Barry Talley

Barry Talley grew up in Amarillo, Texas and graduated from West Texas State University in 1980. He was honored as a Distinguished Graduate of the School of Music in 2019. He earned a master’s degree in administration from UHCL in 1995. Mr. Talley worked for the Deer Park Independent School District for 39 years where he served as the Choral Director at Deer Park High School for thirty-four years before moving into full time administration in 2015. He serves as the Director of Music at the Deer Park United Methodist Church, a position held since 1982.

Deer Park High School Choirs performed at the Texas Music Education Association Conventions in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2005. His choirs also performed before four National ACDA Conventions in 1991,1993, 1995 and 2003. Choirs under his leadership have sung in New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Church of St. John the Devine, Riverside Church, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, and the West Point Cathedral. They also appeared on national television at the Crystal Cathedral in 2000. He left the classroom in 2015 with over 500 students in the DPHS choral program.

Talley was the Tenor voice heard on Texas All-State choral recordings for 36 years while adding the Bass/Baritone part in the mid 90’s. He recorded over 500 choral songs for Educational Enterprises Recording Company, Silver Burdett, Alliance Music and Hal Leonard.

Mr. Talley has always been an active writer and arranger of choral music his whole life. He has over 50 songs and arrangements to his credit with publishers including Hal Leonard and Alliance. He served as a writer, editor and recording producer for the Hal Leonard Choral Textbook–Experiencing Choral Music. He has written commissioned works for churches and schools.

He served as the President of the Texas Music Educators Association in 2000-2001. He was the Vocal Division Vice President of TMEA from 1997-1999. The Texas Choral Directors Association honored him as a recipient of the Choral Excellence Award in 2013.

Talley is in his second year as Artistic Director of the Bay Area Chorus of Greater Houston. He is married to Debbie who is an outstanding musician herself. She retired from education last December and takes care of their first grandson, Kyler Cole, while his mom and dad teach school. The Talleys have two sons, Scott who resides at the Brenham State School and Tyler, married to Kaylee, who live in Deer Park.