KILLEEN, Texas — Killeen ISD's Patterson Middle School choir has been selected to perform at the Southwestern American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA) next March, the district announced Thursday.
SWACDA is a multi-state conference that includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Missouri.
“A huge congratulations to Charles Patterson Middle School, the Patterson tenor bass choir and their fabulous director, Mr. Gerald Nicholas,” KISD Fine Arts Director Karen Herrera said.
A year ago, the Texas Choral Directors Association named Nicholas a Young Director of Distinction. In 2019, Nicholas’ boys’ varsity choir received the distinction of state honor choir and traveled to Austin in February 2020 to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association convention.
Last year, in response to the young director award, he said he liked the idea of sending his choir students from Patterson on to Ellison High School where Triggs and Barrick are directors.
“I’m still having fun,” the award-winning director said, “even though it is more work,” he said in reference to teaching choir during the COVID-19 restrictions.