Midway High School
Jeff Rice is in his 25th year as Director of Choirs for Midway ISD and 39th year of teaching choral music. He is the head choral director at Midway High School where he directs the Varsity Men, Meistersingers, and Chamber Singers. Mr. Rice's choirs consistently receive sweepstakes and first division ratings at UIL contests and festivals. MHS Choirs have been invited to perform at the TMEA convention three times under Mr. Rice’s direction. Prior to teaching at MHS, Mr. Rice taught in San Angelo ISD, Cy-Fair ISD, and LaPorte ISD.
In 1981, Mr. Rice graduated from Sherman HS where he was a two-year member of the TMEA All-State Choir. He received a Bachelor of Music Education from Baylor University and Master of Music from Texas State University. Mr. Rice has served as High School Vice-President and President of the Texas Choral Directors Association, Chair of the UIL Prescribed Music List, and is currently serving as the TMEA Area D Vocal Chair. He is also an active member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. Mr. Rice has been selected as MISD Showcase of Stars Distinguished Educator on numerous occasions. Mr. and Mrs. Rice have three grown children who are all MHS and Baylor graduates. Email: [email protected] |
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Midway Middle School
Ms. Kayla Torp is in her 6th year working in the Midway Choral Program and her 3rd year as Head Director of Choirs at Midway Middle School. She is a proud graduate of Midway High School (2014) and Abilene Christian University (2018), where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Music Education. She is honored to give back to the choral program and school district that first instilled a love of music in her. Since starting at Midway in 2019, Ms. Torp has been named Midway ISD's 2021 "Rising Star" and Midway Middle School's 2023 "Teacher of the Year."
Ms. Torp invests heavily in growing the choral community. She currently serves as a board member for the Central Texas Choral Society, performs with the Voci d'Amici Chorus each summer, and serves as Camp Director at ACU's All-State Choir Camp. She is also an active member of TMEA and TCDA. Ms. Torp dedicates herself to providing students with high-quality and engaging musical experiences. She strives to select developmentally appropriate repertoire that students love to sing. She continues to learn and grow alongside her students. Outside of the choir classroom, Ms. Torp LOVES doing yoga, traveling with her high school besties, and exploring downtown Waco! Email: [email protected] |
Mrs. Hyeyoung Ku is in her fourth year working with the Midway Choirs and third year as the Assistant Choir Director at Midway Middle School.
Mrs. Ku is a 2020 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin receiving her Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Education with honors. She started her vocal studies at age 9 as she passed the audition for the Korean Academy Children's Choir (KACC) with the recommendation of her classroom teacher. While she was in KACC, she had wonderful opportunities to travel worldwide to perform, record many Korean TV commercial songs, and even appearing on TV shows. These unforgettable memories grew her love and passion for music, and Mrs. Ku's love of choir life continued as she moved to the United States at age 14. Mrs. Ku is passionate about teaching music. She believes that as a director, it is essential to provide a classroom to students where they feel comfortable and safe to communicate with one another and express their individual thoughts. She also strongly believes in encouraging her students to become the best they can be in a healthy and productive learning environment. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Ku loves eating good food and traveling with her husband and family, and she has a precious pet kitty named "Star." Email: [email protected] |
River Valley Middle School
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Mrs. Megan Gackle is in her eighth year of teaching at the middle school and high school level. She has returned to Waco after teaching and working on her doctorate of musical arts at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. Mrs. Gackle holds degrees from Baylor University (M.M and B.M.E) and received the first part of her undergraduate education from Florida State University. She will graduate with her doctoral degree in the spring of 2026.
In her time as a conductor, Mrs. Gackle has taught across the state in Houston and the DFW Metroplex. She has consistently led her choirs to sweepstakes at UIL Concert and Sight Reading contests. She has also maintained a private voice studio for the last 10 years and has had multiple students make region and all state choirs. For the last two years, she has maintained a full voice studio at the University of North Texas as a full-time teaching fellow. While at Baylor, she also maintained a full voice studio as a teacher of record during her pursuit of her master’s degree. Praised for her florid vocal agility and range, award-winning American mezzo-soprano Megan Gackle is quickly building her reputation as a versatile vocal artist. Mrs. Gackle’s blossoming career showcases versatility, excellence and adaptability in a variety of vocal genres including opera, jazz, musical theater and concert works. Mrs. Gackle has been featured in a variety of operatic roles in a number of operas including the title role of Die Mutter in Engelbert Humperdink’s Hansel und Gretel, Eunice in Andre Previn’s Streetcar named Desire, Oreste in Handel’s Oreste, Queen Hera in the premiere of All Wounds Bleed with the Chicago Fringe Opera and Latitude 49, Dinah in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, Dorabella in Mozart’s comic opera, Cosi Fan Tutte and the Countess Charlotte Magnus in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. In 2019, Mrs. Gackle made her Carnegie Hall debut at the Kurt Weill Concert Hall in New York City. In 2017 and 2018, she was awarded second place consecutively, at the Texoma NATS competitions in the graduate division. Her concert performances include mezzo soloist for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the University of North Texas Conductor’s Chorus in 2023, Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Bach's Magnificat in D, and Bach's St. John Passion. Mrs. Gackle is honored to be a part of the choral excellence that exists in Midway ISD. She looks forward to continuing the superb trajectory of the River Valley Middle School choral program. Mrs. Gackle will celebrate her second year of marriage to her husband this upcoming year and enjoys spending time with their daughter, cat and dog. Email: [email protected] |
Mrs. Lauren Escalante is in her third year as the Assistant Choir Director at River Valley Middle School. She is thrilled to be a part of the Midway ISD Fine Arts team and is beginning her ninth year in the classroom. Originally from Missouri, Mrs. Escalante moved to Texas after high school to continue her education. She is a 2016 graduate of Texas Christian University, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Music Education.
Mrs. Escalante has had numerous singing opportunities to sing with and under the direction of high-caliber musicians, such as the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and world-renowned opera singer Andrea Boccelli. She also spent two summers as the Children’s Choir Intern for the Clear Creek Music Festival in Halfway, Oregon. As an educator, Mrs. Escalante encourages students to be invested in their craft and go after it whole-heartedly. She believes that a quality music education is crucial to child development, and desires for her students to take part in creating a positive learning environment built on mutual respect. Mrs. Escalante is excited to continue the longstanding legacy of Midway Fine Arts at River Valley. Outside of school, Mrs. Escalante enjoys serving on the worship team at her church, taking naps, drinking coffee, and spending time with her family. Email: [email protected] |