Choral Clinician Q&A: Get to Know Katie O'Connor-Ballantyne

Educator, composer, conductor, and music editor Katie O'Connor-Ballantyne is hitting the road this summer as part of our Celebration of Song! Summer Choral Reading Sessions . Learn about how she got started in music, how she discovered her love of teaching, and more!

How did you get your start in music?

My first musical memories are of sitting on my Dad's lap when I was very small, while he and my uncle played Beatles tunes. I started flute in 3rd grade, and from then on I was hooked. I didn't take singing seriously until I was in high school, but I wound up majoring in vocal performance and music education in college.

What do you remember about your very first lesson?

I wanted to succeed at flute so badly that I blew into the headjoint until I was dizzy! We started by taking just the headjoint out of the case and seeing if we could get a sound by blowing across the tone hole. I definitely overdid it until my teacher showed me how to do it properly. I'm also pretty sure that I cried because I was embarrassed.

When did you know you wanted to teach?

When I was a sophomore in high school, my schedule was so crazy that I wound up without a lunch period one year, so I ate lunch in the band room. There was a music theory class going on for the upperclassmen, and I fell in love with it. I found myself helping out some of the older students with harmonic analysis, and the band teacher pulled me aside and asked me if I had ever thought about teaching music. At that point, I was planning on being a biologist! But I loved the feeling of helping people understand music, and that stuck.

Do you have any advice for a new teacher, or what is something you wish you knew when you started teaching?

A good program takes time to build. Focus on building good relationships first: with your students and their parents, with your colleagues, and with your administration. Once your students trust you, the sky's the limit!

Tell us about a memorable teaching moment.

When I taught high school, one of my students suffered a terrible family tragedy the night before our choir had a big concert with a professional orchestra. I was shocked to see him in the choir room that morning. I asked him if he was sure he felt okay to come with us, and he replied, "This is exactly where I want to be on the worst day of my life." The choir was able to support him through a terrible moment, and it was the first time I really knew how important our work is.

How do you motivate students?

I always try to find at least one piece of music that deeply speaks to the heart for each concert. It's usually the first one we start, and the one we come back to when they've been working hard, or we need to remember what it is we're really working towards.

What is one of the biggest challenges you overcame as a teacher?

Twice in my career, I've had to follow in the footsteps of a beloved and revered teacher. Both times, it felt impossible, and I faced some resistance as I tried to find a new direction for my program. I've learned that my job isn't to be exactly like someone else, it's to be the best version of me I know how to be. Leadership is about discovering and leaning into your own strengths, and then using those to bring out the best in your ensemble.

What inspired you to start composing?

I took several years off from teaching music while my kids were small. In 2012 and 2013, I attended two different choir reunions that reminded me just how much I missed that part of my life. I went home from the second reunion and wrote my first piece a few days later. It was pretty awful—but I kept writing anyway, because it gave me joy, and eventually my ideas got better.