Music Department

Matthew Holt is delighted to return to his alma mater as an adjunct instructor in the areas of music appreciation and show choir.  He graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. Ed. from MSSU and received the M.M.E. in Choral Music from the University of North Texas.  He has done additional graduate study at several universities, most notably the VanderCook College of Music in Chicago. 

He began teaching at Jasper, MO and then returned to his high school alma mater of Webb City.  His first assignment was Director of Jr. High Music.  In 1980 he became High School Choir Director, and retired in 2007 from this position after a total of 31 years of public school music instruction. 

 

His choirs received consistent I ratings at festivals, as did many solos and ensembles as well.  His students achieved numerous placements in the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, Missouri All-State Choir, and Missouri All-State Show Choir.  His show choirs earned many trophies and caption awards at showchoir festivals.  He is the founder of the Southwest Showchoir Showcase, an annual competitive showchoir festival at Webb City High School.

 

Professional offices held have included:

 

President of Webb City Community Teachers Assoc.; Webb City Fine Arts Chairman; SWMMEA High School Vocal Vie-President; SWMCDA District Director; MSHSAA State Festival Sight-Singing Revision Committee; MSHSAA Music Festival Rules Interpreter.

 

Honors received would include:

 

Webb City High School Cardinal Teacher (teacher of the year); Webb City Chamber of Commerce Champion Booster;  Who's Who Among America's Teachers; MCDA Southwest District Director of the Year, and upon retirement, the Webb City R-7 School Board decision to rename the WCHS Choir Rooms the "Matthew Holt Vocal Music Center." 

 

Mr. Holt also serves in the community as a church choir director, and as a public library board member. His greatest honor is the blessing of a wonderful family:  his wife Jana is a 3rd grade teacher in Webb City; older daughter Melanie is a summa cum laude MSSU graduate in Vocal Music Education; and younger daughter Melissa is entering MSSU in the Fall of 2007.  Both are honors program students.