Music

Music - Faculty

Professors of Music

Associate Professor of Music
Director of Bands and Music Education

Dr. Scott Humphries serves as associate professor of music, and Director of Bands and Music Education at Manchester University. He is the founding director of both the Gold and Black Attack basketball pep band and The Spartan Pride Marching Band. He conducts the university symphonic band, jazz ensemble, and teaches music education courses. He also teaches saxophone and clarinet. He is also the principal conductor for the Fort Wayne Area Community Band. In addition, he was the artistic director and conductor of the Manchester Symphony Orchestra for 12 years.

Humphries earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in music education at Boston University. He received a Master of Arts in Education from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor of Music Education from James Madison University. He studied saxophone with Gunnar Mossblad. He studied piano with Marion Perkins, Mary Louise Hallauer, and Ruth Slenczynska. He studied conducting with Patrick Rooney and James Glazebrook. His research area includes community and lifelong music making, intergenerational ensembles, and Serious Leisure Perspective.

Dr. Humphries was named the 2020 Indiana Music Educators Association College/University Outstanding Music Educator. He has published works for young bands through MSB Publishing, Inc. He has co-authored an article in the journal Psychology of Music and presented research at the NAfME national conference and the IMEA Professional Development Conference. He has also presented at faculty seminars on assessment practices as well as online teaching methods. Additionally, he remains an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States. He maintains membership in NAfME (collegiate chapter advisor), IMEA, CBDNA, and the Indiana Bandmasters Association.

Debra Lynn, D.A.

Professor of Music
Director of Choral Organizations, Voice Study
Conductor/Artistic Director, Manchester Symphony Orchestra

Dr. Debra J. Lynn serves as Director of Choral Organizations and Vocal Studies at Manchester University, teaching applied voice, conducting, vocal pedagogy, opera workshop, history of the Requiem Mass, and music for stage & film. Choral ensembles under her direction include the A Cappella Choir, Chamber Singers, Cantabile, and Manchester Symphony Chorus. Her ensembles have performed at various locations throughout the U.S. including Carnegie Hall in New York, Sacred Heart Basilica at Notre Dame University, and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Her A Cappella Choir has traveled to Italy to perform High Masses at the Vatican in Rome and Basilica di San Marco in Venice. In addition, they presented a standing room only concert at the Upper Basilica at St. Francis of Assisi. Other tours have included such destinations as Austria, and London. Whether domestic or international, her tours carry a theme of world peace. Debra holds a Doctor of Arts in Music degree with an emphasis in choral conducting and voice performance from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Prior degrees from Truman State University and William Jewell College include emphases in choral conducting, voice performance, and music education. She has worked with Metropolitan Opera singers Nicholas DiVirgilio and Mignon Dunn as opera chorus director for Illinois Opera Theatre – based at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Dr. Lynn has studied conducting under the tutelage of maestros Paul Vermel, Douglas Amman, Fred Stoltzfus, Paul Crabb, and Arnold Epley. As a composer, Dr. Lynn writes both instrumental and vocal music, and has received several commissions including Lily and Plowshares Foundation requests. She is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician for various composer forums, choral festivals, and voice and conducting master classes. Her numerous compositions may be found at https://debralynnmusic.org/. She is married to cellist & tubaist, Robert Lynn. They reside in North Manchester, Indiana where they tag-team parent four daughters and four cats when they are not making or teaching music.

Tim Reed, Ph.D.
Professor of Music
Theory & Composition Coordinator

Tim Reed, MU Music Department Chair, holds degrees from LaGrange College (B.M. –Creative Music Technologies), the Dallas Sound Lab School for the Recording Arts, Illinois State University (M.M. in Music Composition/Theory) and the University of Florida (PhD. Music Composition).

Tim is a composer of acoustic, electroacoustic and film music and his work is frequently performed at festivals and conferences both in and outside of the US. His work is regularly featured on a number of radio programs and podcasts and published by Centaur, Dorn and Trevco Music. To hear Tim’s music and for more on his work, visit www.timreedmusic.com.

