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The Artist's Heart

POLYPHONY ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025
1PM FEBRUARY 6 - 11AM FEBRUARY 8
STONE MOUNTAIN, GA
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$275

ACTIVE MINISTERS OF MUSIC

If you register and pay prior to January 17. $325 beginning January 17.

$175

RETIREES REGISTRATION

If you register and pay prior to January 17. $225 beginning January 17.

$125

STUDENT

REGISTRATION

For students enrolled part-time or full-time in undergraduate or graduate programs.

Smoke Rise Baptist Church 

5901 Hugh Howell Road,

Stone Mountain, GA 30087

WHAT'S HAPPENING

From Thursday afternoon to Saturday morning, we will be gathered together in fellowship, worship, and teaching. 

WHERE WE'RE STAYING

For extended fellowship time, we suggest considering booking your stay at the Hampton Inn Stone Mountain.

WHO'S SPEAKING

We are blessed with this wonderful group of presenters to lead us in discussion and rich education.

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Schedule

  • Thursday, February 6
    Afternoon 1:00 p.m. Gathering/Registration Tom Granum - Creativity in Worship: Getting Ready for Lent and Easter Don Saliers - Life as a Psalm to God: Lament and Doxology Evening Dinner @ Smoke Rise Baptist Church Worship led by Danny Vancil and the Smoke Rise Sanctuary Choir
  • Friday, February 7
    Morning Breakfast at the hotel or on your own Rozanna Goocey - Morning Prayer Meg Gurtcheff - Choral Artistry: Part I Toney Keeler - Bi-vocational church musician panel discussion Afternoon Lunch @ Smoke Rise Baptist Church Various conductors - Curated and Highly Recommended Choral Anthems Meg Gurtcheff - Choral Artistry: Part II Mark Green and the Decatur-Avondale Children’s Choir Evening Dinner @ Smoke Rise Baptist Church
  • Saturday, February 8
    Morning Breakfast at the hotel or on your own Tracie Jernigan - Hymns and Songs for Lent and Easter: Bridging the Traditional-Modern Divide Rozanna Goocey - Closing Communion Service 11:00 a.m. - Adjourn
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Lodging

Hampton Inn Atlanta/Stone Mountain
1737 Mountain Industrial Blvd,
Stone Mountain, GA 30083

$119/night for Kings or Doubles includes breakfast (not including taxes)

 

To reserve your room with the Polyphony group,
Email Sabine: sabine@letsutravel.com no later than Friday, January 3, 2025


Information needed: 

  • Email and phone

  • Check-in date

  • Check-out date

  • Hilton Number

  • Special requests (ie. Close to elevator, or 2 beds)

Presenters

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Rozanna Goocey

Rozanna is the Minister of Music and Worship at Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, where she directs the choral program and oversees the music ministry with a focus on worship. An accomplished organist, soloist, and conductor, she has led music ministries in North Carolina and Texas. Her passion lies in choral excellence and vibrant congregational singing. She felt called to church music ministry as a teen and earned sacred music degrees from East Carolina University and Southern Methodist University, where she received the Roger Deschner Prize in Sacred Music. Born in Louisville, KY, and raised in Greensboro, NC, Rozanna grew up in a Baptist church where her parents were involved in music ministry. She and her husband Joshua have three children: Samuel, Emma Frances, and Josephine.

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Mark Green

R. Mark Green is a pastor and choral conductor with over four decades of experience directing choirs from elementary age to senior adults. Known affectionately as "Mr. Mark," he is a dedicated musician renowned for his warmth, artistry, and commitment to excellence in musical performances. Green is an alumnus of the University of North Georgia, holding a degree in Music Education, and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Church Music degree. Currently, he serves fulltime as one of the pastors at First Baptist Church of Decatur and directs the Decatur Avondale Children’s Choir, a community choir of more than 120 singers ages six to eighteen performing in three ensembles.

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Don Saliers

Dr. Don E. Saliers returned to Candler in 2014 as theologian-in-residence after retiring in 2007 as the William R. Cannon Distinguished Professor of Theology and Worship. He directed the Master of Sacred Music program at Emory and served as organist and choirmaster at Cannon Chapel for 35 years. Before joining Candler in 1974, Saliers taught at Yale Divinity School and in summer programs at several prestigious institutions. An accomplished musician and theologian, he has authored 15 books and over 150 scholarly works. He co-wrote A Song to Sing, a Life to Live with his daughter Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. Saliers has served as president of the North American Academy of Liturgy and co-founded the Academy for Spiritual Formation. Ordained in The United Methodist Church, he continues to preach, lead retreats, and lecture widely.

