Directors
Carla Wootton
Music Director
Carla Wootton is the Director of the Springfield Youth Symphony (SYS). Her deep connection to the local music community is evident in her extensive career, as she was a band director in the Southwest Missouri area for 26 years, with the final 16 being with the Springfield School District.
Carla holds both a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Orchestral Conducting from Missouri State University. Prior to her current role, she served as the Associate Director of SYS for twelve years.
In addition to her work with SYS, Carla is the director of the Ozark Festival Orchestra, in Monett, MO. She is also the Music/Volunteer Coordinator for Springfield Little Theatre, and the Music Coordinator for Trinity Presbyterian Church. Carla is also an on-call musician with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. She lives with her husband, Tim, also a musician, and has 4 kids, 2 grandkids, and some pesky pets.
Troy Cronkhite
Associate Director
Troy Cronkhite, Associate Conductor for SYS is also the Director of Bands at Glendale High School. After initially studying to be a youth minister, he returned to his passion for music, earning his music education degree from Northwest Missouri State University.
Throughout his career, Troy directed successful band programs in various school districts. He spent four years at Lathrop R-2 School District before moving to Smithville, where his marching and symphonic bands received numerous awards over six years, including six consecutive Superior "I" ratings at the Missouri State Large Group Festival.
Since 2012, Troy has directed the band program at Glendale High School, where the program has grown and received many awards in marching, concert, and jazz bands. In addition to his role at Glendale, he serves as the District Vice President for Jazz with the Southwest Missouri Music Educators Association. He resides with his wife, Suzanne, and three children, Jeremy, Addison and Benjamin. Troy also has an older daughter, Melany, and a grandson, Maddox.