The mission of PrestonwoodChristianAcademy’s vocal music program is to expose every child to multiple aspects of music, to enrich the PCA Community with a healthy and vibrant artistic culture, and to glorify God as we strive for excellence in the development of the musical gifts He has given.
PCA Upper School Choir performing at ACSI Festival
PCA Upper School students leading at All-School Worship.
Let George Do It featuring PCA's Second Grade class
The PCA Honor Choir performing at Northpark Mall in Dallas.
TPSMEA All-State Choir rehearsing at the Eisemann Center in
Richardson, TX. PCA choir students participate annually
in this outstanding ensemble.
PCA Upper School students dressed and ready for their
All-State Choir performance.
As children enter the vocal music program in the Lower School, the goal is for them to have fun and enjoy their time in music class. Students are exposed to foundational concepts such as rhythm, beat, solfege, and simple choral techniques. Students perform at events like the annual First Grade production of “The Easter Miracle,” the Second Grade production of “Let George Do It,” and the Third Grade Christmas Chapel.
In Fifth Grade, students spend all year in Choir and one semester in Art and one semester in Recorder Class. In Sixth Grade, students get the option of taking Band for a year or taking a semester of Choir and a semester of Art.
Beginning in Seventh Grade, students are given the option to participate in Choir as a year-long course. Vocal music in Middle School becomes more advanced focusing on sight-reading, rhythmic dictation, Western Music History, three-part repertoire, and choral technique. Students are given many opportunities to grow as choral members by participating in various performances throughout the year including Christmas and Spring concerts as well as TPSMEA, Solo and Ensemble and the ACSI Choral festival.
In Upper School, the focus is primarily on performance skills with repertoire becoming more advanced. Students are given many opportunities to perform and sharpen their skills. Students sing in Chapel Band, lead in All-School Worship services, participate in musicals, audition for All-State Choir, and sing solos in class and at special events throughout the school. The Upper School Choir performs at annual Christmas and spring concerts as well as at local festival and community concerts. Students continue to learn more advanced theory concepts as well as vocal and choral techniques. Students may also take Choir for Honors credit, giving them the chance to earn a higher GPA. Honors students are required to audition for All-State, sing solos in class, complete more complicated theory work, and complete written critiques of choral performances.
PCA's Honor Choir is an auditioned vocal ensemble with a proud tradition of vocal excellence and award-winning festival performances. Auditions take place in September of each year and are open to students in Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grade. The Honor Choir represents PCA at many school events as well as festival and community appearances.
Joel T. Rutherford was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He completed degrees in Vocal Performance, Opera, and Music Education before moving to Toronto to work in musical theatre. Following a short stint in Toronto, he was recruited to sing bass for the International Award-winning, and Dallas-based vocal quartet, ACOUSTIX. Joel relocated to Dallas in June, 1997 and, since joining ACOUSTIX, has performed for audiences in over 40 states, 5 provinces, and seven countries around the world. ACOUSTIX has released 4 CDs since Joel joined them in 1997. Joel is active in the Dallas area as a session singer and continues to perform throughout the country with ACOUSTIX on a regular basis. Joel joined the faculty of PCA in 2001 teaching vocal music for grades 3-12 and leading music in chapel services. He became the Director of Fine Arts in 2004, and continues to teach the high school choir class as well as direct the PCA Honor Choir and lead music for multiple chapel services weekly. In addition to teaching and administrative duties, Joel has served as musical director for numerous PCA musical productions, including Singin' in the Rain, Beauty and the Beast, Annie, Seussical, Crazy for You, The Drowsy Chaperone, Into the Woods, 42nd Street, and Little Women: The Musical. Joel and his beautiful wife, Heather, reside in The Colony with their two children; Joshua and Grace.
Lisa Apple was born and raised in Texas and spent most of her middle school years in Plano, Texas. In addition to teaching middle school choir, she is a songwriter and creator with a passion for musical theatre. Over the years, she has performed in multiple Dallas cover bands, led the Dallas chapter of Chick Singer Night, performed at SXSW in Austin and written and recorded two full-length albums. Lisa holds a BA in Music Business from Belmont University and is a member of BMI. She studied voice both classically and commercially and has been composing for 20 years. Her latest project is an original musical based on true events called Boy on Billboard. She is also the creator of Middle School JAM, the annual PCA middle school event that happens every Spring featuring middle school choir students.
Lauren Harder was born and raised in upstate New York and first moved to Texas to attend the University of Texas at Austin where she completed a BM in Piano Pedagogy. After completing a MM in Piano Performance at Miami University where she also taught functional piano classes and accompanied both vocal students and choir, she moved back to Texas to teach first at the Coppell Conservatory and later at the Gray School of Music prior to opening her own studio in Coppell. Lauren is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music through Music Teachers National Association, and her students have won awards locally through both Carrollton and Dallas Music Teachers Association as well as both regionally and internationally through the Royal Conservatory of Music. Lauren is also certified as a music educator through Texas Education Agency and taught at Coppell Classical Academy prior to joining the PCA faculty. Lauren is a member of Stonebriar Community Church where she regularly attends and volunteers with the Children’s Choir with her two boys, Matias and Jonathan.
Kathy Allen attended East Texas Baptist University on a vocal scholarship and graduated with honors from Wayland Baptist University. For 30 years, Kathy has been a student of the child’s voice, coordinating large children’s choir programs for the local church, and teaching in large Christian schools in Colorado and Texas. She has directed, choreographed, and produced over 300 children’s musicals and programs. Kathy started Summer Music Conferences for Music Teachers for the Rocky Mountain Region held in Denver. She coordinated and organized yearly music festivals for the Rocky Mountain Region for ACSI, which includes the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming. Her choirs have been invited to premiere musicals at Glorieta, New Mexico, and the National Children’s Pastor’s Conference and has enjoyed writing children’s music curriculum for Lifeway. Kathy’s late husband, Joel, was a Worship Pastor and they served churches in Texas, Colorado, and Kansas. The Allens have three musically trained children. Daughter, Holly, and her husband, Bradley, serve in the worship ministry at Brooklyn Tabernacle in Brooklyn, New York. Daughter, Janie, and her husband, Jacob, own and operate The Biscuit Bar in Plano and Dallas. Son, Jacob, and his wife, Amber, live in Nashville and work for the Dave Ramsey organization. Kathy has 12 grandchildren: two in heaven with Jesus and nine here.
Praise Team singers at PCA's Back-To-School
All-School Worship
PCA Middle School TPSMEA students
PCA Middle School Solo and Ensemble students
All-State students
PCA Honor Choir in concert
Annual Spring Sing choir concert
Upper School choir concert - December, 2021
"I believe now more than ever is the time to train fine arts students with a biblical perspective. PCA supports a child’s educational AND spiritual growth in their area of interest, and I love getting to be a part of that in the Fine Arts program."
Lisa Apple, Middle School Choir Teacher
PCA Honor Choir warming up for a festival performance
Middle School Choir students in Middle School JAM 3
PCA Upper School students leading at All-School Worship.
The PCA Honor Choir performing at Northpark Mall in Dallas.
Upper School students leading All-School Worship
PCA All-Region Choir students
PCA Middle School TPSMEA students
PCA Middle School Solo and Ensemble students
PCA Honor Choir in concert
PCA Honor Choir warming up for a festival performance