Directors

Melissa Livings – Director of Orchestras – Pearce HS

Livings began her music career in the Paris ISD band programs. Under the direction of director and mentor, Mr. Gary Meggs, she served as a flutist in the Paris HS Wind Ensemble and as section leader and Drum Major in the Wildcat Marching Band. Mrs. Livings was also the electric bassist for the PHS Jazz Band where she earned many honors including membership in the Four States Jazz Band and All-Region Jazz Band.

In 1996, Livings auditioned for the Air Force on flute and electric bass and was accepted as the youngest member of the 531^st Texas Air National Guard (TxANG) Band. During her periods of active duty service with the Guard, she performed in many concerts throughout the United States and beyond, including an international tour to the Czech Republic in 1999. She completed her commitment in 2002 and retired at the rank of Airman 1^st Class.

In 2000, Livings graduated cum laude from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. She acquired her initial exposure to the orchestral world as the principal flutist in the UTA Symphony. Under the direction and support of conductor, Dr. Chris Lanz, and master teacher, Dr. Anne Witt, Livings chose to pursue a teaching career in orchestra.

After graduation, Livings began her career in the Richardson ISD as the orchestra director at both Parkhill JH and Pearce HS. Since that time, membership in Pearce HS orchestras has more than quadrupled. Today, Livings serves as head orchestra director at Pearce HS, Pearce Area Orchestra Coordinator and as the AP Music Theory teacher. Under her direction, Pearce has earned many honors and accolades including consistent Sweepstakes ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-reading. Pearce has also competed successfully across the state and beyond including performances in San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Livings is a member of the Texas Music Educator’s Association (TMEA), Texas Orchestra Director’s Association (TODA), and the Texas Music Adjudicator’s Association (TMAA). She is an active adjudicator of UIL contests across the state and serves as a volunteer on the region and state level in many capacities. In 2009, Livings completed her Master’s Degree in Music Education; her final project, supervised by theory professor, Dr. Graham Hunt, focused on teaching AP Music Theory and was later presented in a session at the 2011 TMEA Conference.

Livings resides in Richardson, TX with husband, Forrest, and daughter, Echo. She enjoys reading, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.

Matt Cross – Associate Director of Orchestras – Pearce HS

Mr. Cross began studying music at age 12 in the Round Rock ISD under Mrs. Kay Vanlandingham.  He continued playing Bass and performing in many musical organizations throughout high school.  He was a member of All-Region Orchestra from grades 7-12, and a member of the Texas All-State Orchestra his junior and senior year while under the direction of Mr. Allan McKin.  He also participated in the Texas State Solo/Ensemble Competition every year of his high school career, and the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra.  He was kept busy with music and playing on both the varsity football and lacrosse teams at McNeil High School.

Mr. Cross graduated in May of 2007 from Baylor University with a Bachelors in Music Education with an emphasis in string education.  He studied Bass with Dr. J. Christopher Buddo.  While at Baylor, Mr. Cross performed with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra, Baylor Symphonic Band, and the Baylor Wind Ensemble along with many chamber and bass ensembles.  He also performed with the Temple Symphony, San Angelo Symphony, and the Mexia Community Orchestra.  He was involved with the Baylor Lacrosse team from 2002-2006 as a member, and eventually President of the team from 2004-2006, along with being selected as a Captain for the team for the 2005-2006 season.  Mr. Cross also served as a clinician for an Orchestra clinic hosted by Baylor University for the Killeen ISD Orchestra program in November of 2006.

Mr. Cross is currently preparing his thesis for the Master’s of Music Education degree at Texas Tech University where he studies with Dr. Janice Killian.  He has presented proposals of his research for various conferences across the state, and has applied to present at the 2012 National Association for Music Education in St Louis, Mo.  He is expected to graduate in the spring of 2012.

Mr. Cross is entering his second year as the conductor of the PHS Philharmonic Orchestra, assists with the PHS Chamber and Concert Orchestras, and teaches elementary orchestra at Northrich, Prairie Creek, and Greenwood Hills Elementary Schools.  He also performs as a sub for the Allen Philharmonic Orchestra, and teaches private lessons for the double bass.

