Music Program

In This Section

For More Information, Contact:

Daniel Sorensen

Chair, Visual and Performing Arts

About the Music Program:

Major areas include voice, piano, organ, strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion and guitar. The high quality academic program and performing organizations prepare a student to transfer to any large university. Courses are also offered to fulfill general education requirements and to provide enrichment and enjoyment for area residents. The department presents performances of faculty, students, and ensembles, and hosts area music clinics and competitions.

The Odessa College music program is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music offering a two-year associate in arts degree in music. The music department is also a member of the Texas Association of Music Schools and the Texas Music Educators Association.

Mission Statement

The mission of the music program is to provide music students training in the areas of musical performance, music theory, music literature, and piano studies, in preparation for transfer to upper level baccalaureate degree programs, and to provide cultural enrichment for music students, Odessa College, and the community at-large.

Want to join OC Music? Email: music@odessa.edu

Faculty:

	Sarah McQueen Cunningham Sarah McQueen Cunningham serves as Choir Director and Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Odessa College. She holds a Master of Music in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies from California State University, Sacramento, where she was the first recipient of the Jazz Studies degree. An experienced conductor and educator, she has led award-winning ensembles at Sierra College, Mendocino College, and Ponderosa High School and has directed worship arts and community choirs across California. A recipient of Sierra College’s Teacher of the Year and the Crystal Apple Award, she is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and the Jazz Education Network.
	Dr. Erica Rumbley Dr. Erica Rumbley is an Associate Professor of Piano at Odessa College with over a decade of collegiate teaching experience in the United States and China. She holds dual master’s degrees in Piano and Musicology and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Kentucky. Her scholarship includes publications in the Journal of American Music and presentations at College Music Society and American Musicological Society conferences. Her research focuses on 19th- and 20th-century American music, Chinese piano music, and the composer Zhang Zhao, as well as the therapeutic use of music with survivors of trauma and forced migration. An active performer, Dr. Rumbley is passionate about both solo and collaborative piano performance.
	John Carroll John Carroll, Head Band Director at Odessa College, retired in 2023 after a 46-year career in Texas public school band directing. He spent 27 years as Associate Band Director at Permian High School, leading the concert band, jazz ensemble, and percussion program, and later directed award-winning bands in Monahans. His many honors include the Marcia Zoffuto Hero Award, TBA Meritorious Achievement Award, and recognition as a Grammy Music Educator of the Year quarterfinalist. A past President of the Texas Music Educators Association, Carroll continues to serve as a clinician and consultant across Texas. He holds degrees from Abilene Christian University and West Texas A&M University and was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame in 2024.
	Dr. Jon Ortiz Dr. Jon Ortiz is a percussionist, conductor, and educator serving as Associate Band Director at Odessa College. A native of Odessa, he holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance from Texas Tech University, a Master of Music from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Texas Tech. He has taught at Texas Tech University and Middle Tennessee State University, directing percussion ensembles, drumlines, and concert bands. An active performer with the West Texas Symphony and other ensembles, Dr. Ortiz is also an Innovative Percussion artist and a member of the Percussive Arts Society, Texas Music Educators Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
	Dr. Young K. Whiting Dr. Young K. Whiting is an accomplished pianist, educator, and church musician with an international career as a performer and teacher. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Music from Chuggye University for the Arts in Seoul, with additional studies in Germany. Currently serving as Adjunct Professor of Piano and Director of Keyboard Studies at the University of Texas Permian Basin, she has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and venues across Asia, Europe, and North America. Dr. Whiting also serves as Dean of the American Guild of Organists Permian Basin Chapter and has received awards from the Texas Music Educators Association and the National Music Conservatory of Mexico.

Events:

(Tentative and Subject to Change)

Fall Semester 2025

October 24: Friday, Marine Corps Band—First Baptist Church Odessa, 7:30 p.m.

November 4: Tuesday, Veterans Day concert, Wood HSB Community Room 201, 6:30 p.m.

November 12: , Wednesday, Honors Luncheon, 11:00 a.m.

November 18: Tuesday, Student/Faculty Piano Recital, 6:00 p.m.

December 1: Monday, Winter Band Concert, Wood HSB Community Room 201, 6:30 p.m.

December 4: Thursday, Holiday Concert, Jazz Band and Choir Concert, Jack Rodgers Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.

Spring Semester 2026

March 5: Thursday, Mid-Spring Band Concert, Wood HSB Community Room 201, 6:30 p.m.

April 21: Tuesday, Student/Faculty Piano Recital, 6:00 p.m.

April 29: Wednesday, Spring band concert, Wood HSB Community Room 201, 6:30 p.m.

April 30: Thursday, Choir and Jazz Band Concert, Jack Rodgers Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.

Our events are free and open to the public. For events requiring a ticket, use this link:

Ticket Reservations

Music Program Resources:

Degree Plans:

Course of Study for Associate in Arts Degree – Music