Director of Music

Carol Banach

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Carol has been blessed with a lifelong ministry of music. She was born and raised in NY/NJ as a preacher's kid, where singing and playing music in church was a part of daily life. Her two adult daughters, Liz and Jenny, were born in Indiana and continued the tradition of growing up and making music at church, considering they had two full-time church musicians for parents. The Greater Seattle area has now been called home for 20+ years and has offered Carol the opportunity to serve many different faith traditions, gaining a greater perspective of diversity in belief systems, musical styles, and literature. Carol is the founder/musician/music educator at The Lark's Nest Music Studio, teaches piano and organ at Holy Names Academy, and is the Cantamus accompanist at Seattle Girls Choir.

Carol graduated with a BA from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, studying conducting with Dr Joseph Flummerfelt and Frauke Hausseman, church music with Erik Routley, Helen Kemp, Hal Hopson, and David York, organ performance with Eugene Roan and Robert Carwithen, and handbell ringing and touring with Donald Allured. She sang with the Symphonic Choir for major choral works with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta and Philadelphia Orchestra under Ricardo Muti, and even premiered Dave Brubeck's Mass - To Hope! Such inspiration would last her whole life long, as her journey led her to serve churches, communities, and schools across the country.

Creating opportunities for people of all ages within the church community to contribute their gifts of music to the glory of God is of utmost importance. Carol is passionate about inspiring congregations to sing, raising the rafters with soaring voices and robust organ accompaniment, as well as offering quieter moments of reflective hymns. She has extensive experience directing, arranging and composing, and building connection and collaboration within choral, instrumental, brass and handbell ensembles.