Melodie Henderson
She is the creative mind and driving force behind D.C. al Fine. Based in the greater Washington, DC area, the program began as a place for high school students to develop conducting and teaching skills, even before getting to college. It has since expanded to include in-person and online instruction to conductors of all levels, including college students and experienced adult conductors.
Ms. Henderson has an easy and positive rapport with her students, and a talent for motivating them to pursue and achieve musical excellence. In 2017, under the direction of Ms. Henderson and some of her conducting students, D.C. al Fine performed in the Kennedy Center as a Side-by-Side chorus with The Washington Chorus in a series of Christmas concerts. During her 10 years in the classroom, Ms. Henderson's high school choirs consistently received Superior (I) ratings at Region and State festivals. Her choirs also regularly took home 1st Place and "Gold" awards from annual choral competitions held in Anaheim, CA. She has mentored numerous students and student teachers who have gone on to become successful choir teachers in their own chorus classrooms.
An experienced and versatile conductor, Ms. Henderson garners praise from adjudicators and clinicians for her clear conducting and musical sensitivity. She holds a Master of Music in Conducting from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Music in Secondary Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University. During her graduate studies at GMU, she founded the Collaborative Choir (a community choir which included composers), and was privileged to sing with and assist in the GMU jazz choir (Soundcheque) as well as the National Philharmonic Chorale in Bethesda, MD. In 2018, she led the Arlington Community Chorus in Arlington, VA. She is an active adjudicator and clinician, church musician, member of ACDA, and former Ethnic R&R Chair for VA-ACDA. Ms. Henderson served on the national ACDA steering committee for NextDirection, a program aimed at developing choral leadership in high school and college students who aspire to be choral conductors, and now co-chairs a regional version of the conference, NextDirection Virginia.
Ms. Henderson lives in Virginia with her husband, Mark, and their three (soon to be four!) children.
Ms. Henderson has an easy and positive rapport with her students, and a talent for motivating them to pursue and achieve musical excellence. In 2017, under the direction of Ms. Henderson and some of her conducting students, D.C. al Fine performed in the Kennedy Center as a Side-by-Side chorus with The Washington Chorus in a series of Christmas concerts. During her 10 years in the classroom, Ms. Henderson's high school choirs consistently received Superior (I) ratings at Region and State festivals. Her choirs also regularly took home 1st Place and "Gold" awards from annual choral competitions held in Anaheim, CA. She has mentored numerous students and student teachers who have gone on to become successful choir teachers in their own chorus classrooms.
An experienced and versatile conductor, Ms. Henderson garners praise from adjudicators and clinicians for her clear conducting and musical sensitivity. She holds a Master of Music in Conducting from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Music in Secondary Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University. During her graduate studies at GMU, she founded the Collaborative Choir (a community choir which included composers), and was privileged to sing with and assist in the GMU jazz choir (Soundcheque) as well as the National Philharmonic Chorale in Bethesda, MD. In 2018, she led the Arlington Community Chorus in Arlington, VA. She is an active adjudicator and clinician, church musician, member of ACDA, and former Ethnic R&R Chair for VA-ACDA. Ms. Henderson served on the national ACDA steering committee for NextDirection, a program aimed at developing choral leadership in high school and college students who aspire to be choral conductors, and now co-chairs a regional version of the conference, NextDirection Virginia.
Ms. Henderson lives in Virginia with her husband, Mark, and their three (soon to be four!) children.
