Choral Area Personnel | School of Music

The Choral Area’s rich and diverse ensembles are supported by Ball State faculty, staff, and graduate assistants.

Faculty and Staff

Andrew Crow, director of choral activities
Kerry Glann, associate director of choral activities
Jodi Cotton-Street, director of University Singers
Pierre Joseph, choral librarian

Spencer Domer is pursuing a Double Masters Degree in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance at Ball State University. As a singer, Spencer has been fortunate to perform in over 20 operas in Leading, Comprimario, and Ensemble roles at the collegiate and professional level. He has sung as a chorister with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Five Cities Baroque Festival, and in-residency at St. Albans Cathedral in England. Spencer has served as an Assistant Conductor on numerous operas including Britten’s Albert Herring and Pucinni’s Suor Angelica and served as a Conducting Fellow with Chicago Summer Opera.

Spencer is the Founding Artistic Director of the Riverbend Youth Chorale, a nonprofit choral program for underprivileged youth in the Illinois Riverbend. He also serves as the Assistant Choral Director at High Street United Methodist Church in Muncie, Indiana. Outside of his performance, Spencer is an avid scholar of Benjamin Britten’s repertoire and other twentieth-century English composers.

Spencer received his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Millikin University with a minor in applied ethics and philosophy. He is an alumni member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Delta Sigma Phi, and is a Friend of the Arts of Sigma Alpha Iota (as of April 2025).

Brendan Kennedy

Brendan Kennedy is pursuing a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Ball State University. Brendan earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Georgia Southern University in 2023. A Georgia native, he draws on many unique experiences from marching band, concert choir, church music, technical theatre, and stage management to bring a high energy environment to every rehearsal.

As a conductor, educator, and researcher, Brendan has published research articles with Georgia Southern and the New York Singing Teachers’ Association’s VOICEPRINTS. His research interests involve vocal pedagogy for choral classrooms and classroom/adolescent psychology. Brendan is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAFME), Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Kappa Phi, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO).

He hopes to continue to deepen his knowledge of the choral field as well as refining his conducting technique while at Ball State.

Kristen Baisley

Kristen Baisley is pursuing a Doctor of Arts in choral conducting at Ball State University with a secondary focus in music education. Kristen received her Bachelor of Science in music education (2016) and her Master of Music in choral conducting (2018) from Bob Jones University. She and her husband, Ryan, have three young boys.

Kristen conducts the University Choral Union at BSU and teaches Aural Skills classes, providing opportunities to connect student vocal experiences to their music theory skillset. Kristen also directs the secondary choirs at Indiana Christian Academy. Choirs under her direction have successfully performed at the state and national levels in the American Association of Christian Schools fine arts competitions in the past 7 years. Kristen is actively involved in many aspects of church music and enjoys the opportunity to be an enthusiastic member of the BSU Chamber Choir.

Kristen has travelled in Europe and the USA, conducting and singing as a choral scholar. Having lived in seven states so far, Kristen is thankful for the “choral families” she has across the country and looks forward to connecting with these musical friends when conferences and conventions allow.

Stephen Larson

Conductor, pianist, singer, and teacher Stephen L Larson has spent nearly two decades teaching and performing in the Midwest. An Illinois native, Larson draws from a broad musical background to craft a creative and enriching experience for both music-makers and those in the audience. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Arts in conducting at Ball State University, Larson earned a Master of Arts in conducting at Eastern Illinois University, a Master of Music Education from VanderCook College of Music, and a Bachelor of Music from Millikin University.

At home both in the classroom and on the podium, Larson has served as a music teacher in Champaign, Illinois, and the surrounding communities – primarily, eight years directing choirs at Champaign Central High School. Larson co-founded the Urbana Pops Orchestra in 2010 and served as associate conductor, arranger, and occasional pianist. Larson became the principal conductor in 2019 and continues the Pops’ mission of bringing popular orchestral music and light classics to the Champaign-Urbana community.

J.K Njenga

J.K Njenga is a Doctoral Student in Choral Conducting at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. He is committed to pursuing excellence in Music Performance, with an emphasis on Choral Conducting and African Choral Music Performance. J.K’s musical journey began at Kenyatta University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in music, laying the groundwork for his current musical activities. He received his Master of Music with an emphasis on Choral Conducting from the University of Arkansas. He served as the President of the Students Chapter of the American Choral Directors' Association at the University of Arkansas, exhibiting his leadership and passion for choral music. He is an active choral musician and conductor, a founder member of the African Cultural Choir and Enkare Kito, where he was the technical director in both ensembles. He is the Director of Choirs at Hazelwood Christian Church in Muncie, Indiana. Additionally, he plays an integral role in the creative process as he composes and arranges both traditional and contemporary African pop songs, ensuring the preservation and evolution of this vibrant musical heritage.

Recent Graduates

Alan Alder

Choral director at Anderson High School in Anderson, Indiana

Sharon Basinger-Lehman

Choral director at Manchester Community Schools in Manchester, Indiana
Artistic director of the Children's Choir of Huntington County

Mark A. Boyle

Director of choral and vocal activities at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Jill Burleson Burgett

Director of choral studies and director of choral music education at University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado

Clif Davis

Adjunct professor at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana
Assistant director of Masterworks Chorale in Muncie, Indiana
Music director at First Baptist Church in Muncie, Indiana

Jordan Dollins

Choral director at Portage High School in Portage, Indiana

Chris Ellis

Music department chair and director of choral activities at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa

Alyssa Harris

Fine arts teacher at Blessed Trinity Catholic Hight School in Atlanta, Georgia

Theodore Hicks

Director of choral activities and voice area coordinator at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana

Sally Kelley

Artistic director of White River Sound in Indianapolis, Indiana
Executive director of Masterworks Chorale in Muncie, Indiana
Lecturer in music for Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana

Michael Lister

Music department chair and associate professor of choral music at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York

Andrew Martin

Director of choral activities at University of Southern Tennessee in Pulaski, Tennessee

Marcel Ramalho de Mello

Assistant professor of voice and choirs at Augusta University in Augusta, Georgia

Shelbie Wahl Fouts

Director of choral activities at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia

School of Music

Hargreaves Music Building (MU) 203
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306

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