Staff

Stephania Abell, Director

Stephania Abell is currently in her 22nd year of teaching in Oklahoma and since 2008 has been at Norman High School. She is active as both adjudicator and clinician in the state, judging concert contests as well as solo and ensemble and serving as clinician for several regional festivals and honor choirs. She was a performing member of Canterbury Choral Society (OKC) for 10 years and also served as interim director of Canterbury Children's Chorus in 2004-2005.

Mrs. Abell received her Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Music Education from the University of Oklahoma in 1999, where she was a member of the University Choir, University Chorale, and Academia Filharmonica. Prior to completing her degree at OU, Mrs. Abell served in the United States Air Force as a computer programmer and performed with the elite troupe "Tops in Blue", traveling to 45 states and 17 countries, including Cuba, Guam, Turkey, and Japan on the 9 month tour.

She is currently the President of the Oklahoma Choral Directors' Association and has served on the board as Southwest Representative and Junior High All-State Chair and Jazz All-State Chair, and also served Ok Music Educator's Ass'n. as Vocal VP. She holds active memberships in the National Ass'n for Music Eduction, American Choral Directors Association, the National Education Association, and Sigma Alpha Iota.

Stephania and her husband Chuck live in Norman and have two sons. She is starting her sixth year of directing the Norman Singers in Fall 2021.

Susan Babcock, Accompanist

A native of Oklahoma City, Susan received both her bachelor's and master's of music degrees from the University of Oklahoma and has accompanied the choral society for more than five years. She also accompanies Norman High School North choirs and has provided keyboard support for various instrumentalists, choirs and vocalists at the university and high school levels.

Ruben Acala, OU Conducting Intern

Ruben James Alcala is currently pursuing a PhD in Music Education in Choral Conducting from the University of Oklahoma and is the Director of Youth Choirs at McFarlin UMC. Ruben has served appointments as Head Choir Director at Mayde Creek High School (TX) and Santa Fe South Middle and High Schools (OK). At Mayde Creek, was selected as a Quarterfinalist for the 2016 Grammy Educator Award. Students under his direction have received superior ratings at contests and festivals and many have been selected to All-Region and All-State Choirs.

Ruben graduated with a Master's degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Oklahoma where he served dual roles as Graduate Teaching Assistant and Fellow of Music at McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church. Additionally, Ruben served as Choral Assistant at both Houston Baptist University and First Presbyterian Church of Houston.

As a conductor, Ruben has conducted choral groups across the United States and Austria in works including: Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria, Joseph Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicoli and Missa St. Joannis de Deo, and Paul Bassler’s Missa Kenya. He has also assisted in the preparation of other masterworks including Orff’s Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Mass in C, Schubert’s Mass in G, Haydn’s Creation, and Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht. Ruben has also prepared choruses for several opera productions, including Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, Don Giovanni, and Die Zauberflote, Strauss’s Die Fliedermaus, and Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol. Ruben also served as Musical Director and Conductor of the 2015 MCHS production of Once Upon A Mattress, 2016 production of Chicago, 2017 production of In The Heights- which was nominated for 4 Tommy Tunes awards including Best Music Direction, 2018 production of Legally Blonde- which was nominated for 5 Tommy Tunes awards.

Ruben has remained active as a conductor and educator– each summer Ruben returns to his alma mater, HBU, where he serves as Bass Section Leader at the HBU Vocal Camp teaching Houston area high school students the TMEA All-State repertoire. As a music education researcher, Ruben has presented his research at state and national conferences with an emphasis on research on the Hispanic and Latino/a/x/e educational experience.

Ruben lives in Oklahoma CIty with his wife, Rebecca, and their two sons, Aaron and Alex.