Childs, David N.

David N. Childs (b. 1969; Nelson, New Zealand) has a Bachelor’s degree in composition and musicology from Canterbury University, Christchurch, New Zealand; a Master of Music degree in conducting from Florida State University, Tallahassee; and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Louisiana State University.

From 2000-2011, Dr. Childs served as tenured Associate Professor of Choral Studies at the Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He has conducted numerous All-State and honor choirs, and his compositions frequently appear at state festivals and workshops, and at ACDA state, regional, and national conventions.

Dr. Childs has received commissions from around the world, including Japan, New Zealand, and South Africa. In 2010 he was voted the Tennessee Composer of the Year and established Vox Humana, a Nashville-based professional choir of twenty-four voices, and served as their Executive and Artistic Director. Vox Humana’s compact disc recording Into the Night was released by Naxos in May 2013.

In 2013, Dr. Childs accepted the Director of Music position at University Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. He is married to Lesley French Childs, Assistant Professor of Laryngology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, and is the proud father of two beautiful young daughters.