MT ACDA Elected Board
President
Thomas Baty
Thomas Baty is in his 15th year of teaching. He currently teaches at Capital High School in Helena where he directs five different choral ensembles and teaches two sections of modern band. He was born, raised, and educated in Missoula and earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education from the University of Montana. While in Helena Baty has maintained an active performance schedule with his school ensembles and co-organized many local collaborative events with his colleagues. He has had the honor of guest directing for various festival choirs in Montana, as well as adjudicating for district music festivals across the state. In the Spring of 2018, Baty earned a Master of Education degree from Montana State University. In recent years, he has enjoyed supporting the MCDA membership by presenting sessions at state conferences on the topics of burnout, philosophy, and repertoire. When he is not teaching, rehearsing or performing, he is enjoying family time with his wife and two boys.
President-Elect
Morgan Kirk
Morgan Kirk received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Montana State University in 2009 and a Master of Arts in Vocal Performance from the University of Montana in 2014. She started out her teaching career with two years in elementary music, followed by three years in a combined middle school and high school choir position. For the past eight years, she has taught choir, music technology, and piano courses at Belgrade High School. In Montana ACDA, Morgan has served as an R&R Chair for Treble Choirs and a Regional Advisory Board Member. She has performed with the Bozeman Symphonic Choir, Dolce Canto, and Opera Montana (formerly Intermountain Opera) in Bozeman. When not directing choirs, she enjoys getting out to go skiing or fishing with her husband and two daughters.
Past-President
Jordan Lee
Jordan Lee is the head choral director at Charles M. Russell High School in Great Falls. Currently, she directs the freshmen and auditioned treble choirs, the auditioned mixed choir, and the mixed chamber choir. In the past, she has experience teaching general music in a self-contained classroom, and has served as musical director for several school musicals. Jordan hails from the tiny town of Hingham, Montana. Jordan received her Bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, where she studied with Timothy Westerhaus and Darnelle Preston. She completed her student teaching with Barbara Tappa at Ferris High School in Spokane. Interacting with singers across the state is one of Jordan’s biggest passions. She firmly believes the size of your school should not determine the quality of your musical experience. Through Youth Sings, festivals, and adjudicating, Jordan feels blessed to have learned from directors and singers across Montana.