About
Mission
Amarillo College Music Department 
The Mission of the Amarillo College Music Department is "to be a center of musical learning and cultural enrichment within the community of Amarillo and the surrounding Panhandle of Texas, by providing a comprehensive two-year musical curriculum for transfer students, elective courses for the non-music major, musical training for younger students, and performance opportunities in various ensembles for students and members of the community."
One of only a handful of 2-year institutions in the nation to be so, Amarillo College is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. We currently offer an Associate of Science degree in Music which is designed to transfer to any four-year public institution in the state of Texas.
Accreditation
Amarillo College has been an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music since September 1, 1966.
National Association of Schools of Music
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21
Reston, VA 20190-5248
703-437-0700 Phone
703-437-6312 Fax
info@arts-accredit.org
For Amarillo College's most recent NASM self-study and subsequent accreditation materials, please go to: https://www.actx.edu/music/nasm
Community Collaborations
Closely associated with the areas top opera, choral, and instrumental organizations, students at AC are immersed in building performance skills along with academic knowledge at a very high level. The AC Music Department partners annually with the Amarillo Master Chorale, Amarillo Symphony Youth Orchestras, AC Suzuki Program, Amarillo Opera, Window on a Wider World, and sponsors additional outreach activities like UIL solo & ensemble contest and the Greater Southwest Music Festival. In 2021-2022, music students and faculty hosted over 40 outreach events reaching approximately 6,000 K-12th graders.
Below is the full listing of community partners with links to visit their websites for more information:
Amarillo Opera, Inc
Professional opera company. It began as an Amarillo College Opera Workshop program. Founded by former Amarillo College voice professor/opera workshop director Mila Gibson in 1988, now under the helm of AC Artist in Residence voice faculty, Mary Jane Johnson. Performances held in the Amarillo Globe News Center for the Performing Arts and the Amarillo College Concert Hall and Ordway Theatre. Amarillo College students and community members enroll in Opera Workshop, a class offered for college credit or continuing education credit by the music department.
Amarillo Master Chorale (previously Amarillo Civic Chorus)
Professional-level community adult chorale specializing in the performance of quality choral music. Affiliated with and sponsored by Amarillo College since its inception in 1980 under the direction of Amarillo College’s choral directors George Biffle, Richard Nance, Steven Weber, and currently, Nathaniel Fryml. Two to four annual performances, at least one per year with the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, and regular collaborations with Chamber Music Amarillo. Members include Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle area church choir members and directors, school music teachers, college students, business professionals, physicians, lawyers, etc. All members enroll in “Choral Union,”which is offered either for college credit or continuing education credit through the music department.
Amarillo College Suzuki Program
Self-sustaining music education program for preschool, primary, and secondary students, ages 2-18. Affiliated with Amarillo College since 1976, the Suzuki Program’s Coordinator became a full-time faculty position within the music department in 2000, with two-fifths of the position assigned to teaching within the department and three-fifths of the position re-assigned to coordinate and teach students in the program, which collects fees to pay for this portion.The full scope of this program and relationship with Amarillo College will be fully documented in Section L. Non-Degree-Granting Programs for the Community.
Community Concert Band
Traditional concert band setting for college students and community members to continue instrumental performance and community involvement. Founded in 1997 and led by Amarillo College director of bands, Alan Wenger, the ensemble is currently led by Bruce Collins. Two to four annual performances include formal concerts and community service projects.Chamber Orchestra
Traditional chamber orchestra ensemble for college students and community members to continue instrumental performance and community involvement. This group was led by Amarillo College orchestra director and string specialist, Beverly de la Bretonne, since the mid-1980’s. Since 2013, the organization has been under the direction of part-time faculty, David Hinds, a respected music educator with over 40 years of experience, and string orchestra composer with Latham and Carl Fischer Music. Two to four annual performances include formal concerts and special event appearances.
Amarillo Music Teachers Association
Local affiliate of the Texas Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association; comprised of private music teachers in the area. Annual fall recitals, judged festivals, music theory testing for grade levels 1-12 in the fall and spring, and a “World-of-Music” testing for grade levels 1-12 in the spring held at Amarillo College.. Approximately 30 music teachers and 200 students participate in one or more of these activities. Amarillo College piano faculty, Bruce Lin, serves as member liaison to this organization.
