Artistic Director Judy Welch…
Mrs. Welch received her Bachelor of Music Education Degree at Nebraska Wesleyan University and her Masters of Music Education at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She will begin her seventh year teaching music at Kooser Elementary School in Lincoln. She served 16 years as the Music Specialist at Hamlow Elementary and Waverly Intermediate Schools in Waverly, Nebraska. She has taught private piano, voice and violin lessons in her home for over 30 years. Mrs. Welch was a member and Assistant Conductor of the Lincoln Choral Artists, under the direction of Dr. William Wyman and Jason Horner for 20 years. Mrs. Welch served for ten years as an Assistant Conductor and Administrative Coordinator for the Lincoln Boys Choir, in Lincoln, Nebraska, under the direction of Burton Schernikau. She served as the State Chair for elementary music teachers with the Nebraska Music Educators Association from 2010 through 2011. She developed the first Nebraska All-State Children’s Choir in 2011 and in 2015 started the first middle level barbershop choir for the Nebraska Music Educators Convention. She served as the coordinator for both choirs until 2019. She is a certified teacher and member of American Orff-Schulwerk Association and member of the American Choral Directors Association where she served as the co-chair of the Sing Around Nebraska Children’s Choir for four years. She was commissioned an Admiral in the Nebraska Navy for her work in music education and was awarded the Outstanding Young Music Alumni Award from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2006 and Nebraska Wesleyan Outstanding Alumni for the 2018-2019 year.
Director Erin Niebuhr...
Erin is a music educator and board certified music therapist who loves bringing music to all students of any age or ability level. Erin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and piano performance from the University of Kansas in 2001 and began her career with Omaha Public Schools as a music therapist. In 2004, she joined Lincoln Public Schools teaching elementary music. After 14 years in music education, she made a change and went back to music therapy, taking a position at the Boystown National Research Hospital, Center for Childhood Deafness in Omaha where she teaches music to Deaf/Hard of Hearing preschool students. In 2018, Erin graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Masters degree in Music Education also earning Orff teacher certification. She directs a choir and Orff ensemble of 3rd-6th graders at her church and also volunteers in various other musical capacities for worship services. When not teaching or making music, Erin enjoys reading, scrapbooking and spending time with her 16 year old triplets, her husband Brian and their 2 year old puppy Penny.