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a barber chair on his front porch and he would give people haircuts. When he moved from here it was a big event, you know, country boy makes it big.” Ernest Rippetoe died in 1961, and Walter died in 1981. Both are buried at Round Grove Cemetery, near the Highland Community.

David Locke’s nieces, Christine Locke Bridges and Denise Locke, conducted singing schools at Highland during the 1990s. “I attended those schools when I was younger,” said Nanci House, who has helped conduct the schools in recent years. “Christine and Denise taught it every year from what I remember, and I went every summer. I loved it - even the homework!”

In addition to sharing their musical talents with the members of Highland, both Christine and Denise have made music their lives – Denise as a singer-musician in Nashville, and Christine as a choir teacher at the middle school in Acton, Texas.

The Highland emphasis on music is not just a yearly event. Every Sunday, the church children (divided into three age groups) perform a special number for the congregation under the direction of Susie Locke Keith, Bette House

and Mindi House, and Mandy Locke. The youngest group currently includes fve “singers” under the age of two. Although there’s very little actual singing from the toddlers, by learning to stand in front of the congregation they are taking an important frst step. “They learn to stand up there, and then they’re not afraid later,” Norma Nell House said.

By the time they master a few of the simple old-time favorites, the children move to the second group (1st through 4th grade) where they learn to sing in parts. By the time they join the third group (youth to adult), as 5th graders, they are seasoned veterans of the four-part harmony style. All of this talent makes for an incredibly rich, full, congregational song service. Marcie House Couch, the great-granddaughter of Walter Rippetoe, has been responsible for the most recent singing school sessions at Highland. “I attended the Southern Gospel School of Music in Corsicana in 2005,” Marcie said. “When I returned home, I knew that I wanted to take my experience at music school and share it with people who could not travel to Corsicana, but I really didn’t know where to start. About a year later, my

grandmother, Earlene Rippetoe Sawyer, gave me a suitcase full of Walter Rippetoe’s “Rudiments of Music” books that he taught from when he hosted music schools. It was very easy then to know where to start. If the books worked for him, then they would work for me. Just pick up a book and start on the frst page. The curriculum was completely laid out.”

Even though it was a somewhat controversial move, Marcie decided to call the sessions music school instead of singing school.

“I have fought many people over this subject,” Marcie said, “but I decided to call it music school when I started this adventure. I even corrected people when they would refer to it as singing school. I made sure the brochures each year read music school.”

Marcie’s been told that her great-grandfather would not approve of the name change. “I hope that he would just be happy that I was putting the school together and not care so much about what I called it,” she said. “I refer to it as Music School because I did not want to limit myself to the curriculum being taught. I wanted to have the opportunity to teach music, not just in reference to singing. I guess it is just details.” Marcie and Nanci are quick to credit all those who’ve helped conduct the singing and music sessions in the past few years, including Kay Teague, Mandy Locke, Cynthia Evans-Hulsey and Burt Atkins. Between them, they’ve taught everything from music theory to sight reading, ear training and even some music history. All of the teachers are obviously gifted musicians or singers in their own right, and some have music-related degrees. “Last year’s session was the most successful yet,” Marcie said. “In addition to the singing classes, we had instrument (piano and guitar) classes. Those classes covered items you need to know for those specifc instruments and the singing class focused on the