- 713-263-4963
- Sacred Music Institute of the Southwest 4007 Bute St. #1 Houston, TX 77006
At the Sacred Music Institute of the Southwest (SMISW), our mission is to protect, promote, and strengthen the beauty of sacred music in the life of the Church. We believe sacred music has the power to uplift hearts, unite communities, and bring people closer to God through worship.
The Sacred Music Institute of the Southwest is a Catholic organization dedicated to the advancement and stewardship of beautiful sacred music for Ecumenical Christian worship across all denominations.
We serve clergy, musicians, choristers, and congregations through education, formation, and community outreach through worship.
Our Vision
We believe sacred music is one of God’s greatest gifts and deserves our best understanding, development, and care. Our vision is to restore and strengthen sacred music in worship, so it continues to inspire the faithful for generations to come.
Our work is guided by these beliefs
Through performances, workshops, and formation opportunities, SMISW aims to strengthen sacred music across churches and communities in the Southwest. We welcome anyone who believes in preserving this tradition to join us and be part of this mission.
Dr. Lopez is the Artistic Director of the Sacred Music Institute of the Southwest. Dr. Lopez serves as an adjunct professor for the Master of Sacred Music program at the University of St. Thomas in Houston and is the Artistic Director of Coro Gloria Dei. He has served as Associate Board Member of the Southwest Liturgical Conference serving as the Chair of the Hispanic Liturgical Ministry Development Committee. He has been a guest lecturer and workshop presenter for the biennial Hispanic Pastoral Musicians Conference, Southwest Liturgical Conference and the National Pastoral Musicians Conference (NPM).
He has written articles for several publications that include “Pastoral Music” for the NPM and “Worship” for the Liturgical Press. He was pleased to be the Co-Chairperson for the 39th Annual NPM National Conference hosted for the first time in Houston. Dr. Lopez received a Doctor of Musical Art in Choral Conducting with an emphasis in Sacred Music from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California”
Bea started as a choir accompanist at the age of 9 years old, when her parish nuns discovered she was taking piano lessons. She has continued a second career in liturgical music since that day. Bea has a BA in Marketing & Graphic Design from East Texas State University, as well as a Teaching Certificate in Piano Pedagogy. While in college, Bea was an accompanist for the University orchestra and instrument recitals. She has sung in choirs since the age of 9 continuing through high school, college and beyond. She started directing when she moved to Houston in 1993 and started the 7pm Spanish choir at St. Anne Catholic Community (Houston). Now, managing Spanish adult choirs and a children's choir, Bea has been the Spanish Music Director at St. Anne for 33 years. She continues her calling in spanish liturgical music by participating in Archdiocesan programs for Hispanic music and continues to be the go-to designer for music marketing for The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the Southwest Liturgical Conference and various non-profits. Her first career is as a graphic designer and Marketing Director for business.
Gonzalo A. Ramos is a Houston based collaborative composer and performer whose work focuses on classical and sacred choral music. He holds a Master of Sacred Music from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Music from the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston. His compositions reflect a deep engagement with the Church’s musical tradition, articulated through a contemporary and intentional artistic voice. Mr. Ramos is a frequent presenter of workshops in liturgy and music formation. He currently serves as Artistic Director of the Houston Cecilia Chamber Choir, Artistic Director of the Bravura Concert Series, and Director of Music and Liturgy at All Saints Catholic Church in the Heights. He also serves on the Executive Board of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians Galveston-Houston Chapter. In addition to his artistic and liturgical leadership, Mr. Ramos serves on the Board of Directors of Catholic Literary Arts, where he also holds the position of Director of Marketing. He is also the Director of the Hispanic Division and a composer for Simply Liturgical, contributing to the development of bilingual and culturally responsive liturgical resources for the Church.www.ramosgonzalo.com
Jeffrey Phillips has been a choir member for more than 55 years, as well as a section leader, assistant choir director, choir director, and director of a parish ensemble for many years, and a singer with the Archdiocesan Choir since 1988. As assistant to the director, he assists with the logistics of getting concerts and events organized to run smoothly, allowing the director to focus on the music.
John Burchfield has been singing in church choirs since he was nine years old; and has sung in auditioned choirs such as the Houston Oratorio Society, St. Laurence Chamber Singers, Archdiocesan Choir of Galveston-Houston, and Coro Gloria Dei; in addition to serving as a soloist and paid singer throughout the Houston area. His early musical training focused on opera with emphasis on the Vaccai and Bel Canto methods. John chose to go to law school rather than pursue a musical career. He currently serves as Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of The Weekley Homes Group, after serving 15 years in private practice, representing primarily small and medium-sized businesses, construction companies, and financial institutions. John has been married to his wife, Paula, since 1983, and they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren, all of whom have been encouraged to nurture an interest in music to enrich their lives.
Lee is an attorney who engaged in the private practice of law for the last 45 years. He represented multiple corporate and individual clients in a wide variety of civil disputes and tried over 50 cases to verdict. Lee also served in various management roles with his firm, including Litigation Practice Group Leader, Member of the Executive Committee for 9 years, and service as Executive Committee Chairman for 3 years. In his spare time Lee is an avid fisherman and long-distance walker including completion of the entire Camino de Santiago. Lee also is a choral singer. He has sung with the Saint Cecilia Catholic Church choir since 2002 and with the Archdiocesan Choir of Galveston-Houston for over 10 years.
Phyllis began piano lessons at age seven and moved to the organ by seventeen, continuing a family legacy of church musicians. After retiring from decades of music ministry, she completed a Master of Sacred Music at the University of St. Thomas. She especially enjoys accompanying the ADC and exploring contemporary music. Grateful for friends, colleagues, and performances across the world, she cherishes how music helps her grieve the past and find hope for the future.
Sheila Childs is a longtime technology leader with more than 40 years of experience helping organizations navigate growth, change, and complex decisionmaking. She is a former Group Vice President at Gartner where she led global research teams supporting senior technology and business leaders. Sheila has a strong record of nonprofit and industry governance, including serving as Chair of the Storage Networking Industry Association. She is an active member of the Archdiocesan Choir of GalvestonHouston, reflecting her commitment to the cultural and spiritual life of her community. For fun, she sings baritone in Sugar Land Sings, a community women’s barbershop group. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Bates College.
