2014 Combined

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Emmons select~ academic instructor of the year Natalie Emmons of.Lake · was selected as Academic Instructor of the Year at East Central Community College in Decatur, where she has been employed as Mnts grow not only in krlOwledge, but emotionally. we try to teach them that m'usJ.c is more than note on page, but there i also an emotional side to it," she added. She is also an award-win ning vocalist and composer. She won the National Quar tet -COiiVeiition Talent Search once in 1990 ·with her sister, Nicole Smith, and again in 2001 in the solo di- '~sion. She is recognized as the competition's only two time award recipient. Upon her se

keyboard/music instructor since 2007. Em mons said she lection,

Emmons is the di.rector of the college's musical the atre organization, EC En core. She is also the - accompanist for the concert choir. Aside from her family, Emmons said Go pel mu ic has been the mo t influen tial on her career. "Church is where I get to express who I am. It i an outlet for me to expre s the part of music I like. It's in church where I get to draw and act on it." Prior to teaching at the college, Emmon taught pri vate piano lessons for eight yea.rs. Emmons has written nearly 40 Southern Gospel songs and three church dra ma"8. Several Southern Gospel groups such as the Bean Family, the Brown Family and Three for One have recorded her work. Of the songs,she has bad three to make it all the way to the "charts."

In addition to her associ ate's degree from East Cen tral, Emmons bolds both a bachelor and master's de grees in piano performance from Mississippi College. While at MC, she received the :\1ary Nelson Piano Award in 2003 and 2004 and was Mississippi Music Teachers' Association Stu dent of the Year in 2003. In 200 , Emmons was se lected as Humanities In structor of the Year. She is a member of Salem Baptist Church where she serves as the pianist and music director. Emmons is married to Joey Emmons. She has two children: Tallie Johnston. 15, a senior home-school student, and Tate, who is three. She is the daughter of che Rev. and Mrs. Larry Dun can, also of Lake. -

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"l not only have to raise ex pectations for

Emmons

myself, but also for the col lege. I want to be able to live up to this honor and strive to become a better instructor." During her tenure at the college,Em.monshastaught a variety of music classes such as music theory, music appreciation and applied piano. But for Emmons, being a pa.rt of her students' lives does not stop outside of the classroom. "Musicians are different creatures," she said. "When you become involved with' musicians, you can't help but become intertwined with who they are." ..We try to see our stu

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