Ginger Wheelock
Head Choral Director
Ginger Wheelock is currently in her seventh year as the Head Choir Director of the Harlingen High School Cardinal Choir Program and completed her tenth year of teaching in the Spring of 2020. Prior to teaching at Harlingen High School, Ginger began her teaching career in Brownsville Independent School District at Filemón B. Vela Middle School for six years as both the assistant and head choir director. Choirs and students under Ginger Wheelock’s direction have consistently earned Sweepstakes at UIL Concert & Sight Reading, placed in the TMEA All-State Choirs, received 1st division ratings at District and State Solo & Ensemble Competitions, earned Best-in-Class awards at state festivals, and performed for various invitationals and events. Ginger has served on music advocacy and outreach committees, such as the Harlingen Concert Association, and is currently serving on the TCDA Purpose and Vision Committee. She is a native of Harlingen, TX and is a graduate from The University of Texas at Brownsville with a bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education, under the tutelage of Dianne Brumley.
Ginger pursues performance opportunities and continues to pursue her professional musical growth whenever possible. She has performed internationally as both a soloist and chorus member in Ireland and Italy and studied abroad in a vocal pedagogy symposium in Italy during the summer of 2016. She enjoys worshiping on the praise team with her church and seasonally performs with various professional choruses throughout the state. Almost more than anything, Ginger enjoys spending time with those she loves, finding new and difficult recipes, and heading to South Padre Island to enjoy the south Texas sun and the simple pleasures of life on the border.
Alfonso M. Gonzalez
Assistant Choral Director
Alfonso Michael Gonzalez, a Brownsville native, is a graduate from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Brownsville and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music with EC-12 teacher certification. While attending UTRGV under the tutelage of Dianne Brumley and voice instructor Amy Hymel Brownlow, Gonzalez performed many lead roles with the UT-Brownsville Bravo Opera Company, placed first at the South Texas National Association for Teachers of Singing Competition in 2008, 2009, and 2010, was a featured soloist with the 2011 UT-Brownsville Master Chorale T.M.E.A. collegiate honor choir performance and has been featured as the tenor soloist for special performances of Handel’s “Messiah” for both the Brownsville Society of Performing Arts in 2010 and Harlingen C.I.S.D.’s performances in 2016 and 2018. Gonzalez is an avid community performer and is a founding member/section leader of the Rio Grande Valley's professional chorus "Pasión", under the direction of Dr. Eric Posada.
As an elementary music educator, Gonzalez was named Landrum Elementary’s 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year and has provided professional development sessions on the Kodaly Curriculum for San Benito C.I.S.D. and the Rio Grande Valley Orff Chapter. Notably, Gonzalez has also coached Harlingen C.I.S.D. chess teams to compete and place at the state and national level. In 2018-2019, Gonzalez received several Sweepstakes awards at U.I.L. Concert and Sight-Reading Contest as an Assistant Choir Director at Rowe High School in McAllen, TX under the direction of the late Stacy Trom Gonzalez. As of August 2019, Gonzalez has been an Assistant Choir Director at Harlingen High School and has assisted in maintaining the legacy of choral excellence.
Ruben Reyes
Assistant Director & Accompanist
Ruben Reyes is a versatile musician having studied classical and improvisational jazz piano, percussion, composition and conducting. He is a graduate of Centenary College in LA with a B.M. in piano performance where he studied under Dr. Gay Grosz. Mr. Reyes was the grand prize winner of the Marjorie Stricklin Emerging Artists Competition and was a featured guest artist with the Monroe Symphony performing Grieg’s Concerto in A minor. He was the pianist for the National Honor Band conducted by renowned composer Frank Ticheli and was a featured artist with the Red River Wind Orchestra performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Mr. Reyes is in his seventh year at Harlingen High School where he is accompanist for the award-winning Cardinal Choirs and director of the newly established Jazz Choir. He plays piano with the RGV Jazz Orchestra, which recently made its debut at The Midwest Clinic, is the accompanist for Pasión - RGV’s Professional Chorus, and has made numerous appearances as featured guest artist with jazz bands across south Texas. He is a highly sought after accompanist in the RGV and has worked with a number of premier ensembles in the past, including the Shreveport Opera, Prísma Vocal Ensemble, and the world-renowned Centenary College Choir, which, along with many regional and European tours, made debuts in the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall during his tenure.
Ruben Reyes lives in Harlingen, TX with his wife, Lucy Reyes, and daughters Gwendolyn and Heidi.