Mrs. Sarah Catt, Director of Choirs
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Sarah Catt became the choir director at Elk Grove High School in 2010. Her curricular responsibilities include Men's Choir, Women's Choir, Treble Choir, Concert Choir and Mint Condition Vocal Jazz. Co-curricular ensembles under her direction include Chamber Singers and Men's A cappella. She also serves as the vocal director for the school musical. The choirs at Elk Grove frequently work with guest clinicians and university choirs. Under her direction, the Elk Grove Vocal Jazz Ensemble was chosen to perform at the 2014 Illinois Music Education Conference and the 2014 Illinois American Choral Directors Association Conference. Mrs. Catt has served as a guest conductor for various honor ensembles including the Illinois Summer Youth Music Junior Chorus, the Illinois Music Education Association District 1 Junior Chorus, and the Illinois Music Education Association District 9 Vocal Jazz III Ensemble. She recently received an Award of Recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education in the 2015-2016 "Those Who Excel" education awards program.
Before coming to EG, Mrs. Catt was the choir director at Crone Middle School in Naperville, IL. She received her Bachelor of Music Education with an emphasis in choral and general music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was honored as the Most Outstanding Student in Music Education and graduated with highest honors. She also earned her Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University Chicago. Mrs. Catt is an active member of the Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). She currently serves as an Illinois ACDA board member as the High School Repertoire and Standards Chair. Outside of her musical endeavors, Mrs. Catt enjoys spending time with her husband Brandon, who is the Director of Choirs at Glenbard East High School in Lombard, IL. sarah.catt@d214.org (847)718-4499 |
Ms. Serenity Fung, Choral Accompanist
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Serenity Fung is active as a performer, teacher, and accompanist in the Chicagoland area. In addition to joining the EGHS staff as accompanist in 2014, she teaches at Bellas Artes School of Music in Glen Ellyn. An avid chamber musician, she plays with a Wheaton alumni chamber group and interns with the professional group Picosa.
Ms. Fung holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Wheaton College. During her time there, she was winner of the Concerto Competition, president and accompanist of the Concert Choir under the baton of Dr. John Trotter, accompanist for countless competitions and student recitals, and co-founder of Conversations that Matter. Her teachers include Dr. Daniel Paul Horn and Dr. Chiu-Ling Lin. When not involved in musical activities, Ms. Fung enjoys reading good books, biking on the Prairie Path, and making and consuming all types of food. |
Ms. Marissa McLean, Director of Women's co-curricular Ensembles
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Marissa McLean is thrilled to join the Elk Grove High School Music Faculty directing the co-curricular women’s ensemble. Ms. McLean also acts as the Assistant Choral Director at Glenbard East High School directing two sections of Treble Choir, WAVE, and Voices of East, along with overseeing the student-directed men’s and women’s a cappella groups. Additionally, she directs the Choirs at Westlake Middle School.
Before coming to Elk Grove, Ms. McLean was the Director of Choirs at South View Middle School, in Danville, IL. She graduated in 2014 from Elmhurst College with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. She was twice nominated for the Elmhurst College Founder’s Award and was honored to be selected as the Elmhurst College Senior of the Year in 2014. She studied voice with Ms. Amy Pickering, was a member of both the Late Night Blues and Blue vocal jazz ensembles, and performed with the Elmhurst College Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Women’s Choir, Philharmonic Orchestra, and Varsity Band. During her time in these ensembles, she held many executive positions and served as Head of House for the 45th Annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival. Ms. McLean has performed in many venues across the US and Canada including: Toronto, St. Louis, Chicago, New York City and Boston. In 2013, she had the opportunity to travel to Montego Bay, Jamaica where she taught music in both primary and secondary schools through a study abroad program. Ms. McLean is an active member of the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA), Illinois Music Educators Association (IlMEA) as well as the National Association for Music Educators (NAfME) and spent 3 summers during college, as an intern for the Say Yes to Education program in Syracuse, NY. Outside of teaching and music, she enjoys spending time with her friends, volunteering, traveling and visiting her family at home in Upstate New York. |
