Dr. David N. Childs is a music educator, composer, conductor, and pianist with more than three decades of experience working across K–12 education, higher education, and private instruction. His work spans composition, conducting, film scoring, music theory, piano, voice, and interdisciplinary music education, with a strong emphasis on creativity, storytelling, and student-centered learning.

Dr. Childs is currently employed at Kimberlin Academy for Excellence, in Garland, TX, where he is privileged to teach music from K through 5th Grade, working alongside the most support Administrative team and wonderful teaching colleagues of his career.

Dr. Childs holds advanced degrees in music and has taught at the elementary, secondary, and university levels in the United States. His higher-education teaching includes appointments at major institutions, most notably Vanderbilt University, where he served as Music Director and Conductor of the Blair Lyric Theatre. In that role, he led full theatrical productions, working closely with singers, instrumentalists, directors, and designers, and guiding students through the complete process of musical storytelling—from score study and rehearsal to performance.

As a recognized composer, Dr. Childs has written music for choirs, chamber ensembles, educational settings, and multimedia projects. His compositional interests include text-driven writing, dramatic structure, film scoring, and music that connects emotionally with performers and audiences alike. His 100+ published works continue to be performed the world over, reflecting his international background and ongoing engagement with diverse musical communities. He has conducted two larger compositions for choir and orchestra, Requiem and Festival Te Deum, in Carnegie Hall.

In addition to his work as a composer and conductor, Dr. Childs maintains a strong focus on music education and mentorship. He teaches piano, voice, composition, and music theory, and is particularly passionate about helping students understand how music functions—harmonically, structurally, and expressively—so they can apply those skills creatively. His teaching blends traditional musicianship with modern tools, including recording technology, digital notation, and audio production.

Dr. Childs is the founder of River Avon Productions, a creative music studio dedicated to composition, recording, film scoring, and music education. Through this work, he collaborates with students and emerging artists on original projects that bridge classical training with contemporary media and production techniques.

SoundLabs grew directly out of this philosophy. Designed as a hands-on, studio-style experience, SoundLabs gives young musicians the opportunity to move beyond worksheets and repertoire alone and instead create original music, collaborate in teams, and bring complete projects to life. Whether students are writing songs, scoring films, or performing original works, Dr. Childs’ goal is to help them develop confidence, artistic ownership, and a deeper understanding of how music works in the real world.