Tyler Merideth

ncc program director

Youth Choir Director

Tyler Merideth is known for his dynamic conducting and creative approach to teaching, having guest conducted honor choirs in Tennessee and West Virginia and orchestras in Tennessee and Indiana. He has been an integral part of the W.O. Smith Music School Summer Camp since 2008. As a collaborative pianist, Merideth has contributed annually to the Tennessee All-State Choirs since 2005 and performed with the 2020 ACDA Southern Region Junior High Honor Choir in Mobile, Alabama. From 2007-2014 he served as the collaborative pianist and assistant conductor of the Nashville Youth Choir and has returned to the organization to reprise his role in 2021.  Merideth teaches Choir, Orchestra, and AP Music Theory at James Lawson High School where he serves as Visual and Performing Arts Chair.  In 2022, Merideth was awarded MNPS Academy Teacher of the Year. He also serves as the director of the MNPS Summer Choir Clinic. His published compositions and arrangements have been performed across the United States and abroad.

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 begin her tenure as 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 music educator that has dedicated her life to impacting the next generation of musicians through high-quality, innovative music instruction. This two-time CMA Music Teacher of Excellence recipient has served as a music teacher in Nashville for over 8 years. Danielle has a wide variety of expertise including choral instruction, commercial music ensembles, class guitar, general music, and private music instruction. Her rehearsals are a place of joy, music-making, and self-discovery as students are empowered to become independent music-makers that can apply their musical knowledge to various real-world experiences. 

Samantha Altmann

touring choir assistant conductor

Social Media Director

Samantha Altmann serves as an assistant conductor with the Touring Choir. 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 4 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.

Sarah Williams

concert choir collaborative pianist

Sarah Williams moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2006 from the east coast of Virginia to pursue music at the Blair school of Music, Vanderbilt University. After receiving her Bachelors of Music she began working in Nashville as an accompanist at both Vanderbilt and Belmont University, Hillcrest United Methodist Church, and the WO Smith children’s choir and camp. She continued songwriting and recording her own music, accompanying for high-school musicals and rehearsals, and building a private piano studio. In 2018, Sarah continued her education at Belmont University, earning her Masters of Music in Piano Pedagogy. She serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at Vanderbilt University and long-time keyboard player for the Bridge Band at Woodmont Christian Church. Sarah is also involved in the Metro Nashville Public Schools Side by Side program and works with choir teachers in the district for concerts, performances, and other special events.

Amy Frederick

Youth choir 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.

Kyle Hankins

touring choir collaborative pianist

Kyle Hankins currently serves as collaborative pianist for the Touring Choir. Kyle is a 1990 graduate of Belmont University with a major in Theory and Composition. After graduation, Kyle went on the road playing keyboards with country artist Lacy J. Dalton for five years returning to become a full time dad helping to raise three children (Madeline, Nicholas and Jonathan). Kyle frequently works with area high schools and theater companies as musical director/pianist for productions. Kyle is the worship leader at First Baptist in Madison, artist/musical editor for PianoDisc, independent session musician and the organist for the Nashville Predators a.k.a. “Krazy Kyle”. Kyle, his wife Paula and three kids live in East Nashville.

Will Berger

Preparatory Choir 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.