BOARD MEMBERS
Emily Shumway Pfeifer, artistic director
Emily Shumway Pfeifer was born and raised on the north shore of O’ahu, Hawaii. Emily's first professional performing job was in high school as a dancer at the Polynesian Cultural Center's Night Show, the top-rated show in Hawaii. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Brigham Young University and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Butler University. Emily has performed as a singer/dancer/actor, as well as chorus conductor, in Europe, Latin
America, Asia, the South Pacific, and the United States, and speaks German and Spanish. During graduate school in Indiana, she worked as the Butler University Women’s Glee Conductor as well as the Artistic Director of Bloomington Opera & Oratorio conducting choral masterworks including Handel’s Messiah, Faure’s Requiem and Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.
Mrs. Pfeifer was formally introduced to barbershop music in the fall of 2008 when she was hired as the Artistic Director of Sweet Adelines International’s Bella Voce Show Chorus in Colorado. During her three years as director, she led the ensemble to three
first-place titles at the SAI seven-state annual regional contest, a top-five global rating out of 250+ choruses, as well as on a performing tour to Hawaii. An award-winning soprano, Mrs. Pfeifer ran a performance studio for ten years specializing in Musical Theater and Opera Reviews. She served for three years on the City of Grand Junction Colorado’s Commission for Arts and Culture and was the artistic director of the annual Holiday Show fundraiser for Hope West Hospice. In addition to conducting local church choirs, Emily was the Regional Artistic Director over a five-stake multi-media production, featuring over 700 youth from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, entitled 18 Lives and The Book of Mormon: Embracing the Power of Jesus Christ. This two-year project culminated in five sold-out performances at the Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction, Colorado -- the largest event in the facility's history.
Soon after moving to Utah, Emily joined forces with the Morgan Valley Chamber Orchestra to conduct the first annual production of Handel's Messiah in Morgan Valley. This event led to the formation of the Morgan Valley Chamber Singers who continue to perform choral masterworks with the MVCO under the direction of Mrs. Pfeifer. In 2022, Emily became one of the founding board members of the Morgan Valley Arts Council.
Her first assignment, as the board member over MVAC-sponsored productions, was to organize an Arts Extravaganza to celebrate artists in the valley. Together with a team of
volunteers, Mrs. Pfeifer coordinated this historic coming together of Morgan Valley’s visual, literary, culinary, and performing artists at Morgan High School. This event featured over 500 all-local members of the arts community in exhibits and expos as well as in a performing arts showcase. Currently, Mrs. Pfeifer is preparing the third annual concert of highlights from Rob Gardner’s Lamb of God with the Morgan Valley Chamber Orchestra and Singers.
Some of Emily's other significant life experiences include serving an 18-month mission to Vienna, Austria for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and working as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer for two years in Panama. Emily and her husband
Jon lives in Mountain Green Utah and has three sons and a mini schnauzer.
Sharee Dickey, president
Sharee Dickey loves the musical arts and has been a pianist and church organist from her youth. She credits her parents for providing her a practice organ at an early age.
Sharee has studied organ with Rulon Christiansen, is a member of the American Guild of Organists and is a frequent attendee of BYU’s Organ Workshops and online training.
Sharee started choir singing in junior high, was a part of her high school a cappella choir and active in dance. She is a member of Morgan Community Choir and has been involved with the Morgan Valley Messiah productions and has directed her church choir.
Sharee earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Weber State College in Business Administration and Master of Education from Utah State University in Instructional Technology.
She has served the community in various capacities and has served as a board member for a nonprofit organization to assist employees in need at her credit union. She values time spent with her family. In her free time, Sharee enjoys being outdoors, hiking or riding her e-bike with her husband.
Sabrina Millar, secretary
Sabrina has always had a passion for musical performances, both as an observer and a participant. Throughout her upbringing, she immersed herself in learning different musical instruments, as well as singing in school choirs. During her time at the University of Utah, she also joined the institute choir. This love for music has led her to participate in various church and community choirs, regardless of where she has lived. Presently, Sabrina is a proud member of the Morgan Valley Chamber Singers and has taken up learning the upright bass with the Morgan Valley Chamber Orchestra.
