Music Staff

Dr. Douglas Amman
Director of Music

Dr. Douglas Amman has served College Avenue United Methodist Church as Director of Music since 1989. He and his wife, Jean, and six children are members of the church. During his tenure at College Avenue, the choir has sung many large works for chorus and orchestra. These have included Faure-Requiem, Rutter-Requiem, Vivaldi-Gloria, Portions of Handel-Messiah, Clausen-A New Creation, and Bach-A Child is Born. The choir took its first major tour in 2001 to England, Wales, and Scotland. In the summer of 2004, they will tour in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Dr. Amman is also Professor Emeritus- Director of Choral Activities at Ball State University, a position he held for 22 years. His degrees are from Illinois Wesleyan University and the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He has taught in schools/universities for 40 years and has worked with church music for 42 years. Dr. Amman also conducts two community music groups-Planet Earth Singers and the East Central Indiana Chamber Orchestra. He also does guest conducting, choral clinics and judging of contests and music festivals in the Mid-West.

Dr. John Emert
Assistant Director of Music and Organist

Dr. Emert presently serves as organist for the sanctuary services and music director for the informal CAFE service. At Ball State University, he presently serves as Professor and Chair of Mathematical Sciences. Dr. Emert received a BA in Music Performance from the University of Tennessee, where he studied under director Donald Neuen (now at UCLA and the Crystal Cathedral) and organist John Brock. He has written over twenty published choral works, several of which are still available through Lorenz and CCLI. He is a long term member and former Dean of the American Guild of Organists.

Dr. Emert's graduate work and current research is in the mathematical fields of combinatorics and geometric topology. His applied research includes collaborations on issues related to DNA replication, water flow, molecular lattice structure, and game theory. He has developed and led a wide variety of colloquia and honors theses for Ball State Honors College students. On July 1, 2008, Dr. Emert concludes his term as Chair and assumes the role of Professor and Associate Dean of Honors College at Ball State University.

Dr. Lori Rhoden
Director of The Memorial Handbell Choir

Lori Rhoden is Assistant Professor of Music Performance and Coordinator of Piano Pedagogy and Group Piano at Ball State University where she teaches piano pedagogy, group piano, and piano performance. A nationally certified music teacher, Rhoden maintains an active schedule as a soloist, collaborative artist, lecturer, and adjudicator. She has presented concerts, conference sessions, and research posters in Hong Kong, Korea, and throughout the United States, including presentations for the World Piano Pedagogy Conference, College Music Society national conference, Music Teachers National Association national conferences, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and various state and local associations. Recent collaborative performances have included the 2007 International Clarinet Association Conference and the 2006 International Double Reed Society Conference. She has been a piano faculty member at the annual summer international Masterworks Festival since 2002, and has been the Piano Program Director for Masterworks since 2006.

A published author, Dr. Rhoden is currently a member of the research committee of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and has written articles for American Music Teacher, Clavier, and Keyboard Companion.