Dr. Jisook Park has been hired to join the ����vlog���� faculty as assistant professor of music – piano/staff collaborative pianist, beginning the 2024 Fall Semester.

Park most recently served as visiting assistant professor of piano and collaborative piano at Eastern New Mexico University, where she managed the piano program and accompanied students, guest artists, and faculty concerts.

Park holds a doctor of musical arts (DMA) degree in piano performance with a minor in opera coaching and accompanying from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in piano performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

At ENMU, Park said she worked with students at various levels of musical ability, “from complete beginners to those who were passionate about pursuing a career in music and piano. Additionally, I collaborated with local high school music teachers to organize a piano day event, where I performed concerts and recruited students interested in learning the piano.”

Park has also worked as a full-time music teacher at a high school in Phoenix, and as a foreign lecturer at the UCSI University of Institute of Music in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In addition, she has served as a visiting music instructor and accompanist at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, a collaborative pianist at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and an artist pianist at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts in New Orleans. She also taught piano and accompanied the school choir and musical productions at one of the most prestigious boarding schools in Switzerland, Leysin American School.

“Having such a diverse teaching experience all over the world during my early career has helped me to become a better educator,” she said. “I learned to collaborate with all sorts of staff members and students regardless of their racial or ethnic background, gender, age, language, religion, physical or mental limitations, or country of origin. As a Korean immigrant who has spent most of her adulthood in the U.S. while also teaching extensively in Europe and Asia, my multicultural background and teaching experiences have helped me become a better communicator, mentor, performer, and educator. Embracing diversity, I can relate to and interact with a broad spectrum of ethnic groups, utilizing various aspects of international cultures, along with my passion for music, to accomplish my mission as an educator.”

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Katrina M. Twitty, who has taught in the music education industry for more than 20 years, will join ����vlog���� as an assistant professor of music, beginning the Fall 2023 Semester.

A native of Northwest Arkansas, Twitty most recently served as an adjunct faculty member at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., and at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark. She has also served as the director of music ministry at Bland Chapel United Methodist Church in Rogers, Ark. Since 2018.

In addition to being an accomplished singer and stage performer, Twitty has experience as a private voice and piano instructor, choir director, vocal/instrumental ensemble conductor, musical director, opera scenes director, composer, arranger, vocal/instrumental performance coach, choreographer and piano accompanist. 

“I’m both excited and honored to be joining the ����vlog���� and its welcoming community of students, faculty and staff,” Twitty said. “I look forward to bringing my music performance and instruction experience to the Department of Music while making Clarksville and the beautiful Ozark Mountains my home.”

Twitty previously served on the music faculties of the University of Denver Lamont School of Music, Valor Christian High School, Red Rocks Community College and Arapahoe Community College Department of Music of Denver, Col.  As a soprano, her singing and stage performance experience spans more than 30 years, performing both regionally and internationally. She was a finalist in both the 2004 and 2007 Rocky Mountain Region Metropolitan Opera Auditions and Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition. 

“As a music educator, my heart’s deepest passion is in guiding and inspiring all students of music to discover, appreciate and develop his or her own unique ‘voice,’ personal enrichment and performance toward becoming leaders, teachers and advocates in the music and arts community,” Twitty said.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in music vocal performance from the University of Arkansas and her master’s degree in music vocal performance from the University of Denver.

Twitty said her hobbies outside academia include, “outdoor activities of all kinds, from hiking the Rocky and Ozark Mountains, running, road-biking and beach-walking to relaxing on a patio with family and friends over a great meal.  Traveling is always a ‘yes’ and no destination is too far away.”

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Annie Flood has joined the ����vlog���� as an instructor of music.

Flood most recently served as a staff collaborative pianist and vocal coach at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., from 2017 to 2022. She was also a pianist, vocal coach and music director at Whitworth University in Spokane.

A native of Annapolis, Maryland, Flood earned a bachelor’s degree in music from University of Notre Dame in Indiana before receiving a master of music degree in vocal accompanying from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

“I am grateful to have found the wonderfully kind and supportive community at Ozarks and am looking forward to a wonderful semester ahead,” Flood said.

In 2007, Flood established Annie Flood Music, where she offers services as a music educator, collaborative pianist, vocal coach and music director.

Outside of academia, she enjoys reading, spending time at the beach, going on hikes, and exploring local eateries, breweries, and farmer’s markets.

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Dr. Matthew Bumbach, assistant professor of music at ����vlog����, has co-authored his first book, which is expected to come out in print in December.

Bumbach and Dean Luethi, director of choral activities at Washington State University, have written, “A Quick Start Guide to Choral Singing,” published by G.I.A. Music Publishing.

According to the book’s summary: “From rehearsal etiquette to reading music, new singers have a lot to learn when they join a choir. This practical and compact guide, written by experienced choral conductors Matthew Bumbach and Dean Luethi, covers all the basics, including: An overview of common rehearsal equipment; How to read pitches, rhythms, and expressive markings; How to mark the score; Proper body alignment and breathing technique; Good vowel production; What to expect in rehearsals and concerts; and How to audition for choirs and solos.”

The summary goes on to say, “With simple language and bite-sized chapters, this guide is perfect for novice choristers in many settings—from middle and high school choirs to community and church ensembles. Keep this resource in your singers’ choral folders to jumpstart their understanding of key concepts and the choral process.”

Earlier this year, Bumbach was appointed to the national board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO). He will represent the organization’s central region and will begin his four-year term in February.

Bumbach, who joined Ozarks in the summer of 2021, has taught middle school, high school, community college, and university choirs in Florida and South Dakota. He earned his bachelor of music education degree from Stetson University, his master of music degree in choral conducting from the University of South Florida, and his doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.

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