Biography
Photo Credit: Joshua Farnsworth
Robby Raney made his performing debut singing Jesus Loves Me at the dedication of his sister, Macayla. He was two years old. After the song finished, he burped, picked his nose, and ran back to his seat with one shoe on and one shoe off.
Before he knew about Collegedale, TN, he wrote his first lyrics: Ukulele, ukulele, fly fly away, when the stars are green, there’s a place called Happy Valley. He and his family moved from Union Springs, New York to Collegedale in June of 2004.
Raney is a frequently sought-after soloist, though he always tries to solo in duets or trios. He has sung with Joshua Farnsworth, Morgan Williams, Brenden Dodd, Megan Mocca, Julie Penner, and Macayla Raney (among many others). He has performed, under Richard Hickam, at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He has also offered special music in evangelistic series in both Las Tablas, Panama and Antananarivo, Madagascar. He made his international debut as a soloist in Madagascar, and also is quite sure he introduced the song Amazing Grace to that country.
He is one of the founding members of the HimSingers, a quartet and "ump-tet" which enjoys travelling to various churches, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and His soon return. He has written several Hymn Sings, which have been shared by that group with great success. He is also the music director of the Collegedale Summer Pick-up Choir.
In addition to being a widely sought after singer, he also is frequently called to act in the capacity of keyboard assistant, though he doesn't mind the titles "stop puller" and "page turner". He has turned pages and/or pulled stops for many wonderful performers, including pianists Hazel von Mack, Julie Penner, Megan Mocca, Genaida Benson, Alex Mejias, Peter Cooper, J. Bruce Ashton and organists Judy Glass, Joshua Knight, Heather Peel, and Ethan McGrath. He has also turned pages for one of the reading sessions at the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division convention in Jacksonville, Florida.
Robby takes a great interest in church music, and he enjoyed serving on the Worship Committee at the Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists during his time at Southern Adventist University. He has taken Music in the Christian Church from Dr. Bruce Ashton twice, and cannot wait to put that experience into practice someday when teaching music to the next generation of church musicians.
He comes from a musical family, and takes much of his enjoyment from singing The Holy City (among other things) with his sister (complete with vocal accompaniment) while doing dishes. He also loves to sing O Holy Night which goes up to a high B-flat.
Robby has taken lessons for years, on many different instruments. He would like to acknowledge and thank the following people for their tireless efforts: Earl Raney and Phil Taylor for teaching trumpet; Davidson Bishop for baritone; Shelly Taylor, Chris Chandler, and Robbie Burnham for cello; and Judy Glass for the organ. He owes his voice training to Shari Ziesmer, Gennevieve Brown-Kibble, and Julie Penner.
He has performed in many ensembles, led by:
Dan Dockham (Union Springs Academy Band)
Esther Baker (Frontenac SDA Elementary School Band)
Carol Raney (Frontenac SDA Elementary School Choir and Handbell Choir)
A’lisa Wilhelmsen Andrade (New York Conference Music Festival Choir)
Richard Hickam (Spalding Concert Band and Chamber Orchestra, Collegedale Academy Chamber Orchestra)
Jeffrey Lauritzen (Collegedale Academy Opux-X choir)
Gennevieve Brown-Kibble (Southern Adventist University I Cantori and Die Meistersinger)
Shaila Meherry (Apison SDA Church choir)
Joel Westberg (Dawnville United Methodist Church choir)
Julie Penner (On Wings of Song)
Robby has taught private music theory lessons, voice lessons, and the handbell ensemble at Learning Tree Elementary School in Dalton, Georgia. He was the fifth grade computer teacher at A. W. Spalding Elementary in Collegedale during the 2013-2014 school year. He was the assistant teacher for the fourth grade recorder class at Spalding during Fall of 2015. Someday he hopes to teach music at a small Adventist Academy where he can build up the music program.
He worked at Southern's radio station, WSMC, since the end of his senior year in Academy. During his tenure at the station he hosted the popular show The Three B's (2011-2014), was Student Station Manager for Oasis, WSMC's Christian station, and hosted many hours of both sacred and secular programming.
After graduating from Southern Adventist University in 2016, Robby was hired to teach grades 3-8 at Shelton Valley Christian School in Shelton, Washington. He is currently the head teacher at Jellico Christian Academy in Jellico, Tennessee, where he teaches grades 3-8.
