Gaye McClure is in her twenty-eighth year as a music educator in Arkansas, and in her tenth year as choral director at Southside High School in Fort Smith.  A native of Pine Bluff, she is a 1986 graduate of  the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.  In December of 2005, she completed the degree of Master of Education in School Counseling and Leadership from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.  In 2009, Gaye completed requirements to become a National Board Certified Teacher.  

Prior to her position at Southside High School, Ms. McClure was Choral Director at Ramsey Jr. High School in Fort Smith for 12 years.  While at Ramsey, the choral program grew from 80 students to over 300.  Ramsey Choirs were invited to sing at the Arkansas All-State Music Conference in 1999.  The Select Girls Chorus at Ramsey was honored to perform at the Southwestern Division Convention of the ACDA in Houston in 2002, and again in 2006 in St. Louis.  

During her time as choral director at Southside High School, her choirs have received all Division I ratings at both the region and state level, and have received numerous “Best in Class” awards at State Festival.  Southside Choirs were honored to be chosen to perform at the 2012 Arkansas All-State Music Conference.  Southside has had a great number of students in both the West Central Region Choirs and the All-State Choirs, including 105 students in last year’s All-Region Choir.

Ms. McClure has served as adjudicator and clinician in several regions in Arkansas, as well as in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Florida.  Gaye has served as accompanist for reading sessions at both divisional and national ACDA conventions, All-Region Choirs, and for the Arkansas All-State Choirs.  She was a long-time faculty member of the Arkansas Choral Connection summer choir camp, and is Chancel Choir director at First United Methodist Church in Fort Smith.  She is also the accompanist for the Fort Smith Chorale.  Ms. McClure is also a singer in the Morris Caroling Company, a group formed recently to perform Alfred Burt Carols.  

Gaye served as chairperson of the West Central region of the Arkansas Choral Directors Association for six years, and is the immediate Past President of the ArkCDA. Her new role within ArkCDA is that of All-State Chairperson. She also serves as the Men’s Choir Repertoire and Standards Chair for the Arkansas chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.  

Gaye loves spending time with her children.  Sydney and her husband, Clinton, have been married for one year and live in Centerton, AR. They are both University of Arkansas Graduates. Spencer is a Biology major at the University of Arkansas. Both Sydney and Spencer are graduates of Southside High School, and both were members of Mixed Chorus and Chamber Choir (formerly Johnny Rebs).