Mr. Cross is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, and the National Association for Music Education, American String Teachers Association, and a Lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  He is on the faculty of the University of Texas at Arlington Summer Strings Camp, and also served our country as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the US Marine Corps, having just returned from a deployment to Iraq in April of 2008.

Mr. Cross lives in Richardson, TX and during his free time enjoys performing music, hunting, fishing, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.

David Moran – Director of Orchestras – North JH

Mr. Moran fell in love with music when he was a child in Tulsa, beginning his studies with piano at age 7, and continuing with viola at age 10, flute at age 11, and, finally, hammered dulcimer at age 12.  His interest in the dulcimer led him to compete in and win several regional and national contests, culminating with the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship in 1982 when he was just 15.

Mr. Moran pursued a degree in Music Education with a minor in flute performance from the University of Tulsa, winning the Presser Award for Excellence in Music Education in 1989. While at TU, he studied flute with Jan Dailey and Susan Klick, alto saxophone and clarinet with Dwight Dailey, and music composition with William Heinrichs. He graduated in 1990, and went to the University of North Texas to further his studies in composition.  His composition professors at UNT included Cindy McTee, Newell Kay Brown, and Joseph Klein.  Mr. Moran completed his Master’s Degree in Music Composition in 1994.

Mr. Moran was simultaneously principal flute with the University of Tulsa Wind Ensemble, and lead alto sax with the Lab Band.   On dulcimer, he performed in the Houston and Dallas premieres of George Crumb’s Quest with the Da Camera Society and Voices of Change.  Additional dulcimer performances include Ephemerides by Robert Keefe, Hymnody of Earth by Malcolm Dalglish, and several recordings for radio, TV, and film.  Mr. Moran continues to clinic and perform at acoustic music festivals across the country, including the Summer Solstice Festival in Los Angeles, Kentucky Music Week in Bardstown, Kentucky, the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, and the Kentucky Music Weekend in Louisville, Kentucky.  He also teaches annually at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas.

In 2010, Mr. Moran collaborated with Melissa Roth, choir director at North Junior High, on an arrangement of the traditional American folk song “Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” which has since been published by Alliance Music Publications.

Mr. Moran lives in Richardson with his wife and son, and enjoys baseball, cooking, reading history, and burning stuff with a magnifying glass.

Erin Fox – Director of Orchestras – Parkhill JH

Ms. Fox is from Richardson, Texas and attended Plano public schools. She received her Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas in 2001, and studied Early Music in England through the Cambridge Early Music Summer School. Her principal instrument is oboe. Ms. Fox studied modern oboe with Dr. Charles Veazey and Baroque oboe with Ms. Joyce Alper. Her background in Early Music was developed by participating in UNT’s Collegium musicum under the director of Dr. Cecil Adkins and Dr. Lyle Nordstrom. During her time at UNT Ms. Fox studied conducting under Mr. Dennis Fisher and Dr. Bradley Genevro. She has recently studied violin with Ms. Edina Pastyik.

Ms. Fox is an orchestra director in Richardson ISD at Parkhill Junior High, where she in her seventh year as director. In 2007 Ms. Fox received the Golden Apple award from the Parkhill Junior High PTA. Previously Ms. Fox had taught music history, orchestra and band in Dallas ISD, and was assistant band director in Farmersville ISD. Additionally, Ms. Fox teaches piano and violin privately, and provides accompanist services for chamber performances.

Currently Ms. Fox is a performing member and librarian for the New Texas Symphony Orchestra where she plays violin. Ms. Fox’s past performing experiences include Principal Oboe of the Mesquite Symphony, New Texas Symphony, Frisco Symphonia and Collegium musicum, playing oboe and violin in various modern and Baroque small ensembles and chamber groups, in addition to playing piano, oboe and violin for various events around the Dallas area.

Ms. Fox’s other musical interests lie in the field of composition. Several successful premieres of her works have been performed over the years in Texas, Colorado and North Carolina, and have been featured in radio commercials in Colorado. Several of her arrangements are being used by string quartets in the Dallas area.

Ms. Fox lives in Dallas and enjoys cooking, reading, studying languages and traveling.