The Austin Children’s Choir Artistic Staff
Contact a staff member at directors@austinchildrenschoir.org
Dawn-Marie Schafer – Artistic Director
Dawn-Marie Schafer is an accomplished and respected choral music educator known in New Jersey, Georgia, and Austin, Texas. Throughout her 25 year career, she has served as Middle School Choral Chair for District 17 in Georgia, currently for Region 18 Middle School Vocal Division of the Texas Music Educators Association, and is the Elective department lead at Sycamore Springs Middle School, where she’s been teaching choir since 2022 and was named Teacher of the Year for 2023-24. Dawn-Marie has conducted District Honor choirs, the Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Choir in Georgia, and been presenter at State Music Education Conferences. Her choirs have a long history of superior ratings at state evaluations. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from The Hartt School of Music, her Master’s Degree in Music Education from Boston University, and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music Education from Liberty University. In 2020, Dawn-Marie self-published a three book children’s series, The Valiant Quests of the Knights of Musical Acres, which promotes music making with families and young children.
McKenna King – Assistant Director
McKenna King is a teacher, