Hymns of Thanksgiving 2024

DIRECTORS

Marcellus Brown is Director of Bands Emeritus at Boise State University. Currently, he is the director of the Treasure Valley Concert Band, a position he has held since 1992.  He accepted the position as the Director of the Hymns of Thanksgiving Orchestra in the fall of 2007. Maestro Brown is very active and in demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician throughout the country.  Recently, he has appeared regularly as a guest conductor with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra.

For the 2023/2024 season Maestro Brown has accepted a conducting position as a Visiting Professor at Indiana University. In this position he will conduct the university’s top wind bands, mentor graduate conducting students and teach an undergraduate conducting class.

A native of Detroit, Maestro Brown holds a Master of Music Degree in Trumpet Performance and Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the University of Michigan where he took conducting classes with Elizabeth Green.  He has done doctoral work at the University of Illinois where he was a Graduate Assistant in the University Band program.

Rich Lapp grew up in Southern California and has earned two degrees in Choral Music Education. He began teaching in Southern California, but after only three years he and his wife, Leni, moved to Boise, Idaho in 1984 to further his career. He taught choir at Fairmont JHS for 6 years before moving to Boise HS for 8 years, then Timberline HS for 17 years. Following his 34 years in the classroom he served as music administrator for 2 years in the Boise Public Schools, overseeing 120 music and visual arts teachers.

Public school choirs under Rich’s leadership received superior ratings at local and regional festivals all 34 years he was teaching in the classroom. Choirs under his direction excelled at traditional classical literature as well as vocal jazz and Broadway productions. He toured Europe two times with high school choirs and served as clinician and guest director in the Northwest. Rich has been a member of NAfMe and ACDA and served both professional organizations in leadership roles.

In addition to his music education experience, Rich has also been very involved in Barbershop singing since he was 17 years old. He directed choruses in Southern California in his college years, and has directed the Boise Chordsmen on and off since 1984. During a 4-year stint in northern Kentucky he directed two Barbershop choruses in Ohio. He is currently the director of Star Harmony Chorus, a womens a cappella chorus with 35 singers from across the Treasure Valley. Star Harmony recently received 2nd place honors at the Northwest District of the Barbershop Harmony Society competition. Rich has been active as a quartet singer for most of his Barbershop life and earned Seniors Quartet Championship honors in the Northwest in 2016 with Chords On Delivery quartet. Rich has served on faculty at both the Northwest and International Barbershop School many times teaching conducting and rehearsal techniques.

Rich has been married to wife, Leni, for 42 years and they have 4 children ranging in age from 28-38.

Sean Kane is currently the director of choirs at Timberline High School in Boise.  From 2008-2015 he served as director of choirs at Gonzaga Preparatory High School in Spokane.  His choirs are regular recipients of top honors, awards, and superior ratings at local and regional festivals. His program received the “Outstanding Choral Department” award from CBC’s Jazz Unlimited festival in 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Choirs under his direction have performed
across the country, from St. John the Divine in New York City, to The Los
Angeles Cathedral.

Sean has been an active member of ACDA his entire career and

has served as the ID-ACDA Repertory R&S Coordinator, R&S Multicultural
chair, and was named the ID-ACDA 2019 “Conductor of the Year”, and the 2021
IMEA DIII Music Educator of the Year.  He has presented at various conferences, and has been a solo and ensemble judge, festival judge, and guest clinician in numerous venues.  As a vocalist, Sean has sung with the Spokane Choral Artists and the Northwest Bach Festival.

Sean has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Biology form Gonzaga University and a Masters in Education from Montana State University.  He is the proud father of three children:  Melia, Corinne, and Samuel.