Art Force
Organized in 1985 “to provide support for the Division of Fine Arts at Amarillo College through provision of scholarship assistance, attendance at events, and to serve as an advisory group to augment cultural offerings for the Amarillo area at Amarillo College,” the Art Force has raised more than $800,000.00 for scholarships since its inception. The music department provides music entertainment for events as invited. The Art Force also offers grants to fund various projects by Amarillo College faculty members.
Amarillo Jazz Society
The Amarillo Jazz Society, a Texas 501c3 organization, promotes jazz performance and education in the Amarillo area. AC faculty, Dr. Jim Laughlin, is the founder and current president of this community non-profit organization. The AJS is also partnered with the Amarillo Globe News Center for the Performing Arts education program entitled “Window on a Wider World”, and has become a catalyst for local jazz educators. This organization began to support the Department of Music’s very popular June Jazz series. June Jazz began as a weekly event Tuesdays in June in 1995 with music faculty, Jim Laughlin, organizing the acts which performed in the outdoor amphitheatre behind the Music Building. When attendance regularly grew past 350 patrons, the staging area moved to allow a wider audience throughout the campus mall.
Amarillo Symphony Youth Orchestras
Four ensembles for area string students in grades 6-12, with the top ensemble including brass, woodwind, and percussion students in a full orchestra. Rehearsals held in the Amarillo College Concert Hall, Band Room, and classrooms on Sunday and Monday afternoons throughout the school year. In lieu of rental charges for use of the facilities, the Amarillo Symphony makes in-kind donations of needed equipment such as a set of 40 Manhasset stands with stand carts, rolling podiums, and percussion equipment.Amarillo Summer Youth Musical
Annual production which began under the Civic Amarillo umbrella in 2003. Music conductors associated with Amarillo College have included former AC Director of Choral Activities, Steve Weber, former music faculty/Department Chair, Jim Rauscher, former staff accompanist, Mila Abbasova, and Camille Day Nies. In addition, Amarillo Opera started as co-sponsor then full sponsor of the Summer Youth Musicals from 2006 through 2016, and Amarillo College picked up the event in its entirety for its final two seasons (2017 & 2018).
UIL Region I
Vocal Division - Pre All-Area and All-State Choral Clinics were offered by prior Director of Choral Activities, Steve Weber, for many years. Currently, Nathan Fryml and Melody Rich provide a High School All-State Choir Camp in early August to assist area high school students in preparing the required music for the Texas All-State Choir audition process. Nathan Fryml also hosts All-Region auditions on the Amarillo College campus.Jazz Division - Jim Laughlin has often hosted Jazz Ensemble All-Region Auditions at Amarillo College.
Orchestra Division - Part-time faculty David Hinds (previously Camille Day Nies) hosts the annual UIL Region I Solo and Ensemble Contest at Amarillo College. Amarillo College music majors serve as contest volunteers
All Divisions - Amarillo College faculty provides clinics and information to high school ensemble classes during annual in-school visits. Opportunities for in-depth collaboration are supported as they arise; for instance, Jim Laughlin has provided a recording arts student internship through Amarillo ISD’s PRO curriculum.
Greater Southwest Music Festival
Holds annual piano contest at Amarillo College (50+ years). Department faculty frequently serve on the board of directors, and often serve in a judging capacity for solo and ensemble events in the festival.Amarillo Arts Council (?)
Coordinate and promote events calendars with other area arts organizations and network toward collaborative projects such as Jazztober, which was started by Amarillo College faculty Jim Laughlin.
Center City Amarillo
The mission of Center City of Amarillo, Inc., established in 1991, is to bring “people to downtown Amarillo through organization, events, promotion, design and facilitation of economic restructuring.” The annual Jazztober series was started by Amarillo College faculty, Jim Laughlin, and regularly features Amarillo College jazz ensembles. Beginning in the fall of 2018, Amarillo College Recording Arts students began running sound for this weekly live event.Amarillo Cultural District
Awarded in 2016, the Amarillo Cultural District is one of 35 in the entire state of Texas. The Concert Hall Theatre is among the locations on the Amarillo College Washington Street Campus included in the Amarillo Cultural District. Former Department of Music Chair, Steve Weber, documented the impact of departmental offerings on the community in Center City’s application to the Texas Commission on the Arts for the Cultural District designation.
Amarillo Youth Choirs
Began at Amarillo College with a summer workshop held as a part of the Summer Arts Festival in 1989; Amarillo College continues to host summer camps and other events for the organization.
