Kerri Blanford
Associate Choral Director As a former member of Evansville Children’s Choir, Kerri Blanford joyfully returned to the program as Associate Choral Director in 2019. Kerri teaches choral music at Thompkins Middle School. She assisted with the EVSC Middle and High School Honors choirs and was the featured soprano soloist in the 2018-19 Honors Orchestra and Choir collaboration of Bernstein’s Make Our Garden Grow. Kerri previously taught at Edinburgh Community Middle-High Schools. Kerri earned degrees in B.M. Vocal and Instrumental Music Education from the University of Evansville, and M.M. Flute Performance from Shenandoah University. Her instructors included Dr. Gregory Rike for voice and Gunnery Sgt. Kara Santos, Dr. Kelly Sulick and Dr. Shauna Thompson for flute at UE and Jonathan Snowden for flute at Shenandoah. She teaches voice and flute privately with emphasis in the Suzuki Method. Kerri is a member of the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus and Evansville Symphonic Band. She has been featured as a soloist in both ensembles. In July 2018, Kerri married Alex Blanford. She enjoys traveling with her husband and watching their little boy, Caleb, grow as he explores the world around him. |
Michael Miller Associate Choral Director Michael Miller is the choral director at FJ Reitz High School. He is also the current representative for District 7 of the Indiana Choral Directors Association, and has served as the Assistant Director of the EVSC High School Honor Choir. Vocal work aside, Michael is also a trained percussionist. He serves as the Percussion Caption Head of the Reitz Mighty Marching Panther Band. He has performed as a part of the percussion section with numerous local groups including the Evansville River Brass Band (where he also serves as the President of the Board of Directors), the UE Wind Ensemble, the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Evansville Symphonic Band. In his spare time, Michael composes and arranges music for marching bands. Michael is thrilled at the recent progress of the Evansville Children's Choir and, with fellow director Kerri, he hopes to continue building the program into an even more eventful, successful, and professional program. |
Our Accompanists
Melissa Bethel Spending most of her career in the music field, Ms. Bethel currently teaches K-8 music at St. Philip Catholic School and also teaches piano lessons. In addition to being an accompanist for the Evansville Children’s Choir, she has been a church musician over 27 years. She participates in many local musical activities including the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus and the Greater Evansville Music Teachers Association. Melissa earned bachelors degrees in music performance and music education from Cedarville University in Ohio, where she studied piano with Charles Clevenger and voice with Mary Cory. |
Ryan Luttrull Ryan Luttrull is currently the organist at Eastminster Presbyterian Church and has worked previously at St. Paul's Episcopal and Old North United Methodist Church. Ryan served as Dean of the Evansville chapter of the American Guild of Organists from 2020-2022, and Secretary from 2014-2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Colleague AGO certificate. He has performed solo recitals in Evansville and Huntingburg, Indiana, and works as a collaborative pianist for the University of Evansville, EVSC, and other student musicians throughout the Tri-state area. Ryan also enjoys teaching a growing studio of piano, organ, and French horn students. In addition to organ and piano, he holds the Principal Horn chair in the Evansville Symphonic Band and is a founding member of the Evansville Horn Choir. |
Executive Office
Katie Schnautz
Executive Director
Katie first learned about ECC when her daughter auditioned and joined in August of 2021. She quickly became an involved parent volunteer when she stepped into the role of secretary of the board in the spring of 2022 and later took on the executive director position in August 2023.
Katie is the insurance coordinator at Brown Orthodontics. She currently plays with the River Brass Band (where she also serves as secretary of the board) and the Evansville Horn Choir. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and playing board games with her husband and two children.
Executive Director
Katie first learned about ECC when her daughter auditioned and joined in August of 2021. She quickly became an involved parent volunteer when she stepped into the role of secretary of the board in the spring of 2022 and later took on the executive director position in August 2023.
Katie is the insurance coordinator at Brown Orthodontics. She currently plays with the River Brass Band (where she also serves as secretary of the board) and the Evansville Horn Choir. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and playing board games with her husband and two children.
Our Board of Directors
Chris Synowiec, President
Sara Rhoades, Vice President
Kristin Neal, Secretary
Seth Zirkle, Treasurer
Joan Nevill, Board Member
Don Travis, Board Member
Toni Foster, Board Member
Margaret Kimberling, Board Member
*Vacant at current time.