Faculty Emeritus

John Planer, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Music

John Planer has been teaching courses in music and the humanities at Manchester University since 1969. Dr. Planer holds a bachelor's degree from Knox College and a Ph.D. and master's degree from the University of Michigan. His most notorious journal article (Function in the Country Song “Tight Fittin’ Jeans”) deals with the function of popular music. Dr. Planer is co-President of the Guild of Temple Musicians and is a recognized national speaker on Jewish liturgical music.

Adjunct Keyboard Faculty

David Hupp is a keyboard lecturer of music at Manchester University.

Adjunct Instrumental Faculty

Kelly Hornbarger is principal flute of the Fort Wayne Area Community Band. In 2005, Kelly won a seat in the National Wind Ensemble for high school and college students, which performed at Carnegie Hall under the direction of H. Robert Reynolds. She received her Bachelor of Music Performance at East Tennessee State University, where she studied the Suzuki teaching method for flute with Rebecca Paluzzi. During her tenure there, she was principal piccolo in the top ensemble, performed in the Chamber Winds ensemble, was a finalist in the Honors Recital competition, and was a part of the flute choir. In 2009, she was a part of the ETSU Wind Ensemble during its performance at Carnegie Hall as principal piccolo. After her undergraduate work, Kelly went on to earn a master’s degree in Music Theory Pedagogy from Michigan State University, where she served as a TA for two years. She spent much of her assistantship teaching freshman ear training and sight singing.

She has performed as soloist with several groups in Indiana, including the Manchester University Symphonic Band and the Manchester Symphony Orchestra. Her original flute choir composition, Emerald Hills and Sapphire Sea has been performed at the National Flute Association Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina and Orlando, Florida.

Outside her major instrument, Kelly also has a passion for playing the pennywhistle, ocarina, and other ethnic flutes. She also arranges pieces for various flute ensembles, which she records herself and posts to her YouTube channel. She currently resides in Fort Wayne, Indiana with her husband Josh and daughter Amelia.

Robert Lynn holds degrees in music performance from William Jewell College, Truman State University, and Ball State University. At Manchester, Dr. Lynn teaches Music History, as well as classes in World Music, American Music and Introduction to Music. Dr. Lynn also teaches Music Fundamentals and Aural Skills, as well as applied study in cello and low brass. Dr. Lynn has played cello with numerous orchestras throughout the mid-west, including Kansas City Missouri, Kirskville Missouri, St. Joseph Missouri, Ottumwa Iowa, and Champagne Illinois. He currently serves as principal cellist with the Manchester Symphony, and also plays with the Anderson Symphony, the Marion Philharmonic and the Muncie Symphony. Dr. Lynn especially enjoys playing chamber music, and often performs with duo partner violinist and pianist Elizabeth Smith. Since 2014, Dr. Lynn has served as Director of the Ecclesia Choir at the Manchester Church of the Brethren. Robert is married to Debra Lynn, director of choral and vocal studies at Manchester University.

Elizabeth Smith was born in Northampton, England. She gained her Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in music from the University of York. She also gained a PGCE in music education from the University of Cambridge. She played the violin in both university orchestras, serving as concertmaster whilst at York. She also played in Baroque and Contemporary music ensembles. Elizabeth studied violin with members of the Sorrel and Fitzwilliam quartets and attended chamber music masterclasses with the celebrated violinist and teacher Emanuel Hurwitz.

Elizabeth and husband Tim moved to Huntington, Indiana, in 2007. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at both Manchester and Huntington universities. At Manchester, she serves as concertmaster of the Manchester Symphony Orchestra, teaches applied violin and viola, and string ensembles. Elizabeth is an active solo and duo performer (playing both violin and collaborative piano), and has performed regularly with cellist Robert Lynn since 2010. In 2017 she performed Mozart and Brahms piano trios as a member of the Manchester University Trio (with pianist Pamela Haynes and Cellist Robert Lynn). Other performance highlights of recent years include Mozart’s fifth violin concerto with the MSO, and Brahms, Franck, and Richard Strauss sonatas..

Manchester University

Music - Faculty

Professors of Music

Faculty Emeritus

Adjunct Keyboard Faculty

Adjunct Instrumental Faculty

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