teaching, she has been involved extensively as a Kodaly specialist, and served as the Third Vice President for the Texas Choral Directors Association. Ms. Murphy is a member of the Wichita Falls Music Teachers Association, the Texas Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association. Ms. Murphy will also be tutoring those Sr. High Students wishing to prepare for U.I.L. events.
Mrs. Schuppener is teaching Piano and Violin in the Music Academy. Having received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Northern Illinois University, and her Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from Northwestern University, she has continued her education towards her doctorate degree at Northwestern University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Mrs. Schuppener is also the orchestra director at Wichita Falls High School, Zundy Junior High, Ben Franklin, and Crockett Elementary. Her husband, Dr. James Schuppener, is Director of Choral Activities at Midwestern State University. They have lived in Wichita Falls for one year after teaching in Kansas for twenty years. They have two children, Mark and Laura, who live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Melissa Ward teaches Voice in the Music Academy. Mrs. Ward received her Bachelor of Music degree at Midwestern State University in 1996, where she received the Outstanding Music Student Award, the William V. Boland Voice Award and more. She pursued graduate studies at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas, where she was a Graduate Assistant in Voice. She was also private voice instructor at the time in the Keller Independent School District. She is currently the Music Assistant to the Choir Director and the Voice teacher at Rider High School here in Wichita Falls. In addition to being soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, the Mozart Requiem, the Verdi Requiem, the Bach Christmas Oratorio and more, she was also the featured soloist for Wichita Falls Chamber Orchestra and Chorus. Having sung in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Rene Clausen, she continues to use her extraordinary gifts and is in demand as featured soloist for many organizations and events. She is currently involved in Amazing Grace Ministries with her husband, singing and ministering throughout Texas and Oklahoma. She and her husband, Darren, have three children, Christopher, Joshua and Eliana.