Meaders named distinguished lecturer
By Staff
November 7, 2004
special to The Star
James Meaders, a native of Hickory and chairman of the music department of Mississippi College since 2002, was recently chosen as the Arts &Sciences Distinguished Lecturer for 2004-2005.
Meaders' lecture was "The Choral Pursuit: Blending Art and Story." The program was held Oct. 26 in Provine Chapel. It was followed by a reception in Alumni Hall.
The Arts &Sciences Distinguished Lectureship was established in 1988. The award is given to a faculty member who exemplifies excellence in teaching and who has an established reputation in his or her field.
Meaders earned an associate's degree from Clarke College, a bachelor's and master's in music from Mississippi College and a doctorate of musical arts in conducting and voice from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ken., where he was a Garrett Fellow in church music.
He joined the faculty at Mississippi College in 1998. He is a professor of applied voice and conducting and heads the graduate program in conducting. He conducts the Singers and the Chorale.
The MC Singers have gained national and international notoriety under his leadership, most recently having received the prestigious invitation to perform on the program of the national American Choral Directors Association convention to be held in Los Angeles next year.
Meaders serves on the state and southern division boards of of the choral directors association and is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. He received the music department's Bragga Award for Teaching Excellence for the 2004-2005 school year.
In addition to his work at MC, Meaders is the artistic director of the Jackson Choral Society. And since 2003, he has been the conductor of the Mississippi Baptist All-State Youth Choir.
He is married to Lesa Meaders and they have three children, Andrew, Leah and Brantley. They live in Clinton and are members of Northside Baptist Church, where Meaders serves as minister of music.
He is the son of Louise and Judson Meaders Sr. of Hickory.
