2023-2024 Chapter Officers
Edward B. Hurd
Dean
Edward Hurd is a singer and organist, with wide experience conducting around the world. A native of Portland, Ore., Hurd became a fan of music from the Baroque period at an early age. He has performed with or directed numerous early music ensembles, most notably with New York Pro Musica Antiqua, and the Northwest Bach Festival, when only original period instruments were used.
Hurd holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Washington University, Ellensburg, where he spent four years as organist and assistant music director at First Presbyterian Church. While teaching at East Valley High School in Spokane Valley, he served as director of music ministries for Opportunity Presbyterian Church. He was full-time director of music ministries (organist/choirmaster) for First Presbyterian Church in Mesa, Ariz. while completing his graduate studies in choral conducting at Arizona State University. For ten years, he served as associate director of music and organist for All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Phoenix. He has conducted choral ensembles twice at the St. Moritz Festival (Switzerland), and numerous tours and festivals throughout England, Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Russia. Hurd’s principal conducting teachers include the late B. Fred Hammack, G. Gordon Leavitt, and Douglas McEwen.
While in Nebraska, Hurd served as director of traditional worship (organist/ choirmaster) for the 2,500-member congregation of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in La Vista, Neb. for nine years. He was artistic director for the 200-voice community chorus, Voices of Omaha, for eight years. He was performance rentals director for Omaha Performing Arts which operates the Orpheum Theater and Holland Performing Arts Center, joining the organization as general manager in 2003.
Since returning to Spokane, Hurd was organist/bellmaster for Opportunity Presbyterian Church in Spokane Valley before joining the staff of Central Lutheran Church. He is a busy substitute music teacher for Spokane Public Schools and maintains a private piano and voice teaching studio. Hurd is a frequent adjudicator for area solo/ensemble contests.
Hurd is a member of the National Association for Music Education and American Choral Directors Association.
Hurd serves the chapter in areas: Communications/Marketing
Taylor Giese
Sub-Dean
Taylor Giese is the music director and organist for St. Francis Xavier Parish, Spokane, and organist for Zion Lutheran Church, Millwood. Giese is an adherent of the 19th century French romantic school, and especially admires the school’s integration of chant and organ. He has also spent many hours restoring the St. Fancis Xavier parish organ, and is in the process of a full-scale renovation which will more than double the available pipes.
Giese serves the chapter in areas: Communications/Marketing
Nisha Coulter
Recording Secretary
Nisha Coulter is presently organist at All Saints Lutheran Church. She began organ playing in high school when her church sponsored lessons by Lewis and Clark College’s professor. At the University of Oregon, she studied with Elwin Myrick and John Hamilton. She chose to keep music as an avocation. With a degree in French and minors in English and history, her teaching career encompassed junior and senior high school students. Nisha has served in various denominations including Disciples of Christ, Congregational, Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopal as organist and oft-times choir director. Before Spokane, she lived in St. Helens, Eugene, and Roseburg, Oregon and later in the San Francisco Bay area and the Los Angeles area. She has two daughters and four grandchildren.
Coulter serves the chapter in areas: Program
Mark Haberman
Corresponding Secretary
Mark Haberman joined the Trinity Lutheran Church staff as organist in the summer of 2023. He served as interim organist and pianist for the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist during the 2022-2023 season. Mark has served in part-time or full-time music ministry positions in primarily United Methodist Churches since 1976, including congregations in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, & Washington. His undergraduate work in music education and elementary education was completed at United Methodist related Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. His graduate work includes a master’s degree in organ performance with related areas in choral conducting and church music from the University of Minnesota and graduate theological studies from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Mark is an ordained United Methodist Deacon.
Haberman serves the chapter in areas: Program, Nominating
Marlys Meece
Treasurer
Marlys Meece is a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church where she serves as a Stephen Minister and the treasurer of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Her service as treasurer to the Spokane Chapter AGO was preceded by Worship Chairman at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church.
She was invited to join the AGO by the organist at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church who recognized her devotion for the great hymns of faith and symphonic music, choral anthems, and handbells. Her invitation to join AGO promoted a love for the pipe organ and classical music particularly the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical eras.
Marlys retired from Spokane County Community Services as a Fiscal Grants Specialist. She has continued to serve in the capacity as treasurer in her church as well as the Spokane Chapter by AGO. She enjoys providing assistance to the Spokane Chapter AGO membership in yearly renewals and supporting the Spokane Chapter AGO Board in the area of finance.
Meece serves the chapter in areas: Development/Finance
Henry Bauer, D.M.A.
Member at Large
Henry Bauer, D.M.A is the Director of Music at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in Spokane, Wash., where he conducts the Schola Cantorum, Cathedral Choir, and Diocesan Choir as well as being Artistic Director of the Sacred Music Series. He has served as a Director of Music and Liturgy in parishes in the Archdiocese of Washington. He holds a doctorate in Sacred Music and choral conducting along with masters in liturgical music and organ from The Catholic University of America. His doctoral dissertation is on choral literature for the liturgical year. Outside of his professional music ministry career, Bauer has held several leadership positions for NPM throughout the years.
Bauer is the current chair of the Director of Music Ministries (DMM) Forum, was a member of the board of the Director of Music Ministries Division (DMM), and chair of the Partner Certification Review Committee for Lay Ecclesial Ministry. He continues to coordinate the Choral Anthem Project and leads reading sessions on choral music. He has presented workshops for cantors and organists, lectures on the role of music and musicians in the liturgy, and choral rehearsal techniques. He has served as a Core Committee member for two national conventions and been the Chapter Director and Treasurer for the Washington DC Chapter. He has led several choir tours to Europe. When not doing pastoral work, Henry enjoys traveling and doing home renovations.
Bauer serves the chapter in areas: Program, Professional Concerns
Marietta Hardy
Member at Large
Marietta Hardy earned her Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Organ Pedagogy. She then taught group organ classes for BYU and has been teaching privately ever since. She is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in piano and organ through the Music Teachers National Association and has served as President of the local chapter, and is currently serving as Treasurer of the Idaho Music Teachers Association. She served as the accompanist for the Northwest Sacred Music Chorale 2001-2016. She also worked for the late Ron Pearson at the Organ Loft and Northwest Organ Service, selling and demonstrating organs. Currently she is an adjunct piano instructor and resident accompanist at North Idaho College as well as the collaborative artist for their Cardinal Chorale and Chamber Choir. She has a thriving studio in Post Falls where she teaches organ, piano, and voice lessons. She has conducted several church choirs and has been the organist for her congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for many years.
Hardy serves the chapter in areas: Membership
Joseph Schubert, Ph.D.
Member at Large
Joseph Schubert retired from teaching in 2020, after thirty-six years of teaching choral music in public schools at the junior high, high school, and university levels. From 2009 through 2023 Dr. Schubert also taught music theory, choral literature, and academic research and writing in the “Three-Summer Master of Music in Choral Conducting” program at California State University, Los Angeles. He has been a church organist since he was eighteen years old, and is currently serving as temporary organist at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Spokane. Dr. Schubert’s dissertation dealt with twentieth-century French organist Jean-Jacques Grunenwald, providing an extensive biography and a comprehensive analysis of Grunenwald’s solo organ works in the context of the twentieth-century French organ school.
Schubert serves the chapter in areas: Program