Choir Director - Jed Hyun Ragsdale
Jed Hyun Ragsdale will begin his twenty-seventh year of teaching and will be starting year nine as the Head Choir Director of the Tomball Memorial High School Wildcat Choir Program. Prior to teaching at TMHS, Jed was the Head Director at Cy-Fair HS from 2005-16, Assistant Director at Jersey Village HS in 2004-05, and Langham Creek HS from 1998-2004. While at Langham Creek, his Varsity Men’s Choir performed at the 2004 Texas Music Educators’ Association Convention. Choirs under Jed’s direction have consistently earned Sweepstakes at UIL, earned Best-in-Class honors at state and national competitions, performed at various invitationals and in 2012 the Cy-Fair HS Chorale was the featured choir to perform at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.
Jed is a frequent choir clinician and adjudicator and has conducted over 40 high school and middle school All-Region and Festival Choirs throughout Texas. He is currently the Texas Music Educators’ Association Vice- President in many capacities such as All-State Mixed Choir Organizer, Vocal Division Clinic Coordinator, Area E Chair, Area F Chair, Region 27 Vocal Division Chair, All-State Choir Section Leader, TMEA Facilities Chair, TCDA Hospitality Chair and TCDA Ways and Means Committee.
Vocal performance credits include Houston Symphony Chorus, The Texas Master Chorale, Choir of St. John the Divine, the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra and the Houston Metropolitan Consort. He is currently the Director of Music at Rosehill Methodist Church.
Jed received a Bachelor of Music from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, studying with Dr. Kenny Sheppard, and a Master of Education in Administration from Lamar University. His life revolves around his two incredible children, Avery, Freshman at the University of Texas, and Aidan, 2023 All-State Choir member, Saxophonist in the Waller Bulldog Band, and actor in the WHS theater department.
Jed’s goal for the TMHS Wildcat Choir Program is to not only be recognized at the state level, but the national level, for performance and student leadership.
Associate Choir Director - Jordyn White
Jordyn White is a proud Houstonian and Baylor University graduate entering her fifth year of teaching, and fourth at TMHS. Originally from Katy, Jordyn returned to the Houston area as assistant director at South Houston High School, and is excited to return to TMHS where she student taught. In her first year teaching, Jordyn was named New Teacher of the Year for South Houston High School, and District-Wide New High School Teacher of the Year for Pasadena ISD.
While attending Baylor University, Jordyn sang with the Baylor A Cappella Choir and Chamber Singers, and studied under Dr. Stephen Gusukuma and Dr. Lynne Gackle. She participated in many School of Music organizations including the Baylor University Music Educators Association, and ACDA student chapter.
Upon Graduation, Jordyn was named Outstanding Senior Woman in the Baylor School of Music, and was awarded the Choral Music Education Award, TMEA Collegiate Music Educator’s Award, and the Future Educator Scholarship for the Alpha Delta Kappa South Central Region.
Jordyn is very excited to return to the TMHS family and begin this school year. Sic ‘em and Go Wildcats!
Private Voice Faculty
Neena Taylor
Neena Taylor is a graduate of the University of Texas at Pan American with a Bachelor of Arts in Voice. She has done post graduate work in voice and conducting at the University of Houston. She has taught in the Cy-Fair Independent School District for 25 years, 24 of those years at Jersey Village High School. Her choirs received consistent sweepstakes awards at UIL Concert and Sightreading and best in class at state festivals. She has presented three workshops at the Texas Choral Directors Convention and conducted numerous region clinics and workshops in the state of Texas.
The Jersey Village Varsity Women, under her direction, performed as an honor choir at the 2003 Texas Music Educators Association Convention. She has been active in the community as a director of church choirs, singing in church choirs, and singing with the Houston Symphony, the former professional Concert Chorale of Houston, and the Houston Chamber Choir. Her professional affiliations include TCDA, ACDA, TMAA, and TMEA.
Currently , Neena Taylor teaches voice at Tomball Memorial High School and several schools in Cy-Fair ISD. She is the accompanist at Heritage Presbyterian Church. She is one of the artistic directors of the semi-professional Casulana Women’s Choir of Houston, established in 2020.
Ms. Taylor has two wonderful daughters and one terrific stepson. She has eight grandchildren, who are a lot of fun, and is also certified to teach yoga.
Julia Hall
Julia C. Hall taught secondary choral music in the Greater Houston area for thirty-nine years, most recently serving as the chair of the Vocal Music Department at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In addition to her duties as the primary HSPVA voice instructor, she conducted the Chorale and HSPVA Chamber Singers. Before returning to her high school alma mater, Julia taught at Lamar High School, Episcopal High School, and Memorial Middle School. She has conducted twice at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention: in 2011 with the Memorial Advanced Treble Choir and in 2017 with the HSPVA Treble Chorus. In 2023, the HSPVA Chorale placed first in the American Classics Celebration of Excellence choral competition.
Julia earned her Bachelor of Music Education, cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas, where she studied voice with Diane Tobola, and her Master of Music, choral conducting, from the University of Houston Moores School of Music. She is a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, American Choral Directors Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, and Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies.
Julia is a member of the Houston Symphony Chorus where she proudly served as a rehearsal conductor from 2017-22. She has sung with the Houston Chamber Choir and Houston Masterworks Chorus. A life-long Episcopalian, she served on the Episcopal Diocese of Texas Music Commission for many years.