Soli Deo Gloria
Before he knew about Collegedale, TN, he wrote his first lyrics: Ukulele, ukulele, fly fly away, when the stars are green, there’s a place called Happy Valley. He and his family moved from Union Springs, New York to Collegedale in June of 2004.
Raney is a frequently sought-after soloist, though he always tries to solo in duets or trios. He has sung with Joshua Farnsworth, Morgan Williams, Brenden Dodd, Megan Mocca, Julie Penner, and Macayla Raney (among many others). He has performed, under Richard Hickam, at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He has also offered special music in evangelistic series in both Las Tablas, Panama and Antananarivo, Madagascar. He made his international debut as a soloist in Madagascar, and also is quite sure he introduced the song Amazing Grace to that country.
He is one of the founding members of the HimSingers, a quartet and "ump-tet" which enjoys travelling to various churches, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and His soon return. He has written several Hymn Sings, which have been shared by that group with great success. He is also the music director of the Collegedale Summer Pick-up Choir.
In addition to being a widely sought after singer, he also is frequently called to act in the capacity of keyboard assistant, though he doesn't mind the titles "stop puller" and "page turner". He has turned pages and/or pulled stops for many wonderful performers, including pianists Hazel von Mack, Julie Penner, Megan Mocca, Genaida Benson, Alex Mejias, Peter Cooper, J. Bruce Ashton and organists Judy Glass, Joshua Knight, Heather Peel, and Ethan McGrath. He has also turned pages for one of the reading sessions at the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division convention in Jacksonville, Florida.
Robby takes a great interest in church music, and he enjoyed serving on the Worship Committee at the Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists during his time at Southern Adventist University. He has taken Music in the Christian Church from Dr. Bruce Ashton twice, and cannot wait to put that experience into practice someday when teaching music to the next generation of church musicians.
He comes from a musical family, and takes much of his enjoyment from singing The Holy City (among other things) with his sister (complete with vocal accompaniment) while doing dishes. He also loves to sing O Holy Night which goes up to a high B-flat.
Robby has taken lessons for years, on many different instruments. He would like to acknowledge and thank the following people for their tireless efforts: Earl Raney and Phil Taylor for teaching trumpet; Davidson Bishop for baritone; Shelly Taylor, Chris Chandler, and Robbie Burnham for cello; and Judy Glass for the organ. He owes his voice training to Shari Ziesmer, Gennevieve Brown-Kibble, and Julie Penner.
He has performed in many ensembles, led by:
Dan Dockham (Union Springs Academy Band)
Esther Baker (Frontenac SDA Elementary School Band)
Carol Raney (Frontenac SDA Elementary School Choir and Handbell Choir)
A’lisa Wilhelmsen Andrade (New York Conference Music Festival Choir)
Richard Hickam (Spalding Concert Band and Chamber Orchestra, Collegedale Academy Chamber Orchestra)
Jeffrey Lauritzen (Collegedale Academy Opux-X choir)
Gennevieve Brown-Kibble (Southern Adventist University I Cantori and Die Meistersinger)
Shaila Meherry (Apison SDA Church choir)
Joel Westberg (Dawnville United Methodist Church choir)
Julie Penner (On Wings of Song)
Robby has taught private music theory lessons, voice lessons, and the handbell ensemble at Learning Tree Elementary School in Dalton, Georgia. He was the fifth grade computer teacher at A. W. Spalding Elementary in Collegedale during the 2013-2014 school year. He was the assistant teacher for the fourth grade recorder class at Spalding during Fall of 2015. Someday he hopes to teach music at a small Adventist Academy where he can build up the music program.
He worked at Southern's radio station, WSMC, since the end of his senior year in Academy. During his tenure at the station he hosted the popular show The Three B's (2011-2014), was Student Station Manager for Oasis, WSMC's Christian station, and hosted many hours of both sacred and secular programming.
After graduating from Southern Adventist University in 2016, Robby was hired to teach grades 3-8 at Shelton Valley Christian School in Shelton, Washington. He is currently the head teacher at Jellico Christian Academy in Jellico, Tennessee, where he teaches grades 3-8.
Soli Deo Gloria