Ms. Kelly Parmenter began conducting the Colorado Choir in 2009. To celebrate her 10th year as our conductor, we asked Kelly to tell us a bit more about her life and career. We look forward to many more years of having Kelly as our artistic director and conductor, and are so privileged to have her lead our choir!
Getting to Know Kelly
I was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey (home of the bowling ball), the youngest of three children. Music was in our blood. Granny played piano and organ and gave her last performance at 95 on Thanksgiving Day. I have cousins who are pianists, composers, Broadway performers, cellists, guitarists, and, of course, we were all singers. No family gathering was complete without a sing-a-long (or two).
The family moved to Colorado while I was in high school. My high school band director, an Adams State graduate who became my brother-in-law, introduced me to Randolph “Casey” Jones and the Adams State Choir.
I attended Adams State and earned a B.A. in K-12 Vocal and Instrumental Music Education. Besides studying piano, my major instrument was French Horn. I sang with the choir under Casey’s direction and became choir manager and section leader. At Adams State, I studied choral conducting with Casey Jones and orchestral conducting with Dr. Gordon Childs
.
As a graduate student at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I studied conducting with Dr. Lawrence Kaptein, then earned an M.Ed. from Lesley University.
My teaching career spanned almost 40 years:
- I spent one year at Hudson Elementary School where I met a 4th-grade teacher who later became my sister-in-law. I taught general music, band, andchoir.
- I spent one year at Goddard Junior High School teaching vocal music.
- I found my calling at Arapahoe High School and spent the next 35 years there, retiring in 2017. I taught vocal music to five different choirs, orchestral music, and served as Chair of the Performing Arts Dept. for 30 years.
I joined the Colorado Choir in 1980 after graduating from Adams State. I served as section leader, soloist, and assistant conductor, then was appointed conductor/artistic director upon Casey’s retirement in 2009.
Holidays 2012 – the last time Casey conducted the choir (we went to his nursing home)
My brother also sings with the choir, having joined in 1976. It is a source of pride to serve as his conductor. He’s a wonderful musician. I have one son, Chris, and a granddaughter, Fiona Mae. I also have a calico cat named Lady.
Quintessential Kelly quote: “I’m not always sarcastic. Sometimes I’m sleeping.”
Huge congratulations to Kelly on her 10th year!
