Faculty

Jeff Thames

Director, Lovejoy High School

Jeffrey Thames is an accomplished choral conductor, music educator, and composer with a diverse background in both secondary and collegiate instruction. He most recently served as the Director of Choral Activities and Instructor of Music Theory at Arkansas State University- Beebe, where Mr. Thames directed all university choral ensembles and taught sophomore-level music theory, aural skills, sight-singing, and non-major music appreciation. He was also instrumental in recruitment efforts, hosting regional choir clinics for local high school programs.

From 2014 to 2020, Mr. Thames served as the Director of Choirs and AP Music Theory Instructor at O'Connor High School in Helotes, Texas. During this time, he led six vocal ensembles and organized national tours and performances, most notably a 2016 Broadway debut at the Gershwin Theatre in collaboration with professional Broadway stage actors. His choirs regularly earned UIL Contest Sweepstakes honors, and he has had numerous students earn chairs in Texas All-State choirs.

A committed composer, he is active in the concert music scene, with anticipated premieres of both orchestral and choral works, including the ballet "The Blessed Shade," scheduled for its debut in the 2025-26 season. Additionally, his song cycle, The Four Psalms, was previously premiered by the Grammy Award-winning tenor Karl Dent.

Mr. Thames holds a Master of Music in Theory and Composition (2006) and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with a minor in History (2000), both from the Texas Tech University School of Music in Lubbock, Texas. While at Texas Tech, he studied composition with composer Mary Jeanne van Appledorn, advanced orchestration and instrumentation, and piano with renowned pianist Abby Simon (Juilliard). His performance experience includes extensive work in jazz and choral ensembles, and he was awarded 2nd Place in the national Music in the Rockies Piano Competition in 1999.

Sandra Hernandez

Director, Willow Springs Middle School and Sloan Creek Intermediate School

Mrs. Hernandez is an alumna of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 2019. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she performed in the university choir, opera theater, and the Valley Symphony Chorale. Professionally, she has been teaching music in the North Texas area for the past 5 years, and she is currently on track to complete her Kodály music educator certification through Southern Methodist University this summer. In her free time, Mrs. Hernandez enjoys creating art, traveling with her husband, watching movies, attending concerts and live music shows, and playing video games at home while spending time with her cat. Mrs. Hernandez is currently the choir director at Sloan Creek Intermediate School and Willow Springs Middle School.