Carl Strommen
Email:
melissa@baland.net
graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2002 with a Bachelor of
Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with
a specialization in Creative Writing, winning awards and honors as a top
student graduating from both departments. She has studied voice for over
fifteen years, performing in numerous sophisticated productions, and
frequently finds work as a professional classical soloist.
When she was a member of Allen choirs, Baland made All-Region Choir every
year and Texas All-State Choir her senior year. She also participated in the
AHS Show Choir, the AHS Vocal Jazz Ensemble, an AHS women's barbershop
quartet, and performed roles in three musicals during her AHS tenure. She
has competed as a Soprano II, Alto I, and Alto II at the high school level, as
well as a lyric coloratura soprano and a lyric mezzo at collegiate and
professional levels. She is proud to have seen several students go on to the
Texas All-State Choir in her six years as a voice teacher in the Dallas area.
Having taught the students of Allen ISD since the fall of 2003, Miss Baland
looks forward to graduating off her first group of 8th graders as seniors of
the Class of 2008 this year.
Miss Baland is also trained in Catholic music liturgy and frequently works as a
church musician for area churches. Recently, she worked for six months as
the Interim Director of Music Ministry at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church
in Allen and continues there as a staff soloist under their new director.
Currently, she directs the Children's Choir at St. Mark Catholic Church in
Plano where she has been an associate director on the Music and Liturgy
staff since 2001.
Miss Baland loves teaching high school students above all other things,
except perhaps her fiancé, Mr. Kevin Lee, to whom she will be married this
March. They live in Allen with their very sociable dogs and cats.
