Dr. Meri Rule - President
Meri Rule began her musical journey at just four or five years old, first exploring music on her grandmother’s piano and her mother’s guitar. In fourth grade, she joined chorus before being selected to play the flute in band and orchestra — an instrument she has continued to play throughout her life.
Over the years, Meri has become a versatile multi-instrumentalist, learning classical guitar, fiddle, mandolin, piano, Irish whistle, recorder, and classical voice. Alongside her late husband, also a musician, she performed throughout Texas in a variety of musical settings.
Meri has also been a member of several choral and flute ensembles over the years, during which she competed with the Texas Flute Society and performed at the National Flute Association Convention, and she currently plays the fife with the Texas Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps.
As the president of Flutitude! Flute Choir, Meri hopes to fulfill the group’s mission of educating audiences about the many varieties of flutes while performing diverse genres of music for the community. She believes that welcoming musicians of all skill levels, ages 18 and older, encourages growth and creates a richer, more textured ensemble sound.
Outside performing music, Meri is a psychologist in private practice and in her spare time she enjoys training her puppy, spending time with friends, learning new things, and working out.
Board of Directors
Janice Spooner - Artistic Director
Janice Spooner has played the flute since the age of eleven. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from North Texas State University in 1968 where she studied with Dr. George Morey. Since that time, she has studied with Jean-Pierre Rampal, Julius Baker, Karl Kraber, Jeanne Larson of the Dallas Symphony, and currently studies with Jan Crisanti; formerly of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Spooner is active as a private flute teacher in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford area. After 27 years as a Spanish teacher, she retired from Richland High School in 2001. She currently continues to teach both flute and Spanish to adults.
Janice Spooner has held the position of principal flute with the Irving Symphony Orchestra, Northeast Orchestra, New Philharmonic Orchestra or Irving, and the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra, where she has had many opportunities to perform as a featured soloist. She is a frequent recitalist and adjudicator in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, and has auditioned and performed with the Professional Flute Choir of the National Flute Association. She was the founder, the artistic director, and a charter member of Flutissimo! Flute Choir and a charter member of the Philharmonic Winds Woodwind Quintet and Civic Winds Woodwind Quintet. She is a charter member of the Texas Flute Society, National Flute Association, Harmony Club of Fort Worth, and the Whitlock Music Club. She also performs with the Gold 'n Ivory Duo, the Treble Makers Flute Duo, Todo Tango Flute and Guitar Duo, and the Texas Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. She has been named Outstanding and Honor Soloist and Outstanding and Honor Ensemble Performer at Texas Flute Society Competitions.
Alex Garcia- VP of Fundraising and Social Media
Alex Garcia is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music educator based in Fort Worth, Texas. She began playing flute and piccolo in grade school, participating in marching band, concert band, and winter guard throughout her high school years. She then went on to attend Texas Wesleyan University, from which she graduated Cum Laude in the Spring of 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a double concentration in Theory/Composition & Music Performance. During her time in college, Alex played flute and piccolo in the university’s Wind Ensemble, where she was both principal flute and a student conductor, getting opportunities to conduct the ensemble in performances and lead both full rehearsals and sectionals. She also had the opportunity to premiere some of her compositions, played in the jazz ensemble, made the Dean’s List multiple times, received many awards, and represented the university’s music department through various performances both on and off campus, including the Texas Wesleyan President’s Honors Concert in the years 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Since graduating college, Alex has worked as both a private music instructor and freelance musician/composer throughout the DFW area, having over 75 total completed musical compositions. As a composer, she enjoys learning new instruments of different families and in addition to flute, has experience playing oboe, viola, guitar, and piano. She currently teaches private lessons in Mansfield, Texas for all of these instruments, plus music theory and composition. Alex also performs with the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra, Northeast Orchestra, and Mansfield Philharmonic Orchestra, is a former member of the Texas Chamber Music Project and the Fort Worth Medical Orchestra, and frequently plays gigs around the metroplex. In her free time, Alex enjoys painting, crafting, trying new coffee recipes, and spending time with friends and family.
Denise Buckner- Vice President of Merchandise
Denise Buckner graduated from L.D. Bell H.S. in Hurst, Texas, and earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. She has practiced her craft for over 30 years, and has worked in the residential architectural field for over 20 years. She currently works for Arch House Collaborative, a residential architectural firm in Southlake, Texas. She has been married for 30 years. She has two daughters; the older of which graduated in 2025 from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and is looking to pursue a Masters and Phd in Neuroscience, and the younger currently attends Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, studying electrical engineering.
Denise has played flute for over 40 years. She has performed and competed in Band since Junior High School. She has been a member of a flute choir since 1998, and has been in the low flute section since 2005. She has attended and performed with flute choirs at the National Flute Association Convention 5 times.
Since the inception of Flutitude! Flute Choir in March, 2025, she was appointed to the Board position of Vice President of Merchandise. As the VP of Merchandise, she is responsible for ordering and purchasing performance shirts, customized T-shirts for members, and merchandise to sell at performances, as well as, through the organization’s website. (e.g. mugs, wine glasses, tote bags, etc).
Nicki Miller- Treasurer
Nicki is a Registered Behavior Technician at Behavioral Innovations in Las Colinas. She has a Bachelor’s of Psychology from the University of Texas at Arlington and graduated in 2019. Nicki knew she wanted to play the flute from a very young age and started as soon as she could in the 6th grade. She played all the way through high school and into college in marching band, concert band, and full orchestra settings. She’s played solos for the UIL Solo and Ensemble contest and the Texas Flute Society festival. Her first time playing in a flute choir was with the flute studio at UTA, and she’s excited to have joined Flutitude! Flute Choir for the opportunity to play again.
Alannah Schoonover- Secretary
Alannah Schoonover graduated from Keller Central High and later University of North Texas as a second gen Eagle getting a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Human Services. Alannah works as a Senior Registered Behavior Tech in early autism intervention, working with kids on the spectrum. Earlier in 2026, Alannah celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary. When not playing flute, she can be found working in her pollinator garden, baking, or relaxing with her 3 cats and 2 dogs.
Alannah has played flute for over 20 years and alto for over 5 years. When Flutitude! Flute Choir was created, she volunteered to act as Secretary, taking the minutes at every board meeting, distributing minutes to members, and helping other board members as needed.
