Staff & Board
Jordan Rakita, Artistic Director
jordan.rakita@boyschorus.org
Jordan Rakita serves as the Artistic Director of the Tucson Boys Chorus, the longest standing community boys chorus in the country. He is honored to continue the legacy from his predecessors, including Director Emeritus, Dr. Julian Ackerley, as he conducts the TowneSingers, TAYME, and Touring Chorus, along with the neighborhood choirs in the surrounding Tucson area. He is currently completing his doctoral degree in Choral Conducting from Arizona State University where he has directed the tenor/bass ensemble Canticum Bassum. During his time at ASU, he served as the director for the Phoenicians, a premier barbershop chorus in the Metro Phoenix area. He holds degrees in Music Education and a Masters in Choral Conducting from Northern Arizona University under Dr. Edith Copley. He is a sought after conductor and clinician, with an emphasis on tenor and bass voices as well as middle school ensembles.
Rakita has been fortunate to pursue performance as an established tenor in the Phoenix area. He was thrilled to be a part of the Grammy-award winning Phoenix Chorale under Charles Bruffy. He also sang in Helios, a unique early music vocal ensemble made up of seven voices. As an educator, Rakita is the former director at Gilbert Christian High School as well as Heritage Academy, instructing hundreds of local high school students. His ensembles have consistently received awards both locally and regionally. As an advocate for secondary education, Jordan has presented at various local and regional conferences, emphasizing the role of the educator as both facilitator and artist.
Rakita is thrilled to join the thriving arts and education community in Tucson, and to serve the educators in the surrounding area. His desire is to provide opportunity for boys and young men to thrive in a safe environment that encourages musical excellence and strong leadership skills.
Renee Shane-Boyd, Administrative Director
shaneboyd@boyschorus.org
(520) 296-6277
Renee Shane-Boyd has been a music educator and administrator in Tucson for 39 years. She has served as president of the Arizona Music Educators Association, and is the Western Division President for the National Association for Music Education. She served for five years as the TABC Parent Executive Committee President and for four years as the President of the TABC Board of Directors. In addition to her role as the Administrative Director for the Chorus, Renee is the Director of Bands at Catalina Foothills High School.
Guillermo Keymolent, Associate Conductor
guillermo.keymolent@boyschorus.org
Guillermo is a dedicated music educator from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. After receiving his Master's in Music Performance from Cal State, Northridge, Guillermo returned to Tucson accepting a position in the Tanque Verde Unified School District, working with elementary, junior high and high school ensembles. He has helped to revitalize the choir program, providing exchanges with vocal artists like Dr. Hugo Vera, the Director of Voice and Opera at CSUN, and collaborating in performance with the University of Arizona Symphonic Choir and Dr. Elizabeth Schauer. Alongside his teaching, Mr. Keymolent is an award-winning tenor who has performed roles such as Rodolfo in La Bohème while serving as children’s chorus master. He is thrilled to be a part of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus!
Marie Sierra, Accompanist
Marie Sierra is a professional pianist who performs collaboratively in over 40 concerts annually and serves as the Young Men’s Ensemble Accompanist for the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus. Ms. Sierra toured with the Boys Chorus in Russia, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea, China and throughout the United States. She has performed and recorded with flautist Viviana Cumplido of the Phoenix Symphony, Michael Becker of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and with Yamaha Saxophone Artist, Michael Hester, on Seasons and An American Patchwork.
Marie is in demand as an accompanist throughout the United States and Mexico. Additionally, she has performed at numerous international music conferences, including the ITEC conferences in Denver, Colorado, Riva del Garda, Italy and Greensboro, North Carolina. Marie has served on the faculties of the Belmont University in Nashville and the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance from the University of Miami.
Mary-Gray Mahoney, Office Manager
tabc@boyschorus.org
(520) 296-6277 ext. 3
Mary-Gray has a B.A. in English Literature from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. She was raised in Prescott, AZ and has lived in Tucson since 2013. She comes to TABC after working in the hospitality industry - she has worked for Xanterra in Yellowstone National Park, Marriott International, and Canyon Ranch. In her spare time, Mary-Gray is an avid reader, ceramicist, enjoys traveling, and hanging out with her cats.