Tiana Shelley, treasurer
Tiana Shelley grew up in Cedar City, UT surrounded by a family of musicians. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Utah, where she privately studied jazz saxophone with Randal Clark and David Halliday, and classical voice with Julie Wright-Costa. Tiana also received vocal jazz training from Lulu Fall. During her time at the University of Utah, she performed with various jazz and classical groups such as the University of Utah Jazz Ensemble and the University of Utah Chamber Choir.
Currently, Tiana is a member of the Utah Symphony Chorus led by Dr. Barlow Bradford and the Grand Teton Music Festival Symphony Chorus led by Sir Donald Runnicles. She operates a vocal studio from her residence and enjoys witnessing her students' growth through music. Tiana and her husband, Alex, have four beautiful children whom they love to explore the outdoors with.
S Wayne Miller, logistics manager
S. Wayne Miller began his musical career in seventh grade and continued through high school at Ogden, where he was recognized as a Music Sterling Scholar. He later played in the Air Force Academy Band and went on to teach music for forty years in public education. While studying music in college, Miller spent four years as the stage manager for the theater at Weber State University. He has also taught band and orchestra at multiple levels and played flute for various community and church events.
Shari Carter, soprano section leader
Shari Carter has a deep affection for her hometown, Morgan, and its vibrant community. She dedicated 5 years to taking private voice lessons and had the pleasure of joining the Weber State Institute Chorus, as well as singing in choruses led by Micheal Webb and Kenneth Cope. For a decade, she was a proud member of the Palouse Choral Society in Washington State, where she was honored to perform multiple solos as a 1st Soprano. Currently, she serves as the President/Co-director of the Morgan Valley Children's Choir and sings with the Morgan Community Choir.
Dixie Miller, alto section leader
Dixie's musical journey began early, singing alongside her mother and sister. In 6th grade, she picked up the flute and continued playing in band throughout junior high and high school. Additionally, Dixie participated in her high school's small-ensemble-competition choir. Throughout her music career, Dixie has had several significant experiences, including being a part of the band and choir at Idaho State, taking part in orchestra, choir, flute lessons with Mr. Giroux at Everett Community College, performing with BYU Oratorio Choir under John Halliday and BYU Marching Band under Grant Ellington, receiving flute lessons from Ted Wight, teaching band, choir, and guitar in public schools for seven years, working as a flute teacher, serving as music director for Soft Rain Women's Group for 30 years, holding the position of Stake Music Director, being a lifelong ward choir member, and directing the music for a youth production of Steven Kapp Perry's "From Cumorah's Hill." Dixie earned her bachelor's degree in music from BYU and is currently a member of the Morgan Community Choir, where she enjoys singing alongside Emily and the rest of the group.Valley Chamber Singers twice a year in Messiah and Lamb of God.
Robert McConnell, tenor section leader
Robert first felt the power of musical performance as a young boy, when he sang in a children's choir at the direction of Jane Olive, an energetic woman who would yell out “Sock it to Me!” when she wanted her choir to set aside their anxieties and sing out in songs of praise. As an early teen, Robert was a sound board operator for a Las Vegas performance group. He initially just mixed the performance and enjoyed the show, but his microphone and instrument checks eventually led to a place behind a keyboard and throwing in with the vocals. Wisely, he drew the line at dancing; a “talent” Robert believes is best left for coaxing a laugh from his grandsons when he taunts them with “I love it when you call me Big Pappi!!” In a sense, singing with the Chamber Singers brings Robert full circle--Singing
wonderfully composed expressions of beauty and adoration with friends—accompanied by talented musicians and directed by an energetic woman with a unique talent to cause others to sing out in songs of praise. For Robert, the hope is simple—that someone listening to the Chamber Singers will be touched by the profoundly simple but uniquely powerful offering of raising one’s voice in shared acclamation of the thoughts, witness and wonderfully rich musical compositions that we are privileged
to perform.
Scott Carroll, bass section leader
Scott Carroll attended Utah State University on a music scholarship for his band expertise and completed his degree with a minor in music. He actively participated in Logan Institute's Hew Horizons Show Choir for multiple years, performing in several concerts and competitions. Additionally, he has been a part of various ward and stake choirs, where he has showcased his talent through small-group musical performances and solos for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2019, he became an inaugural member of the Morgan Valley Chamber Singers, performing Handel's Messiah. Outside of his musical endeavors, Scott is a devoted family man with a wife and five children. He enjoys running, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, traveling, and, of course, playing music!
