Music Wall of Fame

Dr. Mitzi Groom, WKU Music Professor Emerita, was Head of the Department of Music from 2001-13.  Previously, she was Chair of the Department of Music and Art at Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville), where she was Associate Director of the Cumberland Children’s Chorus.  Groom holds music education degrees from the University of North Alabama (Florence) and Florida State University.  Her previous experience includes teaching choral music in Alabama and Tennessee at all public school and church levels, directing a 5-county rural/community arts education program, being artistic director for community boy choirs and holding organist/choirmaster church positions in several states.

Groom's professional service to the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) includes Alabama State President, Southern Division President, National President and Editorial Board member of The Choral Journal.  From 2000-2009 she was a member of the ACDA National Executive Committee and was the convention chair for the February 2003 national convention in New York City.  From 2006-12, she served as one of the 18-member Accreditation Commissioners for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), visiting more than twenty universities during their accreditation processes.

This Cullman, Alabama, native's work with young singers afforded her the opportunity to serve as choral adjudicator, professional accompanist/clinician, and as guest conductor for numerous All-State and regional honor choruses.  Groom was published in the specialty areas of the male changing voice, repertoire for the young singer, music education curriculum development, and music leadership in music journals, and was a monthly columnist for The Choral Journal as National ACDA President.  She was selected as a distinguished alumna at both Cullman High School (AL) and the University of North Alabama (Florence), was inducted as a National Honorary Member of Delta Omicron in 2004 and received the Southern Division ACDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

Her pivotal collaborative moments at WKU were hiring and retaining stellar faculty, celebrating student success, implementing the public school string program, redesigning the Master’s Degree in Music Education, renovating Van Meter Auditorium, planning and building the Music Rehearsal Hall and being the university carillonneur for graduations and holidays.