Theo Hicks – Director

Theo Hicks has been with Circle City Sound since being hired as the full time musical director in January 2015. Having been a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) for 19 years, he has sung in numerous choruses and quartets since joining, and currently sings in Instant Classic, the 2015 International Quartet Champions.

Theo is currently the Director of Choral Activities at Anderson University (Anderson, Indiana).  He teaches advanced choral conducting, secondary choral methods, voice lessons, and conducts the AU Chorale, Vola Voce (formerly “Women’s Chorus”) and reinstated the TTBB ensemble, Vox Corvi (formerly “Valley Voices”).  He earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Anderson University, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Ball State University, and is finishing his Doctor of Arts in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance from Ball State University. 

Internationally, Theodore is a sought-after clinician and has taught conducting, voice, and vocal health to organizations and ensembles around the world, including Barbershop in Germany’s (BinG!) Harmony Academy in 2019, Barbershop Harmony Australia’s (BHA) Harmony Academy in 2018, and the British Association of Barbershop Singers (BABS) Directors Academy in 2015. He has also served on the faculty of Harmony University for several years, teaching about vocal technique, vocal health, music theory, and conducting. 

As an active composer and arranger, Theo has written music for ensembles all over the world.  Many of his arrangements have been premiered and performed by top choruses and quartets at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s (BHS) International Competitions.  His arrangements are published by Hal Leonard, BHS, Sheet Music Plus, and Theo Hicks Music.  His composition of I Carry Your Heart with Me won the Best Original Composition at Anderson University’s Concerto/Aria Competition in 2009, and his most recent composition The Glade was premiered by the Ball State University Chamber Choir in 2019.  You can find more information on his music at theohicksmusic.com.

He holds active memberships in professional organizations with the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO), and the College Music Society (CMS).  He currently serves on the Indiana Choral Directors Association (ICDA) board as the Repertoire and Resources Chair for Men’s Choir and has presented numerous times at the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA) Conference and the ICDA Summer Conference.  Circle City Sound was also a featured performer at the 2019 ICDA Summer Conference, and Instant Classic has been a featured performer at the 2017 IMEA Conference.  

David Zimmerman – Assistant Director

David grew up in Centerville, Indiana and began singing barbershop as a freshman at Centerville High School. He later met Kyle Kitzmiller during his sophomore year of college and began singing in the quartet, Instant Classic, with Kyle, Theo Hicks, and Kyle’s brother Kohl.

David attended Ball State University in 2006 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education in 2010. He is currently the Vocal Music Director at Avon Middle School South, just outside of Indianapolis. He has experience teaching and conducting ensembles at the elementary, middle school, and high school level all over the state of Indiana. He has also served as the Youth in Harmony Director for the Cardinal District, helping to organize camps and activities designed to introduce youth to barbershop harmony.

David is a performer, arranger, and coach for barbershop quartets and choruses. He currently sings with the Instant Classic quartet. Since its formation, the group has performed at many venues across the United States and Canada and achieved Silver Medal status in the Collegiate Quartet competition (2012), was the eighth place finalist in the regular Quartet contest (2014) and won the gold in the 2015 contest. David joined Circle City Sound in late 2010.