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Tom Granum

A lifelong Presbyterian, Tom has served a variety of congregations as organist and/or director of music ministries, including United Methodist, Reformed Judaism, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Covenant, Presbyterian (the majority) and now – as he’s failed retirement – First Baptist Church (CBF), Athens, Ga., where he’s serving as a long-term interim Director of Music Ministries & Organist. Locations have varied from Georgia to Michigan to a Yup’ik (Eskimo) village in Alaska, but Athens has been his primary base as he served 30 years at First Presbyterian Church, Athens. He sang with Robert Shaw in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and holds the AGO Colleague certification as an organist. Tom co-directed the 2021 Presbyterian Worship & Music Conference with his daughter, Meg. He enjoys gardening and cycling.

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Tracie Jernigan

Tracie Jernigan holds a Bachelor and Master of Music in Church Music in Organ from Baylor University, as well as a Master of Church Music and Master of Divinity from Baylor's Truett Seminary. She recently completed a Doctor of Ministry in Theology and Worship from McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University. Tracie has served in worship ministry for 28 years. She is the Minister of Worship Arts at First Baptist Church Wilmington, NC. Prior to her ministry in Wilmington, she was Lead Pastor/Worship Pastor at The Summit Church in Sylva, NC. She and her husband, Nick, moved to Wilmington in 2010, where their sons, Charlie (11) and Sam (9), were born. She is passionate about building bridges between faith, music, the arts, and local communities.

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Tim Sharp

Tim Sharp is a renowned conductor, educator, and scholar with a global career in choral music. His work spans concert performances, choral research, teaching, non-profit arts administration, and recording. Sharp has received numerous honors, including the Ostrander Award for conducting Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and nominations for Dove and Grammy awards. He has conducted symphonic, university, church, and children’s choirs across the USA and internationally. Sharp’s research focuses on conducting, score analysis, and regional music history. His notable publications include Sacred Choral Music Repertoire, an encyclopedic guide to sacred works, and several books on ensemble arts and regional music history. He holds degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Belmont University, and Bluefield College, with post-graduate studies at Harvard and Cambridge. Former Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association, Sharp now teaches at Trevecca University and serves as Associate Pastor for the Arts at Madison Street UMC.

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Meg Gurtcheff

Meg holds a Bachelors in Church Music, Conducting emphasis, from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Her Masters in Sacred Music, Choral Conducting emphasis, is from Emory University. And her Doctor of Musical Arts, Choral Conducting, is from the University of Kentucky. A lifelong church musician, she has a deep love for crafting liturgy, choral groups of all ages, and orchestras. In addition to conducting, Meg sings soprano and plays viola, violin, and Hardanger Fiddle. She is an active member of various professional music associations. Originally from Athens, GA, she cheers for the Georgia Bulldogs. In her free time, she enjoys reading, walking, and all things Disney. As someone with Celiac Disease, Meg is always stocked with gluten-free alternatives and loves her favorite treat: Dove chocolate.

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Toney Keeler

Toney Keeler is entering his fifth year as director of Choral Activities at Northwest Ranking High School in Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Keeler also assists the Northwest Rankin Middle School Choral Music Program as well as The Accord Show Choir. Prior to his tenure at Northwest, Mr. Keeler spent seven years teaching both Middle and High School Show Choir. Mr. Keeler holds both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Music Education from William Carey University and is Music Director of the Northside Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi.

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Danny Vancil

Danny Vancil has served as director of music and worship at Smoke Rise Baptist Church since May 2006. Prior to that, he was the minister of music and worship at First Baptist Church, Ahoskie, NC, for 15 years. A native of Illinois, Danny earned the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from Murray State University, Murray, KY, and a Master of Church Music from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. While completing his studies at the seminary, he served as part-time minister of music at First Baptist Church, Middletown, KY. After his graduation, he continued to serve there full-time for an additional two years. Danny is passionate about creating meaningful and thoughtful traditional worship experiences which include attention to the visual elements of worship as well as the music and spoken words. In his spare time, he enjoys landscaping and gardening. Along with a number of family members, Danny is a proud member of the "Von Vancil" family of church musicians.

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