Judges for Jax Talent Show 2012

Dr. James Hall

Tenor, enjoys an active career that includes opera, oratorio, chamber music, and solo recital. Hall has performed as a soloist throughout the United States with groups such as Mercury Baroque, Masterworks Chorus and Orchestra of Washington, D. C., Shepherd School of Music Chamber Orchestra, and St. Matthews Cathedral. Hall has participated in projects with renowned composers Kirke Mechem, Daniel Catan, Carlyle Floyd, and Ann Gebuhr. Recent and upcoming engagements include appearances with Miami Bach Society as haute-contre soloist in Andre Campras Requiem and as tenor soloist in Carl Orff s Carmina Burana with The University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory Dancers, Choirs, and Wind Symphony. Well-regarded as an accomplished pedagogue, Dr. Hall has presented master classes in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Washington, D.C., and throughout Texas. He runs an active voice studio at the University of North Florida, where he joined the faculty in 2011.

Cara Tasher, soprano

(Director of Choral Activities)

Due to her own meaningful experiences in renowned organizations such as the Glen Ellyn Childrens Chorus, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Atlanta Symphony Chorus, Trinity Choir at Wall Street, Conspirare, and Experiment in International Living, Dr. Cara Tasher strives to instill the passion for excellence in choral music in her singers along with an appreciation of different cultures. As a soprano soloist, Dr. Tasher has performed at Jacksonvilles Friday Musicale, Chicagos Grant Park, NYCs Merkin Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Dublins National Concert Hall and continues to keep a selective voice studio. Dr. Tasher studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, winning the 2006 university-wide Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Texas at Austin, La Sorbonne, and Northwestern University. She has conducted choral ensembles in Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and the U.S., and toured with her ensembles to Bulgaria, Canada, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Dr, Tasher sits as Director of Culture at the Jacksonville Sister Cities Association.

Carl Holman
Carl Holman, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications for the University of North Floridas Division of Institutional Advancement. Holman serves as manager of communications for the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. Joining UNF in 2008, he brings more than 17 years of experience in strategic marketing, public relations, arts marketing, media relations and crisis communications to the museum. Mr. Holman is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Journalism. In 2005, Mr. Holman was named Marketing Director of the Year by the Northeast Florida Builders Association and led local and national award-winning marketing campaigns. He has served on volunteer and fundraising projects for HabiJax, HOPE International, and the American Cancer Society.

Megan Wallace
Megan has been dancing and teaching for over 10 years. Certified through two different syllabi including DVIDA (http://prodvida.com). Megan is dedicated to improving her own dancing as well as her students. She started teaching at a dance studio in Tallahassee and has been enjoying sharing her love for dance every since. She goes out throughout the week to dance at local dancing hot spots. Megan is always keeping up with the latest dance trends. She is now able to share her passion through her dance studio, Beyond Just Dance, located in Orange Park. She is focused on making her students, not just great social dancers, but also great technical dancers. American Rhythm, American Smooth, Latin Dances, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, also Argentine Tango, Country Western, and International Latin are some of the styles taught at her dance academy.

Breanne Wylder
Breanne Wylder is a music education major at Jacksonville University, specializing as a vocalist and a violinist. She has been singing all her life and has played the violin for the past 9 years. Wylder has performed on numerous occasions with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Jacksonville Youth Symphony Orchestra. She sang with the Jacksonville Childrens Chorus and the Jacksonville University Choir. She teaches vocal and violin lessons privately and she is also the music teacher and worship leader at the Carpenters Shop Center and Arlington Family Church. She is a member of the Jacksonville University Orchestra and the Jacksonville University Quartet.

Keli Garcia
Keli has been Inlove with the performing arts from a young age. She has been dancing since she was 9 years old. Although schooled in ballet and jazz from an early age, she now focuses mostly on her two dance passions: Flamenco and Salsa. She is currently an instructor at Salsa Caliente Dance Studios in Jacksonville. She has also been involved in theater, taking classes and appearing in live performances, such as A Mid Summer Nights Dream and Bye Bye Birdie throughout high school and college years. Today, Keli can always be found in the midst of the Jacksonville Latin Dance scene.