Directors

Dorothy Wilson, Director of Choirs

Dorothy@katyisd.org

Dorothy Wilson has completed 22 years as the Head Choir Director at Cinco Ranch High School and this is her 39 year of teaching all levels of music. In addition, she serves as the Fine Arts Department Chair. Previously she served as the Assistant Choir Director at James E. Taylor High School. Prior to that she established the choir program at Memorial Parkway Jr. High and Beck Jr. High. Her teaching philosophy is embodied in this quote by Helen Kemp, a noted music educator, “Body, mind, spirit, voice. It takes the whole person to sing and rejoice.”  

During her tenure at Cinco Ranch High School, Mrs. Wilson has consistently earned Sweepstakes at UIL Concert and Sightreading Assessments and Outstanding Performance at festivals in Texas. Her choirs have won national contests and been invited to perform at the Texas Music Educators Association twice and at the Southwest American Choral Directors Association.  She has had the privilege of being selected “Cinco Ranch High School Teacher of the Year” and “CRHS PTA Lifetime Member.” In 2023, she was honored to receive the UIL Sponsor of Excellence Award. 

Mrs. Wilson is active in the Texas Music Educators Association having served 4 terms as TMEA Region 23 Vocal Region Chairman. She currently serves as the Region 23 Tabulations Chair. She is the past President of TMEA Region 23. She has served as TMEA All-State Section Leader for both the Treble Choir and Mixed Choir Section Leader. Mrs. Wilson serves as a clinician for choirs in the Houston area. Mrs. Wilson’s professional affiliations include TMEA, TCDA, ACDA, TSTA/NEA.

Dorothy resides in Katy with her husband Robert and their beloved dog Jack. Together, they have two grown and married children:, two precious granddaughters, and three granddogs.

#LivelifeLoveMusic

Thomas Van Sickle - Associate Director of Choirs

ThomasJVanSickle@KatyISD.org

Tommy Van Sickle is in his 11th year of teaching and is excited to be coming from Deer Park High School to Cinco Ranch High School. He obtained his bachelor's degree in Music Education from Louisiana State University, where he sang in the LSU Concert Chorale and Chamber Choir with Ken Fulton and John Dickson. While at LSU Tommy was also part of the start up of BREVE, a professional early music vocal ensemble.

Tommy has previously sung in Cantare, a professional ensemble based in Houston, and is currently singing at his church. He is an avid hiker/back packer, College Sport Enthusiast, and loves to travel! He and his wife visited 7 different countries this summer and are already planning their next trip! If he’s not in the classroom teaching, you can generally find him trying out new local restaurants or on the couch watching sports.

Voice Instructors

Jana Ellsworth

Jana Ellsworth attended Texas Tech University for vocal performance. She toured with San Diego Opera Ensemble and was an apprentice artist with Cleveland Lyric Opera. A three time Metropolitan Opera Council Award Winner, Jana has recorded the opera Tania for Koch International Classics and has sung roles such as Musetta, Adele and Hanna Glawari.  Jana was most recently seen in Houston as Dame Hannah in Ruddigore and as Ruth in Pirates of Penzance with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. She was in productions of Sweeney Todd and Beauty and the Beast with Theater Under The Stars. She has also been seen at Stageworks in shows such as Oliver! Into The Woods, Footloose, and Urinetown. Other shows regionally include Legally Blonde and Les Miserables. She was a part of the most recent World Tour of Phantom of the Opera in Asia. And the Middle East as Alternate Carlotta, and Wild Woman/Spanish lady. Jana music directs many teen productions at Stageworks Theater in Cypress. She has taught voice for 22 years and loves to work with children and teens developing the skills of the next generation of performers. Jana and her husband live in Katy with their two teenage children.

Traci Woods-Dennis

Traci Woods-Dennis is a mezzo-soprano from Texas. She graduated from Mayde Creek High School back when there were only three high schools in Katy ISD and obtained her Bachelor Degree in Vocal Performance from Houston Baptist University. Ms. Traci has taught voice and music theory for almost 20 years and performs at Houston area venues throughout the year. She is a volunteer with Caring Harmony (a singing group that goes to retirement homes and rehab facilities through St. Peter's United Methodist Church). She loves reading and is scheduled for graduation with her masters degree in Spring 2025. She lives in Katy with her husband, Jason, and dogs, Anne and Edward. 

Benjamin Williams

I am fortunate to be one of the voice teachers at CINCO RANCH HS! I try to create a safe, engaging learning environment where students of all skill sets & abilities can thrive. 2 of my main goals are to equip students with a solid vocal technique that will help them succeed in all their musical endeavors, & to help them find comfort within themselves through singing. Since 2017, hard working studio members gained admittance into TMEA All-State Womens, Mens, and Mixed Choirs, the Interlochen Summer Music Festival, the Lamont Summer Vocal Academy, the Oberlin Summer Vocal Program, Houston Grand Opera's Bauer Family High School Voice Studio, the University of North Texas, Lawrence Conservatory, Texas State University, Sam Houston State UniversitY, University of Texas at Austin, LSU, Texas Tech, University of Houston, Northwestern University, andMichigan State University.