Wimberley Community Chorus
©Wimberley Community Chorus. Webmaster: Pat Rawlings
Director - Jay Martin
Jay Martin teaches choral music and class piano at Canyon High School in Comal ISD where he also serves as a campus teacher leader and bus driver. His choirs consistently earn superior ratings, and, as a member of the Texas Music Adjudicators Association, he frequently judges UIL Vocal events. He has been teaching in the Austin area since 1994. Mr. Martin served in music ministry at New Life Church of Austin for 13 years as the adult choir director. Not only has he directed and co-directed several school and community musical theater productions in the area, but he also performed in the Austin Lyric Opera’s production of Verdi’s Don Carlo and in the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Austin’s production of The Gondoliers. He received his bachelors’ degree in music education form Texas A &M University–Commerce (East Texas State University) and his Master of Music degree from Texas State University. He enjoys teaching, singing, playing music, listening to music, reading, traveling, and going on nature walks. He lives in New Braunfels with his wife, Myra, his daughter, Bethany, and his pug, Rupert.
Accompanist - Karla Cruz
Karla Cruz has been directing middle and high school choirs in Texas for thirty years, and is currently associate choir director and advanced piano teacher at Canyon High School in New Braunfels. Her choirs have received consistent Sweepstakes awards at UIL competition and have won “Best of Class” at festivals in Breckenridge, Los Angeles, South Padre Island, and Toronto. In Canada, her choir was awarded the “Esprit de Corps” award. In 1999, her choir was selected as an honor choir to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association convention. In addition to directing choirs, Karla is an adjudicator for the Texas Music Adjudicators Association and a clinician who has conducted choirs in Texas and Louisiana. She is also the choir director at Wimberley United Methodist Church. Karla got her music education degree from Southwest Texas State University (now TXST) with an emphasis on piano, which she studied with Dr. Tim Woolsey. She now lives in San Marcos with her husband, guitarist Mark Anthony Cruz.
