Honor Choir Chairs

Name: Philip Brown
Position: Co-Chair, 9-10 High School Honor Choir 
Workplace: Hopkins High School

H: 651.249.3486
O: 952.988.4607
philip_brown@hopkins.k12.mn.us

Background: I graduated magna cum laude from Bethany College (Lindsborg, Kansas) in May 2001, majoring in vocal performance and K-12 music education, and completed a master's in music degree from Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, Arizona) in 2009. Now in my tenth year of public school teaching I am honored to teach the students at Hopkins High School. Before arriving at Hopkins High School, I started teaching in Colorado (Arvada West High School) and in White Bear Lake (North Campus High School). At Hopkins High School, I conduct seven choral ensembles, have been the musical director for the school’s annual musical in the past, and is the JV Girls Tennis Coach. Our choral groups have performed at local, state, regional and national festivals.

Along with public school teaching, I am part of the Angelica Cantanti organization in Bloomington, Minnesota where I conduct the Chamber Singers which is comprised of students from approximately 20 different high schools in the twin cities. I am an adjudicator for the MSHSL as well, and professional affiliations include ACDA and MENC. My wife Molly Brown and I reside in Eden Prairie.

Message to Colleagues: Any ACDA-MN members are encouraged to have their 9th and 10th grade students audition for the honor choir. It is always a great experience with a different great conductor each year. Any ACDA member who would like to volunteer to help with listening day or different jobs the day of the honor choir is more than welcome to lend an ear/or hand. 

Name: Jamye Casperson
Position: Co-Chair, 7-8 Girls’ Honor Choir
Co-Coordinator, ACDA-MN Honor Choirs
Workplace: Shakopee Middle School

C: 952.240.3840
O: 952.232.3360
jkcasperson@gmail.com

Background: I have been teaching for 20 years—9 years as a K-12 general music and choir teacher in Iowa, 3 years in Iowa as an 3rd – 5thgrade music teacher, 6 years as a middle school choir teacher in Lakeville and I am currently in my 4th year as a high school choir director at Lakeville South. I also direct a children’s choir at my church and have taught private piano lessons. I graduated from Luther College in 1990 and earned my Masters in Teaching and Learning from St. Mary’s University in 2005.

Message to Colleagues: I currently serve as your state honor choir coordinator and 7/8 girls state honor choir chair. Even though I teach high school right now, I feel honored to be a part of the ACDA-MN middle school activities. I love the energy of middle school singers and I think it is so important to give this vital age another top quality choir experience to motivate them to continue singing. I’m proud of our organization’s commitment to gender specific choirs and to the middle level immersion day as part of the state honor choir experience. As I have become more involved in ACDA-MN, I have found myself renewed and refreshed by the energy and accomplishments of my colleagues across the state. I hope that every member of ACDA-MN realizes that they have a “Professional Learning Community” of hundreds of talented choir directors at all levels and all they have to do is ask! I still ask questions after 20 years and continue to learn from my colleagues who also have become my friends!

Name: Melanie Kjellberg
Position: Co-Chair, State 9-10 High School Honor Choir
Workplace: Andover High School

H: 651.762.8929
O: 763.506.8547
Melanie.kjellberg@anoka.k12.mn.us

Background: I am currently in my 20th year of teaching vocal music and am the Director of Choirs at Andover High School, one of five high schools in the Anoka-Hennepin school district. Prior to arriving at Andover, I taught vocal and classroom music at both the middle school and high school levels in Richfield and White Bear Lake. My duties at Andover High School, are conducting four curricular ensembles and one co-curricular ensemble. In addition, I am the music director for the school’s annual musical. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Arts in Education degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and have been an active member of ACDA and MMEA.

Message to Colleagues: 
Any ACDA-MN members are encouraged to have their 9th and 10th grade students audition for the honor choir. It is always a great experience with a different great conductor each year. Any ACDA member who would like to volunteer to help with listening day or different jobs the day of the honor choir is more than welcome to lend an ear/or hand.

Name: Becky Kleinsasser
Position: Co-Chair, 7-8 Girls' Honor Choir
Workplace: Grace Notes Music Studio, Robbinsdale, MN

H: 651.308.0475
rjkleinsasser@hotmail.com; becky@gracenotesmusicstudio.com

Background: I grew up in a very musical family in West Fargo, ND. Through fantastic middle and high school music programs, I found success and belonging through my musical experiences. I attended Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN, where I graduated with a Vocal Music Education Degree in 2004. I spent 2.5 years teaching 6-8 Vocal Music and Band lessons at Richfield Middle School in Richfield, MN and 1 year teaching Vocal Music and Music Composition at Fred Moore Middle School - Center for the Arts in Anoka, MN. Since I am currently taking some time away from classroom teaching to focus on being home with my 2 year old and new baby, I launched Grace Notes Music Studio in 2007, where I teach private voice and piano lessons part time. I am passionate about working with Middle Level voices and saw many of my students blossom through their 7-8 Honor Choir experiences. I am excited to serve as co-chair for the State 7-8 Girls' Honor Choir to help this wonderful tradition continue.

