Fine Arts Faculty

Dr. Ray Harris

Division Head

662-720-7359

B.M.E., Mississippi State University; M.M.E., Mississippi State University; D.M.A., Louisiana State University

Dr. Ray Harris became the head of the Division of Fine Arts in 2012 after serving as a member of the music faculty since 1987. In addition to administrative duties, he teaches piano, Music Appreciation, and serves as the primary collaborative pianist for the music department, accompanying the choir, musical theatre productions, and student recital performances. He is also an advisor for the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter on campus. He holds the Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from Mississippi State University and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano from Louisiana State University. He has twice been chosen as Northeast’s Humanities Teacher of the Year, has been named a T.O.P. teacher, and has represented the college at the state capital as a HEADWAE honoree. He is a member of the American Guild of Organists, the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), and the Mississippi Music Teachers Association (MMTA), for which he has served as Vice-President for Public Relations. In addition to his duties at the college, Dr. Harris has served as organist for First Presbyterian Church of Tupelo since 1994.

Dr. Jason Beghtol, Assistant Director of Bands, Director of Jazz Band, Brass Instructor

Dr. Jason Beghtol

Assistant Director of Bands, Director of Jazz Band, Brass Instructor

jwbeghtol@nemcc.edu

662-720-7360

B.M., University of Mississippi; M.M., University of Mississippi; M.M., Florida State University; Ph.D., University of Mississippi

Dr. Jason William Beghtol is currently teaching at Northeast Mississippi Community College where he is an assistant band director, jazz band director, and professor of brass. Dr. Beghtol is also an adjunct instructor of graduate music education for the Winters School of Music at William Carey University where he teaches various online masters and doctoral level courses as well as oversees students in their final thesis stages. Dr. Beghtol holds a Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Music degree in music education from the University of Mississippi. He also holds a Master of Music degree in music performance from The Florida State University. In 2018, he earned his Ph.D. in music education from the University of Mississippi. Additionally, he has completed level I and II training in the Orﬀ-Schulwerk method of music education from the University of Mississippi. Dr. Beghtol is the bass trombonist in the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra of which he has been a member since 2005. He is also the principal trombonist with the Corinth Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Beghtol performs across the southeast as a soloist and as a chamber musician. He has worked with or played along with artists such as: Kim Adair, Scott Bernard, Kory Caudill, Jeﬀ Coﬃn & the Mu’tet, Donny Edwards, the Fever Band, Wycliﬀe Gordon, Mac McAnally, Bobby McFerrin, Jermaine Morgan, Sam Mosley, Adam Nitti, Rashawn Ross, the Red Stone Jazz Project, Ron Wilkins, and Roy “Futureman” Wooten. Prior to coming to NEMCC, Dr. Beghtol taught in the Tupelo Public School District where he was the assistant director of bands as well as the freshman band director. During his tenure, the Tupelo High School band was the 2006 5A marching band state champion. In addition to his work with the Tupelo Bands, Dr. Beghtol was employed as an adjunct professor at Itawamba Community College. Beyond his teaching and performing duties, he does some composing, arranging, adjudicating, and clinician work for both band and studio events. Aside from his musical obligations, he also does voice work. Dr. Beghtol has been the announcer for various marching contests and festivals. He has also recorded narration or voice-over work for marching bands, indoor marching groups, ads/commercials, political ads, etc. He is married to Ginger Beghtol and they have two sons, Jackson and Johnson.

Crystal Bryde, Art

Chris Dunn, Director of Campus Country, Commercial Music and Guitar Instructor

Timothy Kinard, Art

Dr. Amy Langley, Assistant Director of Bands, Woodwind Instructor, Color Guard Instructor

Claire Leeke, Director of Choral Activities, Voice Instructor

Bryan Mitchell, Director of Bands and Percussion

Dr. Amanda Murphy Mattox, Music Theory and Woodwind Instructor

Dr. Amanda Murphy Mattox

Music Theory and Woodwind Instructor

ammattox@nemcc.edu

662-720-7379

B.M.E., Mississippi State University; B.S., University of Southern Mississippi; M.M.E., University of Southern Mississippi; D.A., University of Mississippi

Dr. Amanda Murphy Mattox teaches flute as well as Music Theory and Music Appreciation courses at NEMCC. She was named a T.O.P. Teacher in 2007 and 2020 and was Northeast’s HEADWAE recipient in 2013. As Northeast’s 2020 Humanities Teacher of the Year, Dr. Mattox presented “Coming to America: How Immigrant Composers Have Enriched Our Musical Culture” in February 2020. Previously at Northeast, she worked as assistant band director and color guard instructor, taught clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon, and served as an officer for the Northeast Faculty Association. Prior to Northeast, she worked as an assistant band director at Tupelo High School. Dr. Mattox has played flute with the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (formerly Tupelo Symphony) since 1998. She has also performed with the Meridian Symphony, the Starkville/MSU Symphony, and the Corinth Symphony. Additionally, she has played woodwinds and keyboard for several Tupelo Community Theater productions. Beyond her teaching duties at Northeast, she has taught private flute and piano to younger students in the community. She is the pianist at Gaston Baptist Church where she also leads the handbell choir and sings in the adult choir. Dr. Mattox received an Associate Arts degree from Northeast Mississippi Community College in 1990. She holds the Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from Mississippi State University (1992) and the University of Southern Mississippi (1993) respectively. While at USM, she served as a graduate assistant with the bands and as a flute teaching assistant. Additionally, she received the Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994. She earned the Doctor of Arts degree in Flute Pedagogy from the University of Mississippi in 1999.

Christopher J. Schager, Theater

Melody Shinn, Art

Melody Shinn

Art

mcshinn@nemcc.edu

662-720-7389

B.F.A., Mississippi University for Women; M.F.A., Rochester Institute of Technology

Melody Shinn is an artist and designer who joined the Northeast Fine Arts faculty in 2008 after a fifteen year career designing, manufacturing, and marketing furniture in private industry. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mississippi University for Women and a Master of Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology. She currently teaches Art Appreciation, Art History I and II, Painting I and II, Ceramics, and Interior Design and has also taught Design I and II. She has coordinated departmental scholarships and serves as an advisor to the Visual Arts Club, planning events and field trips for students to locations such as the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, and the High Museum in Atlanta. Melody is a member and former President of the MCCAIA - Mississippi Community College Art Instructor’s Association; she coordinated the 2020 State Art Show. She is a member, former Vice-President, and former President of the NE Faculty Association in addition to being appointed to the Faculty Association Executive Board. She serves as the Fine Arts division representative on the Presidential Advisory Board. Melody is a 2018 TOP Award recipient and was selected as 2015 Humanities Teacher of the Year. She has served on numerous committees including Curriculum, Strategic Planning, Graduation Rate and Retention and has attended multiple conferences including Lamplighters, NISOD, WHEMN, SACSCOC, and State Articulation. Her work and that of her students can be found throughout the Southeast.