JOHN HOOK, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Message
from John
Our Music Director,
John Hook,
founded the BuxMont Choir in 1990. In his "day job",
John is a Research Fellow with the Rohm and Haas Company, developing new products to
be used in latex paints. John's background in music is quite varied. He sang in
several choirs in his student days. He became interested in folk music at a Methodist
youth camp, traded a never-well-played trombone for a guitar and found his true
musical love - helping groups make music together. In college he was inspired by
Brian Bowers to learn melodic style autoharp. Joining BuxMont in the early 1980s,
John helped our Religious Education program as a teacher, song leader and youth
advisor. At one youth con he met a visiting youth who also played melodic autoharp -
that youth grew up and is the Rev. Dan Schatz, our minister. Denominationally, John
has been very involved with the UU Musician's Network (UUMN), where he has helped develop
our new professional certification program for UU Musicians. John contributed to UUMN by leading workshops,
serving on the Board of Directors, and is helping develop a professional certification
program. John studies voice with Robert Wallace at the Settlement Music School.
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M. CAROL COTTON, ACCOMPANIST
M. Carol
Cotton,
was surrounded by music as a child. Four of Carol’s cousins
and her older sister were church pianists at the church where she grew
up, under the direction of her father, William R. Cotton, Music
Director for the church. Carol’s earliest church work began
prior to 1975 at the First Baptist Church of Hastings, Florida where
she sang in children’s and youth choirs and was a substitute
pianist and organist. From 1975 – 1980, she participated in
both the youth and adult choirs at Lemon Heights Baptist Church in
Palatka, Florida, where her father was again the music director.
Carol began her keyboard career in 1968, studying piano, organ, and
electronic keyboards, and even guitar and drums. She received an
Associate’s degree in Piano Performance from Florida School
of the Arts in 1980. She received her Bachelor’s degree in
Theater & Music from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama
in 1984.
From 1980 to 1990, Carol participated in the music program at Shades
Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham. She participated in the choir
and orchestra there during the entire period. From 1984 to 1986, she
was the accompanist and producer for Gentle Spirit, a young adult vocal
group at the church. From 1987 to 1990 she directed a youth drama group
there as well.
From 1991 to 2000 Carol was the pianist at McElwain Baptist Church in
Birmingham, where she also wrote and directed a number of seasonal
dramatic programs.
From 1990 to 1995, Carol worked with Town & Gown, a community
theater group, performing in various musicals and plays including
“Cabaret”, “The Women” and
“Spoils of War”.
From 1995 to 1999, Carol served as the stage manager for the Birmingham
Festival Theater, a community theater group in Birmingham. Shows
included “Assassins” and “Don Juan in
Hell”.
From 1996 to 2000, Carol was the Box Office Manager of the Alys
Stephens Center, a four venue performing arts center at the University
of Alabama in Birmingham.
After moving to Syracuse, New York, Carol worked for Tickets.com. At
this time she was also involved with Theatre ‘90 as music
director for “Annie Get Your Gun” during the summer
and fall of 2000. She also worked with the choir at East Syracuse
Baptist Church in adapting their Easter musical and directing the drama
portions in early 2001.
Carol moved to Pennsylvania in October 2001. Through friends, Carol became
involved in the choir at BuxMont in 2004 and performed in
BuxMont’s first annual choir concert, “A
Celebration of UU Composers” in May of 2005. Carol continued
with the music program at BuxMont as a member of the choir and as a
substitute pianist. During the summer and fall of 2006, Carol revised
the script for and directed “The UU Revue” which
BuxMont’s combined choirs along with other performers
presented in November of 2006. Carol also performed in other BuxMont
choir concerts: “Let Justice Roll” in January of
2006, “The Music of Many Cultures” in January of
2007 and “The Magic of the Holidays” in December of
2007. Carol became BuxMont’s interim accompanist in January
of 2008 and became BuxMont’s official accompanist in May of
2008.
As of 2008, Carol is a proud member of The Savoy Company of
Philadelphia, which is the oldest amateur theater company in the world
dedicated solely to the production of the works of Gilbert and
Sullivan. The Savoy Company was founded in 1901. Carol is also a member
of the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network
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