Staff & Volunteers

Directors

Dr. Sandra Babb, Children’s Choir, Intermediate Choir, Chamber Choir

Dr. Sandra Babb is thrilled to have joined the HVCC family as the conductor for Children’s Choir 2 and Chamber Choir. She is Associate Professor of Choral Music Education at Oregon State University, where she teaches choral methods, vocal pedagogy, and choral conducting. She also directs Bella Voce and the Oregon State University Chorale. Prior to her appointment at OSU, Dr. Babb was assistant professor of music education for Queens College, CUNY, where she directed the QC Women’s Choir and founded the Queens Youth Choir. She also taught middle and high school choir in central Florida and conducted the Gulf Coast Girl Choir in Tampa, FL. Choirs under her direction have performed for state, regional, and national conferences of the National Association for Music Education and the American Choral Directors Association.

Recognized for her work in developing choral tone with developing singers, Dr. Babb is an active conductor and clinician throughout the United States. She has conducted all-state and region honor choirs in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. She has written articles for the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, The Journal of Music Teacher Education, and the Choral Journal, and is a contributing author for Composing in Choirs, GIA Publications, Teaching Music through Performance in Choir, Volume IV, GIA Publications, and Voices in Concert, Hal Leonard Corporation.

Sandra Babb received the Bachelor of Music Education, Master of Music Education, and Ph.D. in Music Education from Florida State University, where she studied with Judy Bowers, Roy Delp, and Andrè J. Thomas. She is a National Center for Voice and Speech certified vocologist, and her research centers on vocal health and development as well as best practices in music teacher education. She currently serves as the Oregon ACDA Chair for Treble Choirs, as well as the NW- ACDA Chair for Treble Choirs. Sandra enjoys living in the pacific northwest, singing with the Corvallis Repertory Singers, building partnerships with local K-12 music programs, and directing the OSU Summer Choir Camp for high school students.

Jana Wells, Gracenotes Choir

Jana Wells is looking forward to working with the Gracenotes Choir.  She has experience as a Suzuki violin/viola teacher, elementary strings teacher, and church choir director.  She studied Special Education at BYU and is finishing her degree in Music Education from Oregon State University.  In addition to everything music related, she enjoys creating artwork, hiking, and spending time with her husband and four daughters.  She believes in teaching music in a way that is fun, meaningful, and accessible to everyone.

Accompanists

Operations Staff

Volunteers

Our organization wouldn’t be able to thrive without the hard work and perseverance that our parent volunteers give to HVCC. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, click HERE.

Former Directors & Accompanists

Julie Buchert, Gracenotes, Preparatory Choir, Children’s Choir 1

Julie has been teaching band and choir for more than 30 years. Julie taught general music, band, choir, reading and social studies in the Central Linn SD (1985-1993), Santiam Canyon SD (1995-1998) and Greater Albany Public Schools (1998-2018). Julie enjoys substitute teaching for GAPS and Ashbrook Independent School in her retirement. She received her Bachelor of Music Education at Oregon State University and her Master of Music Education in vocal music at Western Oregon University. She plays keyboard on the worship team at Grace Point Church in Albany. She plays trumpet and percussion, and is on the board of the Willamette Valley Concert Band, too. Julie’s husband, Jeff, is retired from Hewlett-Packard. Julie and Jeff have twins, Carrie French (husband Eric) and Conner (wife Jennette). Julie joined the Heart of the Valley Children’s Choir family in 2005 as the accompanist for the Preparatory Choir and Gracenotes. In 2013 Julie became the co-director of the Preparatory Choir, Children’s Choir 1 and Gracenotes, with Leann Wind, and has been director for GraceNotes, Prep and Children’s 1 choirs since 2014. Julie retired from HVCC in 2023.

J. Michael Rogers, Gracenotes, Preparatory Choir, Children’s Choir 1

A North Carolina native, Mike earned his Bachelor & Master degrees in Music at Appalachian State University. Mike taught music for over 30 years, at Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, NC, Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC, and at Highland School of Technology, an academy-based magnet high school in Gastonia, NC. Over the years, Mike has played clarinet, piano, organ, saxophone, and bassoon. Eight years ago, Mike retired to Albany, Oregon with his wife, Sheri, and his daughter, Michelle. Mike is currently a clarinetist (seven years) in the Willamette Valley Concert Band based in Albany & pianist with the Grand Jazz Band of Salem, Oregon. In recent years, he has served as an accompanist for school & church vocal groups. Mike retired from HVCC in 2023.