By Mark Ambrogi
The Carmel High School choral department staff will have a new makeup this year.
Associate directors John Burlace and Christina Mauck both resigned following the 2016-17 school year.
“John decided to leave teaching altogether and is pursuing his freelance work, and he and his wife moved to California,” said Kathrine Kouns, the directors of choirs. “He’ll still be working with us a little bit, doing some arranging for our program. Christina was on maternity leave this past semester because she had a baby. She was from Illinois, so she and her husband decided they wanted to be closer with family with the new baby.”
Their replacements will be Kyle Barker and Sam Chenoweth.
Barker, a 2013 Indiana University graduate, has taught the past four years at Northridge High School in Middlebury. The Cathedral High School graduate said he is glad to be returning to his Indianapolis roots.
“Even more importantly, though, I feel that the experience I gained and the relationships built at my previous school have prepared me to continue the legacy of the Carmel Choral Department as well as help shape the path for the choirs in the future,” Barker said.
Chenoweth, a Fairfield (Ohio) High School and Ball State graduate, has been working as a freelance show choir choreographer.
“Even though he’s a new teacher, he comes to us with a wealth of experience,” Kouns said.
Chenoweth said he is eager to work in such a collaborative environment with his new colleagues.
“The talent of our students is something not to be taken for granted,” Chenoweth said. “So many things are so incredible about the CHS choirs, so it’s going to be our job to not only continue the tradition of excellence but reach new heights in whatever ways we can.”
Kouns said the program has been restructured. Barker will lead the Ambassadors, the mixed competition show choir, and Kouns will assist. Kouns will lead the Accents, the all-female competition show choir, and Chenoweth will assist. Chenoweth will lead New Edition, the upper intermediate mixed competition group, and Barker will assist. Chenoweth will lead the school musical each spring.
“We’ve delegated it so each one has an upper level ensemble at the competition level and some of the intermediate and beginner choirs as well,” Kouns said. “So it’s a little more evenly dispersed. We think it’s a good way to balance the duties and give the students exposure to all of us.”
