Osprey Women's Chorus

Tommy Shapard, conductor

The Osprey Women's Chorus is open to faculty and staff and students of all majors. They perform 1-3 concerts per semester. Rehearsals are twice a week for 50 minutes and feature diverse repertoire selections including a cappella to accompanied works. Student leadership opportunities abound in this fun and engaging ensemble. Monday and Wednesday Rehearsals in Building 45 (Fine Arts Center) 1404 from 12-12:50pm.

For more information, contact Dr. Cara Tasher at cara.tasher@unf.edu.

Professor Thomas (Tommy) M. Shapard, lyric baritone, has served as the conductor for the Osprey Women’s and Men’s Choruses at the University of North Florida since 2015.  Recognized as a versatile choral music educator capable of inspiring and challenging singers of all ages, abilities, and interests in the choral arts, Professor Shapard has a wide-range of musical experiences working with schools, non-profits, conferences, festivals, and clinics.  He has worked for almost twenty years in Baptist (CBF) and United Methodist congregations in Georgia, Texas, and Florida.  He is currently the Minister of Music and Worship at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, where he has served since 2008. Between 2011-2016, Professor Shapard was a member of the Jacksonville Children’s Chorus Artistic Staff, directing the Young Men’s Chorus and the Training Choir.   

Professor Shapard holds degrees from Baylor University (B.M.E., Vocal/Choral), graduating magna cum laude and receiving the School of Music’s Annual Senior Award for Outstanding Music Educator; Emory University (M.Div, Baptist Studies, Worship), where he was awarded the Charles O. Smith, Jr. Scholarship presented to the rising senior who shows exceptional promise of service in ministry in the Baptist tradition; and the University of North Florida (M.M., Music Performance/Conducting), where he holds the great honor of  being Dr. Cara Tasher’s first master’s conducting student.  Shapard also studied for three years at The Florida State University, pursuing the M.M. in Ethnomusicology before following other interests. Currently, he is a doctoral student at Southern Methodist University, working towards the Doctor of Pastoral Music degree under the tutelage of Dr. C. Michael Hawn.

Professor Shapard is a member of ACDA, Choristers Guild, Handbell Musicians of America, and the American Guild of Organists.  He served on the Extra-musical Subcommittee for the Celebrating Grace Hymnal (2010); served on the Worship Planning Committee for the 20th Anniversary General Assembly of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF); where he co-wrote the hymn, “Outcast Stranger,” with Ken Medema; and was a presenter at the Candler School of Theology Festival of Congregational Song in 2012.  His research interests include singing as community building, sacred music across faith traditions, world music, and congregational song.