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Heart for the Arts Staff
Dirk Donahue
President/Conductor
From 1995 to 2010, Dirk Donahue performed as a full-time singer and vocal captain in the “Voices of Liberty” acapella group at Walt Disney's EPCOT theme park. Currently Dirk can be seen performing with the “Dapper Dans of Main Street” Barbershop Quartet at Magic Kingdom Park. He also acts as a rehearsal director, since 2000, for Disney’s Cast Choir for the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT.
Dirk also served as Performing Arts Director at Johnson University Florida in Kissimmee from 2004 until 2024. Along with Teaching private voice, Dirk was the Director of Johnson’s “Campus Choir and Choral Society” as well as co-Director of the university’s select ensemble, “New Creation.”
Dirk was born and raised in Osceola County Florida. He has an Associate of Arts degree in Music (percussion/voice) from Seminole State College and has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Central Florida.
Dirk is the recipient of 3 of the highest honors one can receive as a Walt Disney Cast member. The Walt Disney Partners in Excellence Award, a Walt Disney World “Mousecar” which is Disney’s version of the Oscar, and the highest award given to a cast member, becoming a member of the inaugural class of the Walt Disney Legacy Award.
Dirk conducts our Thursday night rehearsals at our Kissimmee location.
Ruth Reyes
Accompanist
Ruth Topacio Reyes, Ed.D., originally from Manila, the Philippines, is a retired professor of music and assistant dean of the School of Communication and Creative Arts of Johnson University. She taught piano, music theory, music history, music appreciation, and practical worship leadership courses. She studied at the Juilliard School Pre-College Division. She received a Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Arts in piano performance from Queens College, New York, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.
Ruth has performed as a recital soloist, chamber musician, orchestral soloist, and art song and choral accompanist. She has also served in worship ministries in Long Island,
New York, Princeton, New Jersey, and Tampa, Florida. She is a pianist for Walt Disney Entertainment and a partner
recruitment manager for Two Penny Publishing. Ruth is married with two grown daughters.
Ruth is the accompanist for our Thursday night rehearsals at our Kissimmee location.
Greg Carswell
Conductor
Greg Carswell, earned his Bachelors in Music Education Degree from FSU where he studied with the legendary choral icons Dr. Colleen Kirk and Clayton Krehbiel.
He began his tenure at Osceola High School where he showcased various groups including show choir, mixed chorus, madrigal singers, and a womens’ and mens’ choir. Over the years his department received numerous superior ratings at the Florida Vocal Association’s annual MPA festivals. The singers were invited and performed twice in Carnegie Hall as well as various choral festivals throughout the United States and Canada where they consistently placed in the top three.
Upon retiring, he took a three-year hiatus and then accepted a position at the Osceola County School for the Arts where he established the middle school vocal program as well as the show choir and men’s chorus before once again retiring.
Presently, he is a substitute teacher for the Osceola County School District and teaches private voice lessons.
Greg conducts our Monday night rehearsals at our St. Cloud location.
Tony Cason
Accompanist
Tony Cason, a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance, is the Minister of Music and Worship at Kissimmee Christian Church. Tony has served in music ministry for many years, including close to 14 years at Worthington Christian Church in Columbus, Ohio, where he led both choral and orchestral programs.
Tony taught at Johnson University Florida as a piano instructor for 20 years and led musical worship at the college chapel program. Tony's passion for the arts and the community is evidenced by his active engagement as an accompanist to band students for solo and ensembles and in Osceola County schools' chorus programs for Music Performance Assessment, and district and state festivals. He is thrilled to join the Heart for the Arts family and work alongside three of his favorite musicians.
Tony accompanies our Monday night rehearsals at our St. Cloud location.
Jodie Cortez
Social Media Manager
Jodie Cortez has been a performance singer since 5th grade. She praised God with her vocal talent through choir and show choir at Santaluces High School in Lake Worth, FL until 2001. She continued by performing in "New Creation" at Florida Christian College in Kissimmee, FL. Jodie studied voice, ear training, music theory, and piano under the tutelage of Dr. Ruth T. Reyes and Director Dirk Donahue until graduation in 2005.
As an alumni she sang with the "Campus Choir and Choral Society" while serving as administrator to Mr. Donahue. From high school through present day she has been privileged to sing of Jesus' birth for more than 20 years at Walt Disney's EPCOT Candlelight Processional.
For 7 years Jodie worked as administrator and Cafe Manager at Real Life Christian Church in Orlando, FL. During her time there she managed events, donations, social media posts, purchasing, and more. Now she proudly serves local and international missionaries as an administrator and I-9 specialist with Campus Crusade for Christ, all the while homeschooling her daughter.
She is responsible for developing our social media presence and increasing awareness of our organization.