Johnny Miller, Founder/Director

When it comes to what retired Borger ISD Director of Choral Arts Johnny Miller expected of his middle and high school choirs, it was excellence. And the records proved it.

Miller has taught for 36 years, beginning his career in his hometown of Pecos, where he taught for two years. A stint of three years followed in Spearman before he came to Borger schools. Finishing and retiring on his 29^th year at the helm in Borger, he has had over 67 students make the All-State Choir and two students who have been four-year All-State Choir Members. His program has also received state and national recognition, being honored as one of the top 100 communities in the nation for music education in 2001. He was honored by Texas Governor Rick Perry with this award.

He has had consecutive sweepstakes awards for the Varsity Honors Choir for over 20 years, along with numerous superior ratings in concert/sight-reading and solo and ensemble contests. His students have also received outstanding, superior, and excellent ratings at State Solo and Ensemble Contests. The choir room at Borger High School was renamed the Johnny L. Miller Choir Room in his honor in 2006 as a gift from the senior class.

Miller believes in the importance of a balanced education for his students.

“I believe for a student to receive a well-rounded education, they must participate in the 3 As,” he said. “When a student is involved in academics, athletics, and the arts, he or she will be feeding the mind, body, and the soul. Choir is all about teaming. Students must be thinkers as well as singers. It’s an intellectual sport. They must work all their muscles, including their brains.”

His goal is to get from the beginning to the end with excellence, and believes successful people are those who know the meaning of hard work. It is his philosophy that there are no benchwarmers in choir, that choir is family, and that he is the choir dad for all students under his care. Suffice it to say that after 29 years, there are students, both past and present, who consider him their choir dad and always will.

Not being one who could just retire after 34 years and walk away from the very thing he is passionate about, Johnny Miller formed the Texas Panhandle Youth Choir in partnership with Frank Phillips College in September 2016 to meet the needs of talented student singers who do not have choir offered in their community schools, who are home schooled or who just want to sing more and want to share in his passion of the choral arts. In less than two months, enrollment went from zero to 52 singers.

The Texas Panhandle Youth Choir is a representation of talents spanning the Texas Panhandle. Honor, Character, Integrity, Faith and Love will be key elements taught along with the Choral Arts. We welcome all who wish to be an active and productive part of our family as we share the Love and Hope music can offer. Achieving excellence through music. Giving youth in the Texas Panhandle, who love to sing, the opportunity. There is so much darkness in the world, music brings light and life. –J. Miller

Texas Panhandle Youth Choir 2018-2019 Schedule

• Sunday, August 12th 3-5 p.m. - Rehearsals resume for "Olders" choir
• Sunday, August 14th 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Rehearsals resume for "Youngers" choir
• Saturday, August 25th 10 am - 1 pm - TPYC helping Rotary Golf Fundraiser - Details TBA
• Sunday, August 26th following rehearsal - Monthly Parent Meeting for "Olders" choir
• Tuesday, August 28th following rehearsal - Monthly Parent Meeting for "Youngers" choir

• Saturday, September 1st - Labor Day Get Away OLDERS ONLY to 6 Flags - Details TBA
• Sunday, September 2nd - TPYC Mixer at Pampa H2O - Details TBA
• Sunday, September 23rd - Sup-n-Sing tickets and posters out
• Sunday, September 23rd - Combined Rehearsals for Hope Gala
• Tuesday, September 25th - Combined Rehearsals for Hope Gala
• Saturday, September 29th - Hope Gala Performance

• Sunday, October 1st - OLDERS Bring a Friend Day
• Tuesday, October 3rd - YOUNGERS Bring a Friend Day
• Saturday, October 20th - Pre-Region Audition Benchmark session - $35, Registration 9:30, 10:00 Begin.  3:00 End.  Run Music, major emphasis on sight-reading.
• Saturday, October 27th 4:00-8:00 pm - Sup-n-Sing Fall Fundraiser Event

• Saturday, November 3rd - Elks Gig - Details TBA
• Sunday, November 4th 2:00 pm- Fall Photo Shoot. Groups, then Individuals.
• Sunday, November 18th - TPYC Christmas Downtown Borger Neumann and Bailey - Details TBA

• Sunday, December 2nd - Full Rehearsal Both Groups.  Posters out for Christmas Concert.
• Monday, December 3rd (date subject to change) - Borger Christmas Sing/Parade - TBA
• Tuesday, December 4th - Full Rehearsal Both Groups.
• Tuesday, December 4th - FPC Hanging of the Green Performance - Details TBA
• Monday, December 10th (date subject to change) - FPC President's Christmas Party Performance - Details TBA
• Sunday, December 16th 3:30 pm - TPYC Christmas in Song in the FPC Auditorium
• Tuesday, December 18th - TPYC Christmas Caroling - Details TBA

• Thursday, January 3rd - All-State Benchmark Help Session - Details TBA
• Sunday, January 6th - Tuesday, January 8th 4:30-6:30 pm - TPYC Auditions
• Sunday, January 13th - "Olders" Rehearsals resume
• Tuesday, January 15th - "Youngers" Rehearsals resume

• Sunday, February 3rd - Tacos and Talent Tickets/Posters out and Auditions after rehearsal
• Tuesday, February 5th - TNT Tickets and Posters out. Auditions after rehearsal
• Sunday, February 24th - Full Rehearsal for TNT Show
• Tuesday, February 25th - Full Rehearsal for TNT Show