Message to Colleagues: Auditioning for and participating in State Honor Choirs will offer your students a unique opportunity for advanced music making. Partaking in the audition process is a skill, and will get easier for both the student and director over time. I encourage you to offer this opportunity to your Middle Level singers! Both the audition process and actual participation in the choir are extremely valuable experiences for the student and director alike.
 

Name: Chris Larson
Position, Co-Chair, 7-8 Boys’ Honor Choir
Workplace: Central Middle School, Wayzata

H: 952.239.8218
O: 763.745.6063
chris.larson@wayzata.k12.mn.us

Background: I grew up in Austin, MN for my high school years where I developed my passion for singing! I am now in my seventh year as vocal music director at Wayzata Central Middle School. I graduated from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI, where I majored in Vocal Music Education, and I am currently pursuing a Masters in Music Education at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. I have performed as the tenor soloist for the Mozart Requiem with the University of St. Thomas Festival Chorus, and also as a member of the Grand Rapids Opera, Cornerstone University Chorale and Chamber Choirs, The Singers - Minnesota Choral Artists, and the VocalEssence chorus. I have also performed in musical theatre in many venues, and I play bass and sing in my church contemporary band. In Wayzata, I have served as director of the CMS spring musical, and music director for the summer youth theatre program, the Blue Water Theatre Company.

Message to Colleagues: My time spent working with fellow ACDA members through the 7/8 Honors Choir audition process has been a fantastic experience for me! There is so much to learn from all of the wonderful music teachers in our professional community, and I am honored to serve as 7/8 Boys Honors Choir Co-Chair. If you have not had your students audition for an ACDA Honors Choir yet, please consider it. Our students come back with such positive energy and excitement for singing! It is definitely a highlight of their year, and it always is a highlight of mine.

Name: Marie Palmquist
Position: Co-Chair, 4-5-6 Elementary Honor Choir
Workplace: Jordan Elementary School, Jordan

H: 952-239-8937
O: 952-492-4289
palmqmar@jordan.k12.mn.us

Background: I spent my K-12 education in the Wayzata school district where I had very influential teachers and learned to love music. I am a 2008 graduate of Luther College where I studied Music, English, and sang in the Nordic Choir with Dr. Craig Arnold for three years. After student teaching in the Robbinsdale district, I took my first placement as a long-term substitute in Princeton, Minnesota until June of 2010. This was a very rewarding place for me and I inherited a wonderful program with exceptional students. Now I am in my first year at Jordan Elementary School and teach general music to grades K-5. I am also the director of choirs for grades 7-12 at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church West and singing my third season with Magnum Chorum.

Message to Colleagues: I have found ACDA of MN to be an organization that supports professionals in all walks of their career and is an amazing source of inspiration, collaboration, and music! In particular, their honor choirs provide students with an experience that will change them. This year I am a 4-5-6 Honor Choir Co-Chair with Joel Gotz. Please contact either of us with any questions you have about the honor choir audition or listening day, or if you'd be interested in volunteering during festival day. I look forward to meeting you.
 

Name: Michael Skaar
Position: Co-Chair, 7-8 Boys’ Honor Choir 
Workplace: Falcon Ridge Middle School, Apple Valley

H: 952.431.6416
O: 952.431.8760
Michael.Skaar@district196.org

Background: I grew up in Hutchinson, MN and graduated from Hutchinson High School where my father was a band/choir/music teacher and photographer for 26 years. I attended Luther College and graduated with a degree in Vocal Music Education. I received a M.Ed degree and hold a K-12 Principal Licensure from St. Mary’s University. Upon my father’s retirement, I interviewed for his position to “pass the baton”, but missed the hand-off! Instead, I landed a 9-12 vocal position in Slinger, WI and moved to a more comfortable 6-8 position 6 years later. Longing to be closer to family, I moved to a 6-8 position in 2000 at Falcon Ridge Middle School in Apple Valley, MN. I teach 3 choirs in each grade with an occasional classroom music. In 2004, I started a District 196 8th grade Choir Fest involving 210 auditioned students from middle schools. I joined ACDA with the sole purpose of entering students in honor choirs. I am now the current chair for the State 7-8 Boys' Honor Choir.

Name: Kayla Krizek
Position: Co-Chair, 4-5-6 Children's Honor Choir
Workplace: PACT Charter School, Ramsey

H: 651.431.0194
O: 763.712.4200 x308
k.krizek@pactcharter.org

Background:  After graduating cum laude from Northwestern College-St. Paul in 2007, I began teaching k-12 vocal and classroom music at PACT Charter School in Ramsey.  Our growing music program is an exciting challenge!  My husband Elliott and I were married in August of 2010.  I enjoy pursuing community theatre performance opportunities during the summer.  I’ve been a part of the State 4-5-6 Children’s Honor Choir listening committee for four years, and after meeting and working with Co-Chair Marie Palmquist and Angela Broeker (guest conductor in 2011), I am thrilled to help create a fantastic experience for Minnesota elementary students this year!

Message to Colleagues:  If you’ve never taken the time (or found the nerve) to send in a student audition for honor choir, THIS is the year!  What an exciting step for both you and your students!  We want to see MORE auditions from MORE schools, big and small!  Helping a student create an audition, maybe for the first time, can be a great learning experience, and just think—maybe they’ll get that new experience of being selected for the State 4-5-6 Children’s Honor Choir!