Music Ministry
Patti Rabaza - Music Director
 | Unity Circle of Light welcomes our new music director, Patti Rabaza. We fell in love with Patti as Myrtle McGillicurdle and are delighted to have her with us to lead our Spirits of Joy and oversee our music program. |
As a singer, Patricia Rabaza has performed leading roles with Theater Under the Stars, Opera in the Heights, Opera of the Ozarks, Nacogdoches Repertory Opera, Oklahoma Lyric Theater and she has performed as guest artist with the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra and San Angelo Orchestra. She created the role of Araminty Brown in the world premier musical, Grand National, through the educational outreach program of Houston Grand Opera. Her favorite roles include Myrtle in Country Gravy and Other Obsessions, Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly, Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte and Hildy in On the Town. Her acting credits include Houston Theater LaB, Third Coast Comedy & The Strand Theater in Galveston.
Patti is also known around Houston as a stellar pianist & music director and now she has also starred in an independent short, Jim and Agnes in the title role.
Currently, she and business partner, Julia Kay Laskowski, who frequently shares her talents with us at UCL, are becoming well-known in Houston and the surrounding area for their original musical comedies COUNTRY GRAVY AND OTHER OBSESSIONS, MERKEL and JUST BETWEEN US GIRLS. Details can be found on their website: www.mymagicbutterfly.net. They have 4 very unique cd’s currently available.
Patti teaches voice & theory at Theater Under the Stars, is music director at Unity Circle of Light in the Woodlands and maintains a private voice and piano studio.
Barbie Butler - Accompanist
Barbie Butler has been a pianist for Unity Circle of Light church since November of 2005. She teaches at Lone Star College - Kingwood and is the pianist for the Kingwood Pops Orchestra. She has a Master of Music degree from University of Illinois and a Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University, both in piano performance. Her recent interest of using music and sound for healing moved her to become a Certified Music Practitioner (CMP) through the Music Healing and Transition Program (MHTP). This training qualifies her to play therapeutic music in medical care facilities including hospice and care homes. Presently, she plays for those who have Alzheimer’s and dementia at Terrace of Kingwood Assisted Living. This summer of 2010, she plans to do an intensive study at the Sound Healing Institute in San Francisco and hopes to use what she learns for group meditations.Weekly "The Sounds of Joy Music Blast"
Sign up for our weekly music "email blast" by simply sending an email to jchrisrebman@gmail.com and asking to be added! Every week you'll receive a piece of uplifting music (mp3 format) that you can play or save on your computer as you wish! This is our gift to you. Enjoy!
Music Samples (below is just a sampling of what you'll hear at UCL!)
Be thou my Vision, recorded by Chris Rebman as a tribute to Irish Music, March 13, 2011
My Tribute, recorded by Chris Rebman.
One World, recorded by Synchronicity.
Thine is the Glory, Hallelujah Chorus, recorded by Chris & Barbie, Easter 2010.
For more recordings, go to www.jchrisrebman.com and you can download and save them!
J. Chris Rebman - Former Music Director (www.jchrisrebman.com)
We Miss You, Chris!
Chris relocated to Houston from Tampa, Florida several years ago where he was the Music Director for Chapel on the Hill, United Church of Christ for 8 years. It was at Chapel on the Hill that Chris first directed a choir and discovered he enjoyed the creativity of leading others.
Chris enjoys playing and singing all styles of music but definitely considers Broadway his favorite. In Ohio, Chris performed extensively in Musical Theatre productions and in many concert venues including several appearances with symphony orchestras.
Chris is thrilled to be leading the music for Unity Circle of Light. Its rare to find a congregation that shares the same passion for music that he does… but Unity Circle of Light is definitely it! He is happy to say that you WILL NEVER GET BORED with the music at UCL! Variety is the name of the game here. Start with music that the Spirits of Joy perform and add to it the instrumental music that Chris and Barbie create…and finally layer on the variety of guest musicians that perform regularly at UCL. Unity Circle of Light has every form of music covered!