By July of 2025, there were “double digits” of schools in Iowa without choir directors. Atlantic was one of those schools.
At the end of the 24-25 school year, former choir director Mikayla Stockhaus announced that she would be leaving the school district. Principal Heather McKay said that they held “four different interviews” for a new choir director, and they had found someone who was still in college, but would be getting their teaching license before the next school year. Unfortunately, the school was soon notified that the candidate was not going to receive their license. When asked why, McKay said, “No comment,” due to legal reasons. McKay checked every corner for a choir director; she even went to the “Iowa High School Music Association”(https://ihsma.org/ ) and colleges. However, by July, it became known that Atlantic would be starting the next school year without a choir director.
Band director Jarrod O’Donnell was told at the beginning of July that he would be directing the choir for the first semester, and possibly the whole year. He said his initial thoughts were that he “knew it was going to be a challenge, not only with time, but it had been quite some time since I was in a choir class, or had any formal training in choir.” For years, the Atlantic choir has been split into Chamber Chorale and Concert Choir, but this year, they had to condense. Due to this, there are 52 kids in the classroom at one time. However, O’Donnell doesn’t mind it too much because at the first concert, “the sound that was produced by the group was very well received.” O’Donnell was confident that we’ll have a choir director if not next semester, next year. He would like people to know that overall “the kids have been fantastic to work with” and “the upperclassmen have been tremendous leaders.” The next choir concert will be on Dec. 8, and everyone who can is encouraged to go.
David Blake is a sophomore who has been in choir since eighth grade, and he said that he “just loves choir.” Blake is also in band, jazz band, and the musical. His first thought when he was told that O’Donnell would be taking over choir was: “How is he going to do this on his own?” Like the rest of the students involved in the music department, Blake has heard rumours about how the school is treating O’Donnell. None of the rumours has been confirmed. Blake said that due to O’Donnell being busy with both band and choir, there have been fewer one-on-one lessons with him. However, he said that the choir “has actually gotten better.” O’Donnell has been teaching the choir how to read music. Blake also likes that the choir has been able to learn more songs and that they are “really fun.” Despite the good additions, Blake still thinks that the school needs to find a choir director.
Freshman Harper Whitney is in both show choir and concert choir, band, and the musical. When she heard that for her first year of high school, the band director would also be directing choir, she was “disheartened.” In fact, her mother, Laura Kloewer, spoke up about it at the board meeting that was held about this issue shortly before school started. Whitney said she wishes “the school would make more of an effort to musically involved students feel more appreciated.” She also said that part of making them feel appreciated would be to actually find a choir director.
Principal McKay said that she knows how arts programs have “positive impacts” on “students and a school community.” She has been doing what she can to help with the situation, and is confident that there will be a choir director at least by next year. She would like people to know that “it is still very important to us as a district and as a community, and to me as a person and as an administrator.”
