Director Bios
Patricia JoyceFounder, Artistic Director and Advanced Chorus Director
Patricia Joyce received her Bachelor of Music degree, magna cum laude, in Music Education from Marywood College in Scranton, PA, and her Master of Music degree, With Distinction, in Music Education from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. She has completed certification in Kodaly Methodology from the Kodaly Musical Training Institute. Trish has conducted the Central New Jersey Elementary Honors Choir, the North Jersey Junior High Women's Honors Choir, and the Vermont Children's Choir Festival.
Patricia Joyce is the President-Elect of the New Jersey American Choral Directors Association, and also serves as the Co-Chair of the NJ ACDA Summer Conference. Trish is an adjunct teacher in the Music Education Department at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, and is also a free-lance organist.
Dr. Billy Baker
Director, Young Men's Ensemble
Billy Baker is currently an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the New Jersey City University Department of Music, Dance, and Theatre, Director of Music at Germonds Presbyterian Church in New City, NY, and Conductor of the New Jersey Youth Chorus Young Men’s Ensemble. Dr. Baker received his Bachelor of Music Education from East Carolina University, Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University, and Ph.D. in Music Education from Florida State University.
Dr. Baker previously held positions at Great Mills High School in Great Mills, Maryland and Towson High School in Baltimore, MD, where he served as Department Chair, directed choral ensembles, taught AP music theory, music technology, and class guitar. During his tenure at Towson High School, Baker co-authored Effective Choral Instruction: Grades 9-12, a curriculum guide for the Baltimore County Public School System. His ensembles performed in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Cathedral of St. John the Devine and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in New York City, Walt Disneyworld’s Epcot Center and Magic Kingdom, Seaworld of Orlando, and during the National Acolyte Festival in Washington D.C.’s National Cathedral. Dr. Baker also served as high school representative on the executive board of the Maryland Choral Educators Association and site chair for All State Chorus auditions.
Dr. Baker is an active clinician/adjudicator and has conducted chorus festivals throughout the state of Maryland including Baltimore, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. He has also presented choral music workshops and sessions in the states of Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Baker’s research interests include student retention in secondary music programs of study, comprehensive musicianship, music educator teacher training, and vocal jazz repertoire. He has published articles in Choral Journal, Florida Music Director, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education and Research Perspectives in Music Education. He is a member of the Music Educators National Conference, the American Choral Directors Association, the Society for Jazz Education, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.
Tara Postigo
Director, Intermediate Chorus
Tara Postigo received her Bachelor of Music from The College of NJ and her Master of Arts in Music and Music Education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. At Teacher’s College, Tara had the honor of working with Dino Anagnost, the conductor of NYC’s Little Orchestra Society and Metropolitan Singers. While at TC, Tara performed with the Metropolitan Singers in many NYC locations including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. For the last ten years Tara has taught Choral, General and Instrumental Music as a Music Educator by the Washington Township School District in Long Valley, NJ. Tara was also the conductor of the 2008 North Jersey Junior High School Region Treble Choir. She is a proud member of MENC and has served on the local NJSMA executive board as treasurer.
Catherine FlynnDirector, Musicianship Group
Ms. Flynn has a B.M.Ed. in Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, Kodaly Certification from the University of Hartford and has recently completed two levels of Orff-Schulwerk at Anderson University.
Catherine has taught Elementary and Middle School general music in New York and New Jersey and is currently teaching in New Providence, NJ.
In addition to teaching public school, she teaches piano and voice lessons, and has taught preschool music classes in her community. She is an active church soloist and has also appeared in various Opera and Musical theater productions. Last May, she sang Maria in "The Sound of Music", her dream role! Originally from Pennsylvania, Ms. Flynn currently resides in Englewood, NJ.
Phillip Steffani, Accompanist
Phillip Steffani graduated magna cum laude from Westminster Choir College with a B.M. in Theory and Composition. Phillip has sung under Joseph Flumerfelt, Kurt Masur, Wolfgang Sawallisch, John Rutter, Robert Shaw and Simon Rattle in performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, NY Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, NJ Symphony, and the London and Berlin Philharmonic. Phillip is currently the Director of Choral Music at Saint Peter the Apostle Schools in New Brunswick, and the Organist and Choirmaster at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Spotswood, NJ. As a composer, Phillip receives commissions from numerous schools, churches, and other organizations. He serves as accompanist for several choral groups and has accompanied numerous choral festival and competitions. In addition to accompanying, Phillip is also a conductor, violinist and singer.