J. Reese Norris

​J. Reese Norris (b. 1973) is in his third year as Director of Choral Activities at Northwest Mississippi Community College, after 23 years at Hernando Middle School, and is co-founder and co-artistic director of The MidSouth Music Institute, Inc., both in Northwest Mississippi. Mr. Norris received degrees from Delta State University and Florida State University.

Norris was the recipient of MMEA’s Music Educator of the Year, the Ernestine Ferrell Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Mississippi Chapter of ACDA, the Delta State University Music Alumnus of the Year and Educator of the Year Award. Norris has served in several leadership capacities for state-level NAfME and ACDA, and at the division level for ACDA.

Choirs under his direction have been selected to perform at Carnegie Hall, at the National Conference for Middle School Choirs, for the Alabama ACDA Summer Conference, three times for the Mississippi ACDA State Conference, twice for the ACDA Southern Division Conference, at the OAKE National Conference and at the ACDA National Conference. Norris has been honored to serve as guest clinician across the U.S.

As a composer, Norris has been commissioned by children, middle school, high school, university, church, and adult community choirs. Norris’ compositions have been performed in all-state choirs, at ACDA Conferences, in Carnegie Hall and across the globe. His compositions and arrangements are published by Santa Barbara, Lawson Gould, Colla Voce, G. Schirmer, and MusicSpoke.