The NCC Team

Tyler Merideth
ncc program director
Youth Choir Director
Tyler Merideth holds a Bachelor of Music in Church Music, graduating cum laude, and a Master of Music in Music Education—both from Belmont University. He currently serves as the Visual and Performing Arts Lead at James Lawson High School in Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches four levels of choir and AP Music Theory. His classroom regularly hosts practicum and student teachers from Belmont, Vanderbilt, Lipscomb, and Tennessee State University, offering them a hands-on learning environment.
Known for his vibrant conducting style, innovative teaching approach, and ability to grow strong music programs, Merideth has consistently been invited to serve as a clinician in a variety of forms. Since 2008, he has directed the W.O. Smith Music School’s Summer Resident Camp Choir. He also founded a Summer Music Theory Camp in collaboration with the Nashville Symphony’s Accelerando Program, serving students throughout Middle Tennessee, and led the MNPS Summer Choir Clinic for three years. His academic contributions include adjunct teaching roles at both Lipscomb and Belmont Universities. In 2013, he served as score reader for the nationally televised PBS broadcast Christmas at Belmont, featuring Denyce Graves.
As a collaborative pianist, Merideth has performed at the International Church Music Festival in Coventry, England, and is a specialist in the Suzuki Violin Repertoire. His musical versatility has led to performances with a local improv comedy troupe and appearances on Nashville Classical Radio’s Live in Studio C. He has contributed to the Tennessee All-State Choirs since 2005 and performed with honor choirs at both the 2020 and 2026 ACDA Southern Region Conferences.
Merideth has twice been named the MNPS Students’ Choice Academy Teacher of the Year and is a two-time recipient of the prestigious CMA Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence Award. He has also been a finalist for Teacher of the Year on two occasions. Beyond his work at James Lawson High School, Merideth is the Program Director of the Nashville Children’s Choir and conductor of the Nashville Youth Choir. His compositions and arrangements have been performed across the country and around the world.
Merideth’s journey in music education began with a piano—specifically, a 19th-century upright player piano that his father and grandfather rescued and restored after finding it abandoned in a barn. It was on this piano that his older sister, Emily gave him his first piano lessons. If that piano wasn’t discovered, he would have been an NBA basketball player.

James Wells
ncc artistic director
Touring choir Director
James Wells has served as a co-director of the Touring Choir since 2010 and now serves as the NCC Artistic Director and Director of Touring Choir. In a full-time role, Mr. Wells serves as the Director of Youth and Children’s Music at Brentwood United Methodist Church. He oversees all the music and arts activities for students pre-school through college students. Prior to his full-time church music, he spent 10 years as a general vocal music teacher in the Franklin Special School District.
Mr. Wells grew up in Murfreesboro, and studied with Dr. Madeline Bridges (retired NCC program director) while attending both MTSU and Belmont University for his music education. He often spends summer months touring with the BUMC youth choirs and has traveled throughout the U.S. conducting children and youth choirs for school districts, church organizations, festivals, and conferences.
James and his wife Amy live in Franklin and recently celebrated 29 years of marriage. They have two adult daughters who both spent time in NCC. When not working, Mr. Wells enjoys time with family, his dog Ruby, exercise, and running. Fun fact: He completed his first full marathon in December of 2022.

Mary Bond
Concert Choir Director
Mary Bond is thrilled to be the Concert Choir Director for the Nashville Children’s Choir. Mary has held positions with children’s and community chorus organizations across the country including the Cincinnati Boychoir, the Cincinnati Youth Choir, and the Madisonville Youth Chorus. Most recently, Mary served as the Conducting Apprentice for the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia, the country’s longest-standing choral organization, and as a vocal technician in the Philadelphia Boys and Girls Choir Vocal Conservatory. In the summers, Mary serves as Senior Faculty and Junior Faculty Coordinator for the Poco a Poco Young Artist Training Festival in Streator, IL.
Mary received her BS in Music Education from Xavier University, and spent four years as a high school choral and theatre director in MNPS. She will complete her MM in Choral Conducting at Temple University in May ‘23, where she works with curricular choirs, mentors undergraduate conducting students, and served as Chorus Master for the ‘23 production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. She can’t wait to return to Nashville, her adopted home, to make music with her amazing students and colleagues!

Danielle Taylor
Preparatory Choir Director
Danielle Leigh Taylor is an award-winning choral director and music educator dedicated to inspiring and empowering the next generation of musicians through high-quality, innovative instruction. Since 2014, she has built dynamic and inclusive choral programs that foster artistry, confidence, and community among singers of all ages.
A three-time CMA Music Teacher of Excellence recipient, Danielle has served as a conductor with the Nashville Children’s Choir since 2023, where she develops young vocalists through engaging rehearsals, purposeful repertoire, and opportunities for professional-level performance. As both a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, she brings a versatile approach to choral leadership, integrating musicianship training, modern ensemble skills, and cross-genre repertoire to prepare students for success in a wide range of musical settings.

Samantha Altmann
Mentorship and Media Director
Samantha Altmann serves as the Mentorship and Media Director for NCC. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Samantha moved to Nashville to pursue her passion in Music Education at Belmont University. She studied with Dr. Madeline Bridges, the former NCC program director, her first two years at Belmont before stepping into an internship role with NCC.
Over her years with the Touring Choir, Samantha made the transition from intern to assistant conductor after graduating with her Bachelor of Music in 2020. Outside of NCC, Samantha continues her work with middle school voices as a Choir Director in the Metro-Nashville Public School system.

Amy Frederick
Collaborative pianist
Amy Frederick is a freelance musician who plays and teaches piano, Hammond organ and keyboards. A 2012 graduate of Belmont University with a Master of Music in Piano Performance, Ms. Frederick is a very active performer in the Nashville music scene. She can be found on stage with local and touring rock, r and b, blues and country/pop bands, and in the studio recording for independent artists. She currently serves as Staff Accompanist at The Harpeth Hall School and has accompanied many local schools’ musicals and concerts, recitals at Belmont Academy (a division of Belmont University), and the Tennessee Music Teachers Association student competitions. Ms. Frederick has played concerts with the Paducah Symphony and Orchestra Kentucky of Bowling Green, and currently teaches twenty, up-and-coming student keyboardists. She is excited to join the NCC team for the 2023-2024 year.

Mary Countess
Collaborative Pianist
Mary Countess is a Belmont graduate and a collaborative pianist and piano teacher. She works as an accompanist and arranger at the Nashville Ballet. She also accompanies choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists at Crievewood United Methodist Church and Montgomery Bell Academy. She enjoys playing for the musicals at Montgomery Bell and Harpeth Hall schools. She teaches privately in the Nashville metro area as well as at the Belmont Academy. She is excited to make music with the NCC this semester!

Will Berger
Collaborative Pianist
Will Berger has lived in Tennessee for thirty years where he has served as minister of music, first in Franklin, and now at Trinity Presbyterian in Nashville. During that time, he has accompanied several area school choirs and presently accompanies at Brentwood High School and the Linden Waldorf School. His wife, Sally Hughes is pastor of Trinity Presbyterian and his now three grown children were active choristers in the Franklin Schools and two of them sang in NCC. His degrees are from Belhaven College and Union Theological Seminary in Virginia.