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Directors

  • Kathrine Kouns

    Kathrine Kouns has been the Director of Choirs at Carmel High School since 2014. She moved to Indiana from Arizona in 2013 and has loved becoming a “Hoosier” here in the beautiful Midwest. Kathrine received her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University, and her Master’s Degree from Northern Arizona University. She spent four years as the choral director at Desert Canyon Middle School in Scottsdale, Arizona, and thirteen years as the Director of Choirs at Horizon High School. Her groups have won numerous awards and they have performed all over the world. She has directed a variety of honor choirs, adjudicated many festivals and competitions, and served for many years as the ACDA Repertoire & Standards Chair of Show Choirs for the Western Division and for the state of Arizona. Kathrine is an accomplished private vocal instructor and performer, and was a member of Phoenix Vocal Jazz for seven years. She has also recorded various advertising jingles, choral demos, and movie soundtracks, and is a regular soloist at various events. In 2013, Kathrine was honored to be named by the Grammy Foundation as one of America’s Top Ten Music Educators, and was nominated for the award again in both 2018 and 2019. She was humbled to be named as a finalist for Carmel High School Teacher of the Year for the 2020-2021 school year. Although music is her passion, her true loves are her husband John, and her two beautiful daughters, Charlotte and Lydia.

  • Kyle Barker

    Kyle Barker joined the choral teaching staff at Carmel High School in 2017. Before moving to Carmel, Kyle spent four years teaching at Northridge High School in Middlebury, IN. During that time, his choirs grew and gained recognition throughout the region. He is a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, was a member of the Singing Hoosiers, and was also a founding member of the IU Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Outside of his responsibilities at Carmel High School, Kyle has been the music director for several community theater musicals and has taught private voice and piano lessons for several years. He currently serves as the Show Choir Repertoire and Resources Chair for the Indiana Choral Directors Association. When not teaching, Kyle enjoys watching movies, traveling, and spending quality time with his family and friends.

  • Anna DeBard

    Anna DeBard is from Bloomfield, Indiana and has lived in the Hoosier state her whole life. She graduated from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in the Spring of 2018 with a degree in Choral Music Education. While at Indiana University, she participated in Singing Hoosiers, under the direction of Steve Zegree and Ly Wilder. She also performed in the University Chorale during her college career. After graduating, she taught for a year at Clinton Central Jr./Sr. High School in Michigantown, Indiana. While there, she taught all choirs in junior and senior high school, as well as a general music class. She also developed a beginning show choir, created a new 6th grade choir, and directed the fall musical, “Bye, Bye, Birdie.” In addition to her love of music and teaching, Anna loves to spend time with her husband Jacob, her sons James and Jonah, and her dog Abbie.