​STAFF

Martha Weathers Brown
Founder and Artistic Director
A native of Elkton, Kentucky, Ms. Brown has lived in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina since 1995. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, and a Master of Music in Education from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. In 1995, Brown earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Having taught elementary and middle school choral music and served as an adult church choir director. Now in her 30th year of teaching public school, Brown is the choral music teacher at Tuscola High School in Waynesville, North Carolina. Ms. Brown was elected as the 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year at Central Elementary. She is frequently invited to be a workshop leader and choral clinician throughout the southeast. In addition, Ms. Brown is active at the state and national levels of the American Choral Directors Association, North Carolina Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, and Chorus America. Her children, Liam and McLain, are alumni of Voices. Liam lives in Waynesville, and McLain is a Freshman at Appalachian State University. 
​Mary Ann Cooper
Accompanist, Chamber Choir
Mary Ann is in her 24th year as accompanist for Voices in the Laurel. Originally from Texas, she holds both Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees in organ performance from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. In addition to her work with Voices she is organist/accompanist at First Baptist Church in Waynesville and frequently accompanies for choirs and ensembles in the community. She enjoys composing and arranging and has several pieces that are published or are pending publication. Mary Ann and her husband Robert have two grown daughters, Amy and Kristen, who are both alumnae of Voices in the Laurel. Amy has pursued a career in music, receiving her PhD in Musicology from the University of North Texas. Kristen is Director of Communications for Radius Church in Lexington, SC. Her husband, Dustin, is Director of Bands at Ridge View High School in Columbia, SC. They have one child, Evan, who begins kindergarten this year. Mary Ann is grateful for the way Voices has influenced her daughters to be life-long music lovers and participants.
Anna Watson
Accompanist, Treble Makers and Concert Choir
Anna Watson, accompanist for Concert Choir and Treble Makers is in her 21 st year with Voices in the Laurel. She was one of the forces in organizing Voices in 1996. Watson earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia in 1975. She currently teaches private piano lessons and has been doing so for thirty-eight years. She is also the pianist for Canton First Baptist Church. Anna and her husband Rob live at Lake Junaluska and have three children and three grandchildren. Rob played drums for Voices in the Laurel before Robert Brown met and married Martha, and took over on the drums. The Watson's daughters, Jenny Watson Murray and Sarah Hayes Harkins, participated in Voices years ago. Jenny was inspired by Voices to major in music at UNCG and now she is the worship pastor/music director at New Covenant Church in Clyde. And now her daughter, Betha, is a member of the Treble Makers Choir of VIL.
Keisha Goodman
Operations Manager
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Keisha joined Voices in the Laurel in July, 2019. Keisha is a native of Waynesville, NC where
she was a graduate of Tuscola High School and participated in chorus and was a member of
Tuscola High School Summit. Keisha then was a graduate of AB Tech and worked as a
pediatric Dental Assistant for 15 years. She continues to sing on the praise team at Haywood
Community Church, where she also works as an Administrative Assistant. Keisha has two
children in Voices in the Laurel, Addison who is in Encore and Finn who is in Treble Makers. In
her free time, Keisha enjoys blogging or exploring all of the beauty that WNC provides.
Board of Directors
  • Suzy Bernardi - Chair
  • Rob Gevjan
  • Holly Castater
  • Kitty Taylor
  • Sarah Smith
  • Jackie Hess
  • Frank Queen​
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