David Simmons, who is no stranger to Encore, was raised in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. Upon graduating from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA in 1988, David moved to Washington, DC, where he attended The American University, Washington College of Law, and where he lived for 33 years. After a short career as a litigation and real estate attorney, David returned to his true passion, music, where his career has taken him from the music classroom to the church organ and choir loft, and from work as a recital soloist and accompanist to a variety of conductor’s podiums, stretching from choral and orchestral work to turns in musical theatre, jazz and opera.

He served as Director of Music for both Ascension Lutheran Church and Ascension Lutheran Day School in Landover Hills, MD from 1995 to 2012. From 2006 through 2019, he served as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the 100-voice Congressional Chorus in Washington, DC. He became the Founding Artistic Director of American Youth Chorus in 2008 and the founding director of the 24 member a cappella Congressional Chamber Ensemble in 2012, the same year he assumed the leadership of the NorthEast Senior Singers. From 2017 through the summer of 2021, David served as the Organist and Choir Director for Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC. From September of 2019 through August of 2021, David served as an Encore conductor in the DC region and then as the Associate Artistic Director of Encore Creativity. In September of 2021 accepted the appointment as the Director of Music for the historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Wilmington, Delaware. An accomplished pianist and church organist, David has been playing professionally since the age of 14. David conducted for many DC area companies including the Washington National Opera, The Capital City Symphony and the Washington Savoyards, at numerous venues, including The White House, US Capitol Building, State Department, Library of Congress, National Archives, The National Building Museum, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Round House Theater, the Harman Center for the Arts, the National Theatre, the Alden Theater, the Gildenhorn Theater, The Katzen Center for the Arts, Arena Stage, and the Atlas Performing Arts Center. In addition, he worked in the education and outreach programs of numerous choral organizations, including The Washington Chorus and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. David is excited to be returning to the Encore roster of conductors as he establishes Encore’s inaugural presence in “The First State.”

I was first introduced to choral singing in high school. It was life-changing. I had finally found a community who shared my passion for music and made the work of learning music challenging and fun! Music and the community it offers, has always been a source of joy for me, but also an uplifting way of processing difficult emotions and events in my life. I feel fortunate to have stumbled onto this at a young age. How fortunate that science now backs this up. When I first moved to DC, I sang with the National Cathedral choir. But my growing family and career soon became my primary focus. Music took a back seat for many years. When my desire for being in a choral community was once again possible, I joined the River Road Congregational choir. I sang with them for more than a dozen years, and its where I learned about Encore. I needed no convincing to get involved. The Encore mission is so important and so vital…I can’t imagine life without it!

I was born and raised in the Midwest and even after living in the DC area since 1985, I still consider myself a Midwesterner at heart. I attended graduate school in Architecture at the University of Minnesota and subsequently moved to DC where work in my field was plentiful. In 2000 I started my own firm, Meditch Murphey Architects, with my work partner and spouse, John Murphey. Our firm specializes in environmentally sustainable residential design. At 73, I’m still designing but am spending more and more time developing my musical interests. I briefly studied classical piano as a child but had never been exposed to jazz as a youth. About 10 years ago, I decided to start taking jazz piano lessons, something that I had been wanting to do for years. Oh, what a joy to learn the blues and be exposed to the full breadth of the jazz genre and its history! My jazz piano teacher encouraged me to start writing my own music. So, with the help of an Encore University music composition class (taught during Covid by Jonathan Kolm) I’ve discovered a new passion.

My greatest joy, outside of music, is my family. I’m lucky enough to have a delightful husband two wonderful children, each with their own individual passions that they are pursuing. And I’m fortunate to have a really fun extended family. We gather every summer at the family cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan.

I love sharing the “Encore gospel” wherever I go. I’m looking forward to helping Encore further expand its presence in the Midwest.

-Marcie Meditch

Joey Clark is a musical theater and cabaret performer, choral conductor, stage director and teaching artist. His work has been seen on the stages of McCarter Theatre (NJ), Syracuse Stage (NY), and many stages throughout Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Joey’s cabaret work began at NYC’s Duplex Cabaret Bar, and he has since gone on to direct, musical direct and perform in over 100 cabarets. He is a leader in the field of art-making specifically with older adult populations and is a conductor for the Giving Voice Chorus for those who live with Alzheimer’s and their care partners. With 25 years of teaching experience, Joey has taught and directed students age 3-106, serving as Musical Theatre Department Chair for Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (SPCPA) and as an instructor at MacPhail Center for Music (MN), Children’s Theatre Company (MN), History Theatre (MN), the 92nd Street Y (NYC), and Mayo Performing Arts Center (NJ). He is thrilled to be back on the east coast and making a home in Washington, D.C. teaching at Levine Music and conducting at Encore Creativity for Older Adults!

Jeff Dokken, Encore ROCKS conductor, has been with Encore since 2013. During that time he has conducted numerous chorales in the Washington DC region, and currently conducts Alexandria Chorale and ROCKS, Annapolis ROCKS, Glen Echo ROCKS, and DC Rocks. In addition to his responsibilities at Encore, Maestro Dokken is the Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia and Music Director and Conductor of the Rome Symphony Orchestra. He is a frequent guest conductor of orchestras and choirs across the United States, Europe, and South America. Recent highlights include conducting the world premiere of the Philip Glass Flute Concerto in Florence, Italy, guest conducting the National Symphony of Brazil, and return engagements with several orchestras in Ecuador.

