Artistic Leadership

Marty Banghart

Conductor/Artistic Direcor

Artistic Director – Martha Banghart provides the force and vision guiding the Deer Creek Chorale since its inception in 2007. A career Maryland music educator, Ms. Banghart has dedicated her energies toward developing the Deer Creek Chorale into a compassionate, talented, inter-generational choir dedicated to enriching the greater Baltimore community with meaningful experiences in the choral arts. Ms. Banghart is committed to exposing her choristers to a myriad of guest clinicians such as Anthony Blake Clark, Terry Eberhardt, Stephen Holmes, Michael Semancik, Arian Khaefi and guest conductors including Simon Carrington, Tom Hall, Paul Head, Z. Randall Stroope, Daniel McDavitt, Derrick Fox, Bruce Rogers and Arreon Harley-Emerson. She has led the choir in the study and performance of major works such as Carmina Burana, Messiah, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War, Mass of the Children, Glorias by Rutter and Poulenc, Requiems by Rutter, Mozart, Faure, Brahms and Durufle; Magnificats by Bach, Pergolesi and Rutter; Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, Barnett’s Bluegrass Mass, Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna and Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass. Her choirs have performed internationally in the United Kingdom, China, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy.

Another trademark of the Deer Creek Chorale is its commitment to community service. Each year the organization collaborates with another nonprofit either locally or globally. Commissioning new works is another important aspect of Ms. Banghart‘s work. Many of these commissions have been through a Chorus America consortium or sponsored by individual donors. Ms. Banghart is passionate about the benefits of singing at any age both physically and spiritually. Singing is a lifelong activity and one that educates and inspires. The creation of the youth choir in 2016 was one of Ms. Banghart’s goals. As a result, the combined programs presently serve ages 6 through 86 with many opportunities for the groups to work together and learn from each other.

Ms. Banghart is an active member of the National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association and Chorus America. By attending these conferences, she explores new repertoire, networks with colleagues and composers and learns about the new trends in leading a nonprofit arts organization. She made her directorial debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018. Her awards include Teacher of the Year, Humanitarian Award, Teacher of Excellence in Maryland, and a Director of Note. She continues to study voice and vocal pedagogy and maintains a private voice and classical guitar studio. She has served as a national consultant, adjudicator, guest conductor, soloist, and clinician. She and her husband, maintain three homes, and, whether in Canada, Maryland, or Sanibel, Florida; Ms. Banghart is active in the music scene.

Greg Arment

Assistant Director

Greg Arment has been active as an educator, church musician, and accompanist in various parts
of Maryland since 2005. A Jarrettsville native and graduate of North Harford High School, his
first professional musical activity was as the organist at St. Paul and Norrisville United
Methodist Churches while he was in high school. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from
Susquehanna University and his Master of Music degree from Anderson University, both in
Music Education.

Greg taught elementary and middle school music in Wicomico and Baltimore counties for nine
years before moving into a Teacher Coach position. While in Wicomico County, he played in pit
orchestras and served as the rehearsal accompanist for the Community Players of Salisbury. He
is also the Director of Music and Organist at Orems United Methodist Church in Middle River.
He lives in Parkville with his wife, Melissa, and daughters, Lena and Eliza.

Julie Culotta

Youth Choir Artistic Director

Julie is an active and engaging choral conductor, clinician, presenter and adjudicator. She founded the Deer Creek Youth Choir in 2016, after receiving her Masters of Music from Georgia State University, where she studied choral conducting with Deanna Joseph. She is also the Music Teacher and Youth Music Minister at St. Joseph Parish in Cockeysville, Maryland.

A Maryland native, Mrs. Culotta’s love for community youth choir began as a young singer with the the Frederick Children’s Chorus under the direction of Mrs. Judy DuBose. Mrs. Culotta received her Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Maryland – College Park. She previously taught choral music at North Harford Middle School in Harford County. Mrs. Culotta served as Artistic Director of the All Children’s Chorus of Annapolis (ACCA), an auditioned community youth chorus for young singers age 7-18. Since beginning with ACCA in 2006, she developed the program from one ensemble of 40 singers to over 100 singers in three ensembles.  She is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and serves on the Board of the Maryland Choral Educator Association. Mrs. Culotta resides in Lutherville, Maryland with her husband Dave and their 4 children, Adelyn, Cooper, Camden and Grace.

Stacey Scarff

Youth Choir Assistant Director

Stacey Scarff is currently the music director at Highland Presbyterian Church in Street, MD. She spent 17 years teaching chorus for Harford County Public Schools before deciding to resign in order to spend more time with her family. She is a former student of Martha Banghart and was one of the original members of the Deer Creek Chorale. Stacey is very excited to have the opportunity to work with young singers again and is looking forward to making more beautiful music!

Roy L. Belfield, Jr.

Accompanist

Roy L. Belfield, Jr., a native of Petersburg, Virginia, began his undergraduate studies in music at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Master’s degrees in music education and organ performance from Florida State University in Tallahassee, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music. As an educator, Dr. Belfield taught students from pre-school to college for twenty-two years.  As a church musician, he has served six denominations throughout the country.  As an accompanist, Belfield has collaborated with numerous choirs, vocalists, and instrumentalists.  As composer and arranger, Dr. Belfield has written works for chorus, voice and piano and organ. Dr. Belfield is currently Director of Music Ministries and Organist at Towson United Methodist Church in Maryland.