2023 December Warrior web

S mith T akes H elm of ECCC C hoir Coming Full Circle

The East Central Commu nity College choir has a new leader at the helm in 2023. Chandler Smith (’14) takes over the program after most recently serving in the same position at Newton County High School. “I’m very excited to be back at ECCC. It’s such a humbling experience to lead a program that was so im portant to me as a student,” said Smith. “I can see the vision as a director as to where I want the program to go, and I’m excited for the challenge.” Smith, who is originally from Philadelphia, gradu ated from Newton County High School and was a choir member. During his time at ECCC, Smith sang in The Ac’cents, played the piano for The Collegians, and was a member of the Wall O’ Sound marching band, jazz band, and concert band. After East Central, Smith continued his education at Delta State University where he double majored in voice and percussion. While at Delta State, Smith was a member of the marching band, the DSU Wind En

semble, the Men’s Choir, the Chamber Singers, and the President of the DSU Cho rale. Upon his graduation, Smith earned a master’s in choral conducting from Mississippi College in 2020 where he was a member of the MC Singers, an Emmy Award-winning group, and conducted the Choctaw Cho rus as a graduate assistant. “I really would like to see this program return to a pre mier student organization, not only on our campus but in our five-county district and in the state of Missis sippi,” said Smith. Professionally, Smith is a member of the American Choral Directors Associa tion, the National Associa tion for Music Education, and a member of the Missis sippi Music Educators Asso ciation and has sung in the Meridian Symphony Chorus and Mississippi Chorus. After school, Smith taught at Richland High School as an assistant band and choral director, before growing the Newton County High School choir to over 130 members, which made it one of the

largest high school choirs in the state. While at Newton County, Smith also took the choir to New York City where the group performed at the Lincoln Center with Grammy award-winning composer Eric Whitacre.

“I would like to say thank you to our college president, Dr. Brent Gregory, and the Board of Trustees for this opportunity at East Central, and I look forward to work ing with this program,” said Smith.

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