Teaching Fellow, Chorale
Thomas Rinn currently serves as a teaching fellow in the College of Music while pursuing his PhD in music education at the University of North Texas and is Director of Music at St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church in Richardson.
He is a recipient of the Perry R. Bass Fellowship for music education and director of the Rainbow-Froellich Outreach Program at UNT. He holds a Master of Music Education from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He taught high school in Texas for twenty years serving as the Director of Choirs at Colleyville Heritage High School, Choir Director and Fine Arts Department chair at Juan Seguin High School in Arlington, TX, Assistant Choir Director at Clear Lake High School in Houston, TX and Choir Director at John Jay High School in San Antonio, TX.
In addition, Mr. Rinn has served as director of the Houston Boychoir Chamber Choir and in various church positions throughout his career including St. Alban’s Anglican Parish (Arlington), St. Matthew’s Episcopal Cathedral (Dallas), and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (San Antonio). Choirs under Rinn's direction have been honored with invitations to perform for the Texas Music Educators Association in 2010 (Juan Seguin High School Chamber Choir), 2018 (Colleyville Heritage Panther Chorale) and for the 2018 Southwest American Choral Directors Association (CHHS Panther Chorale).
Rinn's research interests include music teacher preparation, recruitment and persistence in elective music, and social media in music education. Recent and upcoming conference presentations include the NaFME National Conference, SMTE National Conference, ACDA Symposium for Research in Choral Singing and the Texas Music Educators Association. Rinn has recent publications in Update: Applications of Research in Music Education and the Journal of Research in Music Education.
Rinn is a frequent choral clinician, guest conductor, adjudicator, and presenter of teacher training nationwide with engagements most recently in Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado.
Mr. Rinn happily strives to give back to our professional organizations on the state and local level. He has served as President of the Texas Choral Directors Association, High School Vice-President for the Texas Choral Directors Association, a TMEA Region Vocal Chair, a section leader for the Texas All-State Choir and currently serves as Chair of the State UIL Vocal Sight-Reading Committee and as immediate Past-President of the Texas Choral Directors Association.