NextGen - Youth Outreach -Jason Whitney

Next Generation Youth Outreach Coordinator — Jason Whitney

About Jason:

Jason Whitney is the head choir director at Lopez Early College High School in Brownsville, TX. He is graduate of the University of Texas - Brownsville where he studied under Dianne Brumley. Jason started teaching & performing barbershop music with his students in 2017. In January of 2019, the Lopez Barbershop Chorus competed at the Barbershop Harmony Society's Junior Chorus Invitational and were national champions in their division. In 2020, the Lopez Barbershop Chorus was selected to perform at the Music Showcase at the 2020 Texas Music Educators Association convention in San Antonio. For the summer of 2020, Jason was selected as a presenter for the Texas Choral Directors Association virtual conference. On July 23rd, Jason will be presenting a session entitled, “Benefits of Barbershop in the Modern Choral Classroom.”  Jason's passion in music involves anything that gets kids interested in singing and most importantly, having fun and making connections in choir. Outside of school, Jason loves playing video games, cooking with his wife, and relaxing at home with their dog Cher.

BHS Outreach Grant Application SWD Youth In Harmony Funding Application

Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Implements Society and SWD district YIH programs
  • In coordination with division vice presidents assists chapters in establishing chapter YIH programs and chapter teams in working with local school and college administrators and music educators to establish harmony singing groups
  • Identifies and encourages others within the district to seek out education opportunities for young men that can be organized and/or supported by the district individual chapters and the YIH team
  • Establishes and effectively manages the district YIH budget
  • Communicates with chapter YIH representatives through electronic and printed media, as necessary, the status, plans, and activities of the SWD’s YIH programs
  • Assists music educators in developing, primarily within young men, a sense of singing as a life-long activity
  • Identifies and suggests performance opportunities to groups of student harmony singers within the district, including, but not limited to, festivals, workshops, clinics, chapter shows, and contests
  • Develops a network of Society members with music education experience who can review, evaluate, and recommend improvements in youth quartet and chorus performances so as to enhance their quality
  • Coordinates with the Director for Music and Performance all visits of Society music representatives to the district to ensure adequate attention to the district’s YIH programs
  • Ensures appropriate representation of the district youth activities and services team at all district Board of Directors and House of Delegates meetings
  • Organizes and chairs a district YIH team that will provide the leadership for district YIH activities
  • SWD liaison to the Society YIH Committee
  • Supports the efforts of the COTS Coordinator to present a Young Men In Harmony Quartet at COTS.
  • Reports as directed to the district president and Society YIH Committee on progress toward meeting goals stated in Society and district work plans
  • Develops an annual work plan that describes observable and measurable outcomes for how to accomplish these assigned duties and responsibilities.