Jim Watson, Artistic Director, is Director of Music Ministries at First Baptist Church, Lake Orion. He is the former Director of Music Programs at Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio, and Instructor of Music at the University of South Carolina. He is currently conducting the graded choirs and orchestral forces of the church and educational ministries.
Jim is an adjudicator, clinician, and scholar who regularly serves young musicians through the Michigan School Vocal Music Association. The MSVMA serves students across the state of Michigan, in grades 6 – 12, representing diverse communities and varying learning needs. His research interests include choral literature selection, voice pedagogy, and conductors’ analyses. His research appears in the Choral Journal, and he presented workshops at the Michigan Music Conference, Midwest Christian Educators Convention, South Carolina Independent School Association, and assisted with the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division and National Conferences.
Jim conducted honors choirs in Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Ohio. He regularly serves young singers and conductors. He seeks to cultivate intellectual curiosity while providing ensemble experiences that are consistently recognized for excellence.
Hannah Watson, Artistic Collaborator, is Staff Accompanist in the Voice Area at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Before coming to OU, she served as Staff Accompanist at Defiance College, and Choral Accompanist at the University of South Carolina, where she collaborated with the premiere ensemble, the USC Concert Choir. In addition, Hannah has served as freelance accompanist, piano teacher, and church musician.
Thomas Blue is a 34-year choral music teacher of grades 6-12 in the Rochester Community Schools. His choirs consistently received excellent and superior ratings at both District and State Choral Festivals. The choirs have had the privilege to sing at the State Capitol (Michigan), Michigan Opera Theatre, and sing for the Lansing Lugnuts, the Joeffrey Ballet, Ballet MET Cincinnati, Grand Rapids Ballet and with the Detroit Chamber Winds and the Rochester Symphony.
Mr. Blue has a B.S in Music Education from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York, a M.M. in Music Education with a choral cognate from Michigan State University and completed coursework on a Ph. D. in Music Education with a cognate in choral conducting. He is currently an adjudicator and clinician for the Michigan School Vocal Music Association and is the Full Board MS/JH Repertoire and Resources Representative for the American Choral Directors Association-MI. He has articles published in The Choral Journal, ACDA ChorTeach, Resound, MSVMA Journal and has presented multiple times at various conferences including the ACDA Regional Conference, ACDA-MI Fall Conference, Michigan Music (Midwestern) Conference, Michigan Association for Middle School Educators, Oakland Schools, Arts First and the Summer Workshop for the Michigan School Vocal Music Association. He is most proud of his former students and student-teachers who are current members of MSVMA and are teaching in Michigan.
He has worked as a church musician, accompanist, and handbell choir director, and he has conducted a community chorus, the Symphonia Chorale for 10 years. He is a member of the Gilbert Jackson Chorale and is the current music director of the Pontiac-Waterford Barbershop Chorus. He has conducted at the Session III JH/MS SATB Choir/ Chamber Choir at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp for the past twelve summers and has been invited to conduct again in the summer of 2022.
He currently resides in Lake Orion, Michigan (“Where living is a vacation.”) with his wife, Jana and four children, Anna and Grace, Emma, Noah and their dog, Daisy and cat, Biggy and two adopted cats, George and “Sister.”
Mr. Blue is excited to continue his passion this fall for teaching music at Oakland Christian School and is looking forward to bringing the joy of music and singing to the K-5 students and to inspire the “Young CAM” singers.