Tom T. Shelton, Jr. is a native of Greensboro, N.C. and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro with both a Bachelor of Music Education De- gree and Master of Music in Choral Conducting. He is the Associate Director of the Music Ministry for Children and Youth at First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro. Prior to working at First Presbyterian Church, Shel- ton taught middle school choral music in Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County for eighteen years. During this time he was selected ÒTeacher of the YearÓ for both Atkins Middle School and Kernersville Middle School, and in 1999 was presented the North Carolina Middle School Music ÒTeacher of the YearÓ award by the NC Music Educators Association.Choral groups under his direction were invited to perform for the NC Music Educators Conference and the NC ACDA Conference. Shelton presented an interest session, "Working with Boys in the Middle School Choral Setting", for the 2006 Southern Division ACDA Conference in Charleston, WV, using his 8th Grade Young Men's Ensemble as the demonstration choir.
Mr. Shelton is active in the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), where he currently serves as the National Repertoire and Standards Chair for Jun- ior High/Middle School Choirs. He served as President for North Carolina ACDA (2005-2007), as well as Chairperson of the Middle School Choral Section of the NC Music Educators Association.
An active clinician, Mr. Shelton has conducted the ACDA Central Division Junior High Honor Choir (Indianapolis), as well as Elementary, Middle, and High School Honor Choirs in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In 2007, he traveled to Hong Kong to conduct a piece he was commissioned to write for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Hong Kong International School.
Mr. Shelton has compositions published by Colla Voce Music, Heritage Music Press, Hinshaw Music Company, and Santa Barbara Music Press. He is listed in ÒWhoÕs Who among AmericaÕs TeachersÓ (2003-2004 edition) as well as ÒWhoÕs Who in America" (2005-2006 edition). Mr. Shelton works with the Greensboro Youth Cho- rus organization as conductor of the Chorale.