Jennifer Gingell

Director of Orchestras

Jennifer Gingell has been teaching in public education for twelve years in the Greater Houston area. She is currently serving her fifth year as the Seven Lakes Junior High Director of Orchestras. Mrs. Gingell earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a Focus in Cello at Loyola University New Orleans, under the tutelage of Dean Angeles and Allen Nisbit. Studying under Dr. Robert Gillespie and Mark Rudoff at The Ohio State University, she earned a Master of Arts in String Pedagogy.

Under her direction, her orchestras have consistently grown not only in number but also in quality; receiving Superior ratings and Best in Class distinctions at the University Interscholastic League Concert and Sight-Reading Evaluation, the Ann C. Roberts Orchestra Festival, the Director’s Choice Showcase of Music, and the Solo and Ensemble Contest. In 2019, the Seven Lakes Junior High Honors Orchestra was an invited orchestra at the 28th Annual Music for All National Festival. Her private lesson studio continuously has produced All-Region participants, as well as Superior ratings at the Solo and Ensemble Contest.

Bethany Hagin

Associate Director of Orchestras

Bethany Hagin is the Associate Director of Orchestras at Seven Lakes Junior High in Katy, TX. Prior to teaching orchestra at SLJH, she taught in the Fairview Violin Project at Fairview Elementary School in Bloomington, Indiana as a violin instructor. Ms. Hagin has worked with nationally recognized school orchestras for performances at the Midwest Clinic as well as the American String Teachers Association Conference. She also teaches at summer music festivals in both New York and Indiana including both Indiana University Summer Music Clinic and Summer Strings Orchestra and Fiddle Camp. 

Ms. Hagin received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education with High Distinction from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. There she studied most closely under distinguished faculty Stephen Wyrczynski, Dr. Brenda Brenner and Mimi Zweig while maintaining an active performing schedule with a number of IU orchestras. 

In addition to teaching, Bethany enjoys performing with various orchestras and a wide variety of ensembles in the Houston area and beyond. She can be heard performing with the Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra, Grace Minnick Band, The Element Worship, and On the Side.​