Meet The
Directors
Conductor
Dr. Steven Ward
Dr. Steven Ward serves as the Music Director/Conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Abilene. He is also a Professor of Music at Abilene Christian University, where he is the Director of Bands, conductor of the Wind Ensemble, coordinator of the chamber music program, and teaches courses in conducting. Previous to his appointment at ACU, he was Director of Bands at Hope College in Holland, MI, and the Music Director/Conductor of the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra in Kalamazoo, MI.
Dr. Ward holds a D.M.A. in Conducting from Michigan State University, a M.A. in Conducting from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a B.M. in Music Education from Abilene Christian University. Prior to his appointment at Hope College, Dr. Ward was the Music Director/Conductor of the Grande Ronde Symphony Orchestra in La Grande, OR, and was Instructor of Music at Eastern Oregon University.
Abilene Youth Strings
Jennifer Schweigert
Mission Strings
Debbie Flatt
Molly Amlung
In addition to her extensive musical background, Molly holds both Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Occupational Therapy. She is passionate about integrating her expertise in child development into music education, helping students build skills related to posture, strength, dexterity, visual-motor integration, and music literacy. As a founding member of Mission Strings in 2020, Molly has been honored to help shape the program and is proud to have watched it grow into the thriving community it is today.
Preschool Music Adventure Club
Katie Appleton
Baby Music
Joyce McGlaun