Catherine Dehoney’s 40-year career has centered in arts management and fundraising, particularly in the choral field. In 2024, she concluded nearly ten years as president of Chorus America, the service association for choruses in the U.S. and Canada. Dehoney also served as the chief development officer at Chorus America for more than 10 years. Her work led to ground-breaking research and essential resources for chorus professionals, along with greater recognition for the field in the performing arts ecosystem. Prior to Chorus America, she was senior director of development at Gallaudet University. During her nine-years there, she served as a member of the president’s management team and the institutional advancement team. Her other experience includes capital campaign management, development consulting for a variety of arts nonprofits, and fundraising positions at the Castleton Festival, League of American Orchestras, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and the Friends of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She currently serves on the City of Alexandria (VA) Commission for the Arts. Dehoney received her BA in music from the College of William and Mary and continues to be an avid singer, having sung professionally in church choirs and with a jazz band.

Ann has been singing and dancing for as long as she can remember. Growing up in Oklahoma, she never considered the performing arts as a way to make a living, but she sang and danced throughout her life, enjoying every moment. She won a dance scholarship to study with her mentor, a jazz choreographer just outside of Chicago. And at the age of 21, she had her first professional job and joined Actor’s Equity. Ann returned to Oklahoma and got married and as a newlywed, moved to the DC area in 1969.

After birthing her daughter in 1973, she returned to dance, teaching at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and performing in community theater and musical reviews. Like most actors, she had a day job, but also started performing in cabarets at DC Space, along with special performances for the Smithsonian Performing Arts Division, focusing on American composers and lyricists. She performed for the National Archives when they were celebrating Irving Berlin’s 100th birthday and she joined a big band traveling show entitled “String of Pearls” where she sang both as a soloist and as part of an Andrew Sisters trio. Ann then started working with professional theaters in the area, the highlight of which was receiving two Helen Hayes Award nominations as best actress in a musical for her work in March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland at Studio Theater.

At the age of 46, Ann decided to consult with a career counselor to figure out what she was going to do when she grew up. Around that same time, she received a call from the political satire group, The Capitol Steps. They needed a woman to fill in for a member of their group on maternity leave. Ann was hired and remained with The Capitol Steps for twenty years, during which time she had an opportunity to perform in every state of the union. One of her most memorable performances was for the OJ Jury during their extended time of sequestration. And so, at mid-life, Ann was able to support herself as a performing artist, with a 401-K no less. Who could have imagined that happening in a place like Washington, DC?

After retiring from singing as a profession, Ann wondered how to keep those vocal cords active. Enter “Encore Creativity for Older Adults.”

Learn more about Encore: https://encorecreativity.org/

Suzanne LaFollette-Black has been a gerontologist for the past 40+ years. Suzanne’s career has been in the aging network as a non-profit nursing home administrator, Area Agency on Aging Director, Executive Director of Moore County Department of Aging, AARP Georgia State Director, AARP NC Associate State Director of Advocacy and Community Outreach and aging network volunteer.

She recently retired and serves as a lead AARP volunteer with the national DIY/DWG, Driver Safety, AARP Coastal region, Disaster preparedness for older adult’s task force, Memory Partners, Powerful Tools for Caregivers class leader, New Hanover County Master Aging Plan committee, Food Bank, Grandparent Support Network, and other various organizations. Co-founded ENCORE Sentimental Journey Singers of the Cape Fear for caregivers and their loved ones with dementia.

Suzanne is originally from Window Rock, Arizona (Navajo Indian reservation). Suzanne has a BS in Sociology and minor in Zoology/ Music from NAU and graduate studies at USC Ethel Andrus Percy Gerontology program and MASA from University of North Texas, Denton, Texas.

She serves on the national AARP Driver Safety Advisory Council; NCAOA (NC Association on Aging, Inc.) Board and was President from 2018-2020; past Pinehurst Rotary President; Women’s Impact Network; Assistance League of Greater Wilmington, past NCIOM Deaf and Hearing committee; Governor’s Highway Safety Executive Committee; 2022-2023 NCIOM Healthy Aging Task Force; and works with other community organizations.

Suzanne received the 2025 NCAOA Distinguished Service in Aging Award; 2021 NCPTA Transit Advocate of the Year, 2021 NCCOA Pioneer of Aging award; 2018 NCAOA Star award; CMS Innovation award for Caregiving in the Workplace. She hosted and produced the AARP Meet Nannie and Grammy: The Joys and Blessings of Grandparenting FB Live show.

Suzanne loves music which she sings in two chorale groups. She serves as the Chr of the Music and Fine Arts Committee of Community Congregational church. She loves to travel and spend time with her grandkids. She serves as the Moore County delegate to the NC Senior Tar Heel legislator and Moore County Community Advisory Committee (volunteer ombudsman).