New Hampshire Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association
Officers
President - Jay Chandler 2009 - 2011
President - Elect 2011 - 2013
Music Director – Pelham High School 
Jay Chandler began his musical career as a boy in Manchester singing in the Grace Episcopal Church Boys Choir. He studied piano and organ in high school where he also participated in the band. He attended Keene State College in the 1970's, majoring in organ and church music. He was in business for over 25 years and returned to KSC in 2002 where he received a BA in Music Theory and M. Ed in 2005. Jay is currently a doctoral student in the Ed.D program at Walden University. He has served as Organist and Music Director in a number of churches, led Cantata and Festival Choirs, Choral Seminars and Clinics, and was a Barbershopper. Jay has been active in the American Guild of Organists and has served as Dean of the Monadnock Chapter of the AGO. Jay is currently the Music Director at Pelham High School, where he directs the Bands, Chorus, and teaches. During the 2008-09 school year, he was the Music Director for a production of the Broadway show, Bye, Bye Birdie, the first musical performed at PHS in over 30 years. Jay currently serves as the NH TRI-M Honor Society Chairman for the NHMEA.
Jay and his wife, Judy, live in Peterborough and have four grown children and three grandchildren.
Past President - Vice President - Madelyn Gearheart
Director - New Hampshire Youth Chorus 
madelyngearheart@hotmail.com
Madelyn Spring Gearheart is the founder and conductor of the New Hampshire Youth Chorus and the New Hampshire Women’s Chorus. She earned a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of New Hampshire, a Master of Science in Music Education from the University of Illinois, and a Doctorate in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. A lyric coloratura soprano, Dr. Gearheart performed with the Venice Opera, Teatro La Fenice, and the Verona Opera, Arena di Verona, during the seven years she lived in Italy. She has been guest conductor and vocal coach for the Summer Youth Music School at UNH and Phillips Exeter Academy. Madelyn currently operates a private voice studio and appears locally as a soloist, clinician and adjudicator. Committed to the power of music and the benefits it can provide to everyone, last Fall, Madelyn founded a women’s chorus, Voices Within, at the Strafford County Correctional Facility. Dr. Gearheart is the Artistic Director for a musical excursion in Venice, Italy, called, “Diva For A Day”, and an opera workshop in Verona, “Opera Viva!”
Explore the website for these programs at www.divaoperaviva.com.
Secretary -Treasurer - Gwendolyn Baker
Choral Director - Portsmouth Middle 
School & High School
After years of serving NHACDA as President, VP/Past president, and Treasurer/Secretary, Gwen will be leaving New Hampshire to teach in Connecticut.
Thanks, Gwen for your dedication and leadership!!
Treasurer - Sandra Howard (as of July 1, 2010)
Assistant Professor - Keene State College
Music Education, Teaching Music to Children, Choral Methods,
Directs the Canticum Novum, a KSC Chamber Ensemble, and the Chamber Singers of Keene
B.M.E., M.M., University of Maine; Ph.D., University of Missouri-Kansas City
Dr. Howard earned a bachelor degree of music education and master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Maine and a doctoral degree in music education/curriculum and instruction from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She taught choral and general music at Kennett Middle and Senior High Schools in Conway, New Hampshire. Howard also served as adjunct faculty member at Granite State College in New Hampshire, Blue River Community College in Missouri, and at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Dr. Howard has worked with singers of all ages including preschoolers to senior citizens and is an active conductor/clinician for honor choruses across the United States.
She has presented research and workshops at SRME Research Symposium, ACDA, and MENC regional and national conferences. Research interests include visual biases in vocal performance evaluation, body mapping techniques in the choral rehearsal, music educators’ interpersonal skills, singers’ motivation, and female researcher contributions to music education. Dr. Howard’s scholarship has been published in the Missouri Journal of Research in Music Education and Teaching Music and she is an active member of ACDA, MENC, and CMS.
Secretary - Mindy Abodeely (as of July 1, 2010)
Melinda Abodeely is a recent graduate of Keene State College where she earned a bachelor degree of Music Education. At Keene State College she was a founding co-president of the school's ACDA chapter, and an active participant of the Collegiate Chapter of MENC, and NHMEA. Melinda has attended national conferences for ACDA and MENC as well as local NHMEA conferences. While a student at KSC, Melinda sang with the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers,Vocal Chamber Music, and performed with the Piano Chamber Music Ensemble. Melinda will be the incoming choir director at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Lowell, MA.
Newsletter Editor - (currently open)
Membership Chair - (currently open)
Elections by the NHACDA membership in the Fall of
2010 will elect a President-Elect for the
July 1, 2013 - 2015.
Repertoire and Standards ( R & S ) Chairs
Boy Choirs
Children's Choirs,
Colleges & University
Community Choirs
Ethnic / Multicultural
Junior High / Middle School
Male Choirs
Music in Worship
Senior High Choirs
Show Choirs,
Two - Year Colleges
Four- Year Colleges & Universities
