Directors

Brenda Dent-Gregory

Brenda Gregory is in her fourteenth year as Director of Choral Activities at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro. Previously, she served as Choral Director at Oakland High School for nineteen years and Shelbyville Central High School for two years. Mrs. Gregory is a native of Columbia, TN, and received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degrees at MTSU. She has served on the faculty of the Governor’s School of the Arts and was recognized five times by the school as an Outstanding Teacher of the Arts and Tennessee Arts “Teacher of the Year” in 2010. Mrs. Gregory has been included in four consecutive publications of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and was recognized in 2007 in Outstanding Young Women in America and Who’s Who in America. Mrs. Gregory was voted Siegel High School’s 2007 “Teacher of the Year” and was the Rutherford County System Level “Teacher of the Year” that same year. She holds professional memberships in ACDA, MTVA, MENC, and REA. She resides in Murfreesboro with her husband Philip, Band Director at Rocky Fork Middle School.

Dr. Gerald Patton

Dr. Gerald Patton is a native of Lebanon, TN but currently resides in Murfreesboro, TN serving as choral director at Siegel High School. Before starting at Siegel High School in the fall of 2017, Mr. Patton was the founding choral director at Blackman High School from 2000-2017. Mr. Patton earned his B. Mus. degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 1998 majoring in general/vocal music education. He received his M. Mus. degree with specialization in choral conducting in 2004 from Austin Peay State University located in Clarksville, TN. He received his Ed. S. (2020) and Ed. D. (2021) degree in administration and supervision from Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, TN.

A twenty-five year veteran music educator, Dr. Patton began his teaching career in 1998 as the music specialist at Walter Hill Elementary School located in Murfreesboro teaching kindergarten through fifth grade general music and chorus. In 2000 Dr. Patton accepted the position at Blackman High School where he taught chorus, general music, and music theory. While at Blackman, Dr. Patton’s choirs earned superior ratings in performance and sight-reading at the annual Middle Tennessee Vocal Association Choral Adjudication Festival. In the spring of 2017, the Blackman High School Select Chorus earned a superior rating in performance at the state level choral adjudication festival. His choirs have traveled to and performed in Washington D.C., Orlando, FL, Chicago IL, New York City, St. Louis and Branson, MO. Other noted performing engagements include the Middle TN Electric Corporation’s Annual Conference, the Tennessee Veterans Home, the Nissan Corp Veterans Day Celebration, and the High Schools that Work National Conference.

In 2016 Dr. Patton was appointed as the state choral chair for the TN Music Educators Association, and he holds memberships and chairperson positions with the Middle Tennessee Vocal Association and the Tennessee Music Educators Association. In 2006 Dr. Patton founded and facilitated the annual Rutherford County High School Choral Festival. Dr. Patton also serves as the Summer Arts Academy Director for the Wilson County Civic League in Lebanon, TN. Finally, Dr. Patton is a talent judge at the Wilson County Fair and is a volunteer for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee.