Issue link: http://saihq.uberflip.com/i/1545853
20 Summer 2026 • sai-national.org DR. JAMES FRANKLIN Dr. James Franklin was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Beta Psi Chapter at East Carolina University in May. Dr. Franklin is the Director of Choral Activities at East Carolina University, where he conducts the ECU Chamber Singers and University Chorale, directs the graduate program in choral conducting, and teaches undergraduate conducting. Under his direction, the ECU Chamber Singers won third place in the 19th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf in June 2025. Previously, he and the Chamber Singers released Silence and Music in 2024, their second consecutive album recorded with a multi GRAMMY-winning recording team. In addition to his duties at ECU, Dr. Franklin is a GRAMMY-nominated choral singer. He has performed with several professional choirs including the PaTRAM Institute Male Choir, South Dakota Chorale, Taylor Festival Choir, Orpheus Chamber Singers, Saint Tikhon Choir, Dallas Bach Society, Houston Bach Society, and Fuma Sacra of New Jersey. He has received invitations to perform at the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (Varna, Bulgaria), National ACDA Conference (Kansas City, MO), National Collegiate Choral Organization Conference (Atlanta, GA), Southern ACDA Conference (Louisville, KY), and North Carolina ACDA (Raleigh, NC). With a consistent commitment to learning and studying the choral craft, Dr. Franklin continues to pursue educational opportunities. He has participated in the Eric Ericson Master Class in both Harlem, The Netherlands and Lund, Sweden; the Choral Conducting Master Class at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary; and the International Master Class with the Stuttgart Kammerchor in Vaison-la- Romaine, France. He also serves as co-director of traditional worship at St. James United Methodist Church. Prior to his conducting at the collegiate level, he taught public high school and middle school choir in Texas. An active member of ACDA, IFCM, TMEA, and TCDA, he often serves as a clinician and adjudicator across the United States. Dr. Franklin earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College, and a Bachelor of Music Education with a Vocal Emphasis from Baylor University. DR. BRIAN MASON Dr. Brian Mason was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Gamma Upsilon Chapter at Morehead State University in May. Dr. Mason has been a Professor of Percussion and Coordinator of the Percussion Studies program at Morehead State University for over fifteen years. He oversees the percussion ensembles, MSU Steel, and the award-winning marching percussion ensemble that was featured on the vicfirth.com instructional video series Marching Percussion 101. He has been a recipient of the MSU Distinguished Teacher Award, the KMEA College/University Teacher of the Year Award, and the MSU Distinguished Faculty Service Award. Dr. Mason is Associate Principal Percussion with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, and Principal Percussion for the Cave Run Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of the Percussive Arts Society Board of Advisors, is a Past President of the PAS KY Chapter, and appears as a guest artist with high school and university percussion ensembles across the US. A highly-respected innovator of the contemporary marching percussion ensemble, Dr. Mason's career in the Drum Corps International spanned more than two decades, claiming two World Championships and three High Percussion titles, along with many other awards and honors. Dr. Mason has published articles in Percussive Notes, has been interviewed in Modern Drummer and Band and Orchestra Magazine, and co-authored The Commandments of R&B Drumming (Warner Brothers), which was voted "No. 1 Drum Set Method Book" in Modern Drummer's 2000 Readers Poll. Dr. Mason is a performing artist for Mapex Drums, Majestic Percussion, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjian cymbals, Evans drumheads, Black Swamp Percussion, and Etymotic Hearing Protection, and his original works and arrangements are published through Row-Loff Productions, Tap Space Publications, and Bachovich Music Publications. Dr. Mason earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Music from the University of Nevada, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Kentucky. DR. ANNA ROSE NELSON Dr. Anna Rose Nelson was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Gamma Epsilon Chapter at the University of Maryland in May. Distinguished Members NATIONAL ARTS ASSOCIATE a person who is nationally recognized for distinguished contribution to the arts