Choral Adjudicators

Kelly A. Miller is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at the University of Central Florida where she conducts the SoAl Chorus, Women’s Ensemble, and Men’s Chorus. She teaches introduction to music education, secondary choral methods I and II, music learning theory and assessment, music and the student with exceptionalities, basic conducting, and graduate classes in music education, while coordinating and supervising student teachers through their junior and senior internships. In addition to her choral directing and teaching, she has maintained a private voice studio and is in demand to lead various choral workshops. Dr. Miller frequently serves as a clinician and festival adjudicator. Before directing choirs, Miller was a concert band director for grades five through twelve and instructed marching and jazz bands, music theory, and elementary general music in Nebraska. Miller holds National Board Certification in secondary choral music and a D.M.A. degree in choral conducting from Michigan State University.

Mrs. Linda J. Boot received her undergraduate training in Music Education from Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, and earned her master’s degree in Conducting from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She taught choral music for nearly four decades, providing students with extraordinary arts experiences and built programs known for musical excellence. Her choirs consistently earned top ratings at music performance assessments and performed in numerous prestigious venues throughout the United States. She was also widely sought after as a supervising teacher, mentoring more than 35 senior interns.
Mrs. Boot is a soprano and performed as a soloist throughout her career. She was a member of the Gold Coast Opera Company and performed with EPCOT’s Voices of Liberty.
Her professional memberships include the American Choral Directors Association, the Florida Music Educators Association, and the Florida Vocal Association.
Mrs. Boot resides in Winter Garden, Florida, with her husband, Ron, and their adorable boxer pup, Remi.

Michelle Mailhot is in demand as a vocalist, arranger, adjudicator and clinician. As an educator she has taught at the Phil Mattson Workshops, the Disney Sings Workshops, and Zegree Vocal Jazz Camps. She has been an adjudicator for festivals throughout the country and the world. Michelle has performed extensively at Walt Disney World and has also been featured on several Walt Disney recordings.

Michelle tours and performs with the Drama Desk Award winning group Toxic Audio and is a sought after jazz artist and session singer. She studied extensively with both Phil Mattson and Dr. Stephen Zegree and received her Bachelor of Music Degree from Western Michigan University. Michelle’s vocal arrangements are performed by high school, college and professional ensembles throughout the world. She can be heard most recently on her own solo release “Happy Madness” and Bobby McFerrin’s latest CD release “Vocabularies”.

Michael Davis retired as the Band and Orchestra director for Walt Disney World (R) Resort in 2001. During his tenure with Walt Disney World, he conducted the Walt Disney World Band and Orchestra in the Magic Kingdom and at EPCOT Center for the Candlelight Procession as an operational Duty Manager in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Within the educational programs, he was responsible for the development of the educational workshops offered by Disney’s Magic Music Days. Most recently, he was honored by the National Association for Music Education, receiving the prestigious Lowell Mason Fellowship Award.

Under Michael’s leadership, the St Johns River City Band a non-profit professional performing ensemble has gained a national reputation. In 2003, the Band performed at the prestigious Mid West Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago Illinois.

Dr. Brian Lanier is Professor Emeritus at Northwest Missouri State University where he taught choral music education for nineteen years.  Ensembles under his leadership have performed for the American Choral Directors Association, the Missouri Music Educators Association, and the Florida Music Educators Association.  He has led choral performances in England, Italy, France, Austria, Germany, and Hungary.  He has been a guest conductor for all-state and regional honor choirs, district festival choirs, and has presented numerous music clinics in the United States.

Prior to his appointment at Northwest, he taught high school vocal music in Orange County, Florida for sixteen years.  For eleven years he was Chorus Master for The Orlando Opera company, conducting many performances as well as preparing chorus for more than thirty main stage productions.

He holds degrees from Stetson University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and The Florida State University.