• Audition Schedule
• Production Schedule

• Online Scholarship Application Form
• Music Scholarship Audition Requirements

• Spring 2006
  • Part I
  • Part II
• Christmas 2006
  • 1st Half
  • 2nd Half
• Spring 2007
• Christmas 2007
  • 1st Half
  • 2nd Half
• Expressions (February 25 & 26, 2008)
  • Production Photos

• Show Photos
  • April 10, 2008 - First Half
  • April 10, 2008 - Second Half
• Production Photos
  • First Half
  • Second Half
• Fine Arts Camp 2008
  • Part 1
  • Part 2

• Christmas 2008
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
• Spring 2009
  • Part1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3
• Video Clip Link Page

For Years, The Southern Union Sound - accompanied by the Southern Union Singers and Dancers - have performed before standing-room only audiences for their annual Christmas and Spring Shows. Recently, the winner of the "Nashville Star" 2005 competition was a SUSCC graduate and former member of the Southern Union Sound. Additionally, the choir has enjoyed multiple bi-annual Memorial Day weekend invitations to perform John Rutter's REQUIEM under the composer's baton. Southern Union Sound will once again return to New York's famed Carnegie Hall in May, 2009. Feature work for this master chorale performance - under Rutter's direction - will be Johannes Brahms' landmark requiem - Ein Deutches Requiem (A German Requiem). Under the leadership of Dr. Michael Marcades, newly appointed Director of Music, the choir has already received two prestigious international performance invitations including the 2009 International Haydn Festival, Vienna, Austria (Summer 2009) and an upcoming choral festival performance in Beijing, China (Summer 2010).

Southern Union currently has about 38 students on music scholarships.  Auditions for 2009-2010 academic year music scholarships are scheduled for March 16-17, 2009 at the Wadley Campus.  For audition requirements or any other information about any aspect of the Southern Union Music Department and its activities, contact Dr. Michael Marcades (phone 256-395-2211ext. 5191 or email mmarcades@suscc.edu).

• Online Scholarship Application Form
• Music Scholarship Audition Requirements

Dr. Michael Marcades (BM - Baylor University; MCM - Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Ph.D. in Fine Arts / Choral Conducting - Texas Tech University) has been involved in choral conducting for almost three decades.  During that time he has served on the faculties of the Texas Tech University School of Music (as Assistant Director of Choral Activities) and the Columbus State University Schwob School of Music (as Director of Choral Activities) and has been Director of Music Ministries in Methodist, Baptist and Episcopal churches throughout Texas, South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama.  Presently, he is the part-time Director of Music Ministries at First United Methodist Church, Opelika, Alabama.  Dr. Marcades is an active guest conductor/clinician, adjudicator and guest lecturer throughout the southeast and beyond. 

In May 1999 he completed his PhD in Fine Arts (Choral Conducting) at Texas Tech University under the tutelage of Dr. Kenneth Davis.  During the summer of 1998 he conducted dissertation research at the Britten-Pears Library in Aldeburgh, England.  His dissertation, Benjamin Britten’s Ad majorem Dei gloriam (AMDG):  A Musico-poetic Analysis and Performance Guide for the Choral Conductor, was nominated for the 1999 Julius Herford Prize and is housed on request in the Britten-Pears Library.

In January 2006, Marcades was invited to lecture on Mexican Baroque Choral Literature at the 4th Annual International Conference on Arts and Humanities, Waikiki, Hawaii.  Other recent guest conducting ventures include multiple appearances at the Southern Division MENC/GMEA Regional Conferences in Columbus and Savannah, Georgia; serving as guest conductor/clinician for the Georgia ACDA Senior High Honor Chorus (SATB) in Atlanta’s Spivey Hall.  Marcades’ Carnegie Hall conducting debut was in April, 2004 where he conducted the CSU’s University Singers and Chorale in a spotlight solo concert for MidAmerica Productions in New York.  Recently, Marcades has been invited to serve as Choral Conductor / Project Administrator for PROJECT IRELAND, a project that hopes to take an auditioned ecumenical choir of 100 voices to Ireland during the summer of 2009. 

Upon arrival at SUSCC, he and his choir have been invited to participate in two international festivals; one is Vienna, Austria (summer 2009) and the other in Beijing, China (summer 2010).

Dr. Marcades is married to Kelly Casey Marcades.  They currently reside in Opelika, Alabama.