Palo Duro Metro Chorus
This regional Sweet Adelines International ensemble’s concerts at Amarillo College are hosted by Nathan Fryml.
The Amarillo Symphony
Camille Day Nies and Jim Laughlin are members of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, along with part-time faculty members Beverly de la Bretonne, and Russell Steadman, current Suzuki Program instructors Tiffany McDaniel and retired music faculty, Jim Rauscher. Students from the Suzuki Program also currently add two members to the string sections. Part-time faculty Luigi Bencomo, Brandon Borup, Cassandra Hussey all sub for the group. The Master Chorale performs once or twice per season with the Amarillo Symphony, typically for their Holiday Pops series and a larger choral work. The Orchestra Committee, made up of musicians elected to represent the orchestra to management, permanently includes a member representative from Amarillo College which is currently held by Tiffany McDaniel. Jim Rauscher, Jim Laughlin, and Camille Day Nies have also served on this committee in recent years. Amarillo College faculty Camille Day Nies also serves on the Board of Directors. In addition to annual concert events, the Amarillo Symphony’s educational programming includes a string quintet which visits all Amarillo area elementary schools annually. Amarillo College part-time faculty Beverly de la Bretonne, (previously, full-time faculty Camille Day Nies) performs with this ensemble. Amarillo College provides access to instruments such as the marimba as ASO concert orchestration needs require. Symphony administrators and artists often provide lecture and informances for Recital Attendance classes, and comp/student tickets are available for season events to music majors.
Chamber Music Amarillo
Chamber Music Amarillo “fosters an appreciation for chamber music by engaging and inspiring individuals, families and communities through unsurpassed, live, intimate music experiences.” Now beginning its 21st season, CMA produces a classical series, hosts a jazz series and special events, and regularly performs educational concerts in the community. Guest artists with CMA regularly provide master classes or clinics for Amarillo College students while they are in Amarillo. In September 2018 alone, artists David Jimenez, clarinetist from Spain, and Judith Lee, violinist from Boston, were guest lecturers for AC’s recital attendance class during their week in Amarillo, and, T.K Conrad, jazz pianist from Portland and Mark Giammario and Mike Geib, rhythm section from Oklahoma City, will clinic the AC Jazz Band the afternoon before their CMA jazz show. Dozens of visiting artists have contributed master classes for music majors and Suzuki students over the years. Amarillo College Department of Music faculty have long collaborated in CMA programming, with current piano faculty Diego Caetano and retired piano faculty Jim Rauscher, the Master Chorale, Jim Laughlin’s jazz ensemble, and Camille Day Nies recently featured. String faculty also assist in larger ensemble presentations. For several seasons, Suzuki student ensembles provided the opening acts for classical concerts and performed at CMA “Family Night” offerings. The Music Department and Suzuki program also promote each concert event to students, and encourage attendance at CMA’s “Family Night”.
Panhandle PBS
Local PBS affiliate housed on the Amarillo College campus, Panhandle PBS offers an array of live performances and community events in conjunction with broadcast performances. Recent collaborations with the Amarillo College Department of Music include a Jazz concert and Indie Lens Pop-Up screening, Chasing Trane, a live-streamed master class for Suzuki program students with Annie Moses prior to the band’s appearance in Amarillo, and broadcasts of the Amarillo Symphony Holiday Pops concert featuring the Amarillo Master Chorale and full Amarillo Opera productions.
FM90
Amarillo College’s own radio station began broadcasting and live-streaming the Department of Music’s wildly popular June Jazz series in the summer of 2016, increasing the reach of these concerts all over the world.
Window on a Wider World
With a mission “Dedicated to enriching the education of Texas Panhandle students through arts, science and cultural experiences”, Window on a Wider World is the educational component of the Amarillo Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. The organization connects community organizations to elementary school teachers throughout the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle. Historically, Amarillo College faculty and students, the Amarillo College Suzuki Program and Jim Laughlin’s jazz ensembles present programs through Window on a Wider World.Contact Us
Rm. 304, Washington Street Campus, Music Building
P.O. Box 447
Phone: (806) 371-5340
Email: tljackson26@actx.edu
Mailing Address
Amarillo College
Attention: Music Dept.
PO Box 447
Amarillo, TX 79178
Faculty|Staff
Camille Day Nies
Music & Theatre Chair
Tiffany McDaniel
Music & Suzuki Administrative Assistant
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