Tyler Merideth

ncc program director

Youth Choir Director

Tyler Merideth holds both a B.M. cum laude in Church Music and an M.M. in Music Education from Belmont University. He is currently the Visual and Performing Arts Chair at James Lawson High School in Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches three levels of choir and AP Music Theory. In 2022, Merideth was named the MNPS Student’s Choice Academy Teacher of the Year and has twice been honored with the prestigious CMA Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence award.

Renowned for his dynamic conducting style and innovative teaching methods, Merideth has been invited to conduct choirs and orchestras in Tennessee, West Virginia, and Indiana. Since 2008, he has played a pivotal role in the W.O. Smith Music School Summer Resident Camp. From 2016 to 2019 Merideth directed a Summer Music Theory Clinic in collaboration with the Nashville Symphony’s Accelerando Program for students across Middle Tennessee. He has also taught as an adjunct professor at both Lipscomb and Belmont Universities. Merideth served as the score reader for the 2013 PBS National Broadcast of “Christmas at Belmont” featuring Denyce Graves.

A sought-after collaborative pianist, he has performed at the International Church Music Festival in Coventry, England, and is a specialist in the Suzuki Violin Repertoire.  His versatility has allowed him to perform with a local improv comedy troupe in addition to appearing on Nashville Classical Radio presentation of “Live in Studio C”. Merideth has been a vital contributor to the Tennessee All-State Choirs since 2005 and performed with the 2020 ACDA Southern Region Junior High Honor Choir in Mobile, Alabama. 

Currently, Merideth serves as the Program Director of the Nashville Children’s Choir, conducts the Nashville Youth Choir, and is the director of the Metro Nashville Public Schools Summer Choir Clinic. His published compositions and arrangements have been performed both nationally and internationally.

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 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

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.

Mary Countess

Interim Collaborative Pianist for the Touring Choir

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!

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.

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.