DIRECTORS

Jocelyn Epley

Jocelyn Epley is in her 24th year of teaching and her 1st year as the Head Director at Martin High School. She has previously taught at Martin the past three years, Boles Junior High for 13 years, and at Nichols Junior High for 7 years. Choirs under her direction have consistently earned Sweepstakes awards at UIL and Best in Class at different contests in the DFW area. Jocelyn received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in December of 2001.  While at Stephen F. Austin, she was the student director under Dr. Tim King.  She was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon Fraternity and was named President in her junior year.  Jocelyn recently graduated with her masters in Educational Leadership in May of 2022 from SFA as well.

Jocelyn is a product of the Arlington Independent School District where she attended Butler Elementary, Shackelford Junior High and graduated from Lamar High School in 1997. 

Jocelyn’s professional affiliations include Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association. She has been a guest clinician for All-Region choirs across the state as well as adjudicates UIL contests. She was the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year at Boles Junior High and the 2018-2019 Kiwanis Teacher of the Year.

Jocelyn is married to her wonderful husband and biggest supporter, Stephan Epley.  We are the proud parents of three awesome children, Peyton, Kennedy, and Preston and our dog, Maisie.

Christy Dickerson

Christy Dickerson is honored to be the new associate director of Martin High School Choirs. Currently in her 11th year of teaching, she began teaching at the middle school level at Fannin Middle School in Grand Prairie ISD, where she taught for 4 years, before moving to the high school level and teaching at Bowie High School for 5 years. While at both programs, student involvement in the choir department steadily grew, and Mrs. Dickerson’s choirs consistently earned excellent and superior ratings at contests and had members chosen to be in Region Honor Choirs.

Before becoming an associate director in the Martin High School Choral program, Mrs. Dickerson took a year off from teaching full time to teach private voice and piano for many students at Martin High School, Arlington High School, and around DFW.

Having studied piano since the age of 5, Mrs. Dickerson has loved playing piano since a young age. She currently enjoys accompanying for many groups throughout Texas, including region choirs, school musicals, community musicals, concerts, recitals, and contests.

Mrs. Dickerson graduated from Dallas Baptist University with her Bachelor of Music Education degree in December of 2012.

Currently, Mrs. Dickerson resides in Grand Prairie with her corgi, Evie, her lovely daughter, Nora, and her wonderful husband, Josh, with whom she is expecting a baby boy, due in April of 2024.

BRAD KERLEY

Brad Kerley has been teaching middle school and high school choir in the state of Texas for 18 years.  He is a 2001 graduate of Abilene Christian University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Vocal Performance. He continued graduate studies and received a Master of Music degree from Northwestern State University. Choirs under Mr. Kerley's direction have been consistent Sweepstakes Award winners at UIL contest and been named Best in Class and Best in Festival at various choral festivals throughout the state.

 In 2012, his Varsity Men's Choir was asked to perform as an invited choir at the Texas Music Educators Association convention and at the Cambiata Institute for the Adolescent Voice conference in conjunction with the American Choral Directors Association convention. He is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout the state of Texas.

Mr. Kerley has performed internationally in opera and oratorio roles. He studied voice and opera at the Altenburg International Music Festival and East-West International Music Academy in Altenburg, Germany. He also performed lieder and aria recitals in conjunction with the Hudebni International Music Festival and master classes in Jihlava, Czech Republic.

Mr. Kerley lives in Haslet, TX with his wife, Britney, sons Eli and Jackson, daughter Gigi and two golden doodles Ruby and Rhett.