Creswell Community Singers Leaders
Mary Ellen Yost
Music Director
Mary Ellen Yost has been the Music Director of the Creswell Community Singers since its inception in September 2016. She is a graduate of the Florida State University School of Music with a degree in Choral Music. Mary Ellen has experience in Choral Conducting, Piano, Voice, Harp, and Guitar. She has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra as 2nd Harpist under the direction of Colin Davis. She has sung under the direction of Aaron Copland.
Mary Ellen began working with Choral Music while in junior high school. She has been the Director of Choral Music in high school and junior high schools in Tampa, Florida, and in elementary school in Creswell, Oregon. Her music teaching experience also includes schools in Klamath Falls, and Toledo, Oregon, and private teaching at her home studio.
Rebecca Laird
Accompanist
Rebecca Laird started accompanying choirs in high school in Havre, Montana where she grew up. She graduated with her bachelor’s in piano performance from Abilene Christian University where she studied with the late Pauline Kung Bjorem. Rebecca participated in masterclasses taught by Ronald Rathbun and Van Cliburn Crystal winner Sean Chen. She then graduated with her master’s in piano pedagogy from the University of Oregon, having studied under Dean Kramer and Claire Wachter.
In addition to accompanying the Creswell Community Singers, Rebecca teaches piano lessons and preschool music.
Joan Travis Kelley
Choir Manager and Music Librarian
Joan has been involved with church and school choirs since preschool. Since 1991, she has been a member of adult choral groups: Songspinners and Creswell Presbyterian Church Choir.
She was one of the original seven who began singing in the Creswell Community Choir. She keeps choir members informed, organized, and helps this group touch the lives of people in our community by:
- Informing Singers of the Rehearsal Plans, coming events, and birthdays
- Number, hand out, collect, and store music
- Update song lists
- Greet Singers as they come to rehearsals and provide them with music and information
- Work with new members to get music, name tags and welcome them to CCS
Joan Travis Kelley believes that music is very important. It soothes our minds, lifts our spirits and gives voice to how we feel. It is a gift we give ourselves and brings us joy each time we sing, and hopefully, does the same for others who are listening.
Thank You!
The Creswell Community Singers want to thank Creswell First!, a foundation created to help encourage, and facilitate helpful projects in Creswell, Oregon.
We are very appreciative and would like to thank the Oregon Community Foundation and the Chambers Family Foundation for their grants which were used to purchase sheet music for our music library.