• Saturday, March 2nd 6:00 pm - Tacos and Talent Spring Fundraiser Event in the FPC Dining Hall
• Sunday, March 3rd - Bring a Friend Day
• Tuesday, March 5th - Bring a Friend Day
• Sunday, March 31st - All Ads and Bio's due for Yearbook

• Tuesday, April 2nd - All Ads and Bio's due for Yearbook
• Sunday, April 7th - Formal Photo Shoot - Details TBA
• Saturday, April 20th (date subject to change) - Dumas Festival for YOUNGERS and Wonderland Park- Details TBA
• Sunday, April 21st - Get out posters for Spring Concert / Major Rehearsal GSW
• Sunday, April 28th - Major final rehearsal for Greater Southwest Music Festival

• Thursday, May 2nd (date subject to change) - National Day of Prayer at Huber Park - Details TBA
• Thurdsay, May 2nd - Greater Southwest Music Festival for OLDERS in Amarillo - Details TBA
• Sunday, May 19th 3:30 pm - Spring Salute to FAITH, FAMILY, FREEDOM - Details TBA
• Tuesday, May 28th - 6 Flags Trip - Details TBA

POSSIBLE SUMMER OFFERINGS

Summer Theory Camp (Rhythm and Skills Focus)

Sight reading Specialty Camp

Serious Singers Camp

Summer Singing (some aren't) Camp

Voice Camp

Voice Lessons

All-State Starter Kit Camp

Texas Panhandle Youth Choir Members

Olders

Youngers

Texas Panhandle Youth Choir History 

In May 2016, when Johnny Miller announced his retirement from the Borger schools after 29 years of service and a total of 34 years, it occurred to him that there was a very real need in the Texas Panhandle for youth whose communities did not offer choir, or youth who were homeschooled or youth who simply wanted the opportunity to sing more. The evidence was a result of having students come from Stinnett, Fritch, and White Deer to Borger High School to be in choir.

Upon his retirement, Mr. Miller told some of his Borger singers that he was toying with the idea of having a choir like this, but needed a place to meet and call home. Enter Frank Phillips College. After having the opportunity to meet with President Jud Hicks and Vice-President Shannon Carroll, Mr. Miller was floored by the response they had and what they wanted to see happen with his vision and mission because of his passion. He quickly told folks, “You can take the choir director out of choir, but you cannot take the choir out of the choir director.”

God began to move and Mr. Miller met with folks, shared his passion and vision, and on September 10, 2016, the TPYC was born. In less than two months, membership went from zero to 54 singers, ages ranging from six years to 20 years. There are two working choirs, meeting at two different times for two-hour rehearsals each. The “Youngers” are from third grade to seventh grade and meet on Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The “Olders” are from eighth grade through college sophomore, meeting on Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. This allows students from FPC to be involved if they so choose. Entry is by audition and choir members must pay a monthly tuition fee and semester operations fee.

Little did he know how very real the need was!

There are now singers from Perryton, Spearman, Gruver, Pringle-Morse, Panhandle, Spring Creek, Stinnett, Fritch, Channing, Skellytown, Borger, and many homeschooled as well as FPC students. Mr. Miller tells folks, “It is like God said, “You’ve done it this way for so long. Now, kick back and enjoy this!” His phrase, “Soli Deo Gloria” (Latin for Glory to God Alone) and the 95th Psalm are the core values he stresses before each and every member of the TPYC. God continues to bless with many asking about auditions for the choir’s Fall and Spring seasons which happen in August and January at the FPC Choir Studio, across from the auditorium, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. There is no preparation necessary and each individual is handled on a first come first serve basis.  If any singers are currently participating in an organized choir program, it is important for them to understand that TPYC is in addition to, and not in place of, their current choir program. 

When Mr. Miller talks to civic organizations about his choir project, he lets them know that parents spend tons of money when they see their child exhibiting talents and choir now offers the availability for parents who see in their children talent and passion for the choral arts the opportunity to excel in that area because it is offered in partnership with Frank Phillips College outside of the school day.

The newly-formed organization, a non-profit, has had wonderful financial support throughout the community. This support allows the program to offer scholarships to singers who cannot afford to be a part of TPYC. Mr. Miller’s long-range goal is to find the finances necessary to bring sponsors, corporate donors, and companies who might want to participate in this mission, passion, and vision. To date, the organization has raised enough money to provide full scholarships for ten singers and is working on grants to help with organizational costs and the refit of the FPC auditorium. Donations go toward choir operation and scholarships. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made by going to the FPC webpage located at www.fpctx.edu and clicking on the TPYC link or contacting Mr. Miller by e-mailing jmiller@fpctx.edu or calling/texting 806.898.4847. You may also follow us on Facebook.

Please join us by supporting the award-winning TPYC financially or simply by helping us to get the information out as the Texas Panhandle Youth Choir goes on this most historic and blessed journey with God’s hand and guidance. He will always receive the glory as Mr. Miller is now in his 37th year of teaching post-retirement and having the continued opportunity to plant seeds of love for the very passion and reason he got into teaching for sharing the love and passion of music with others! Thank you for your time and attention!!!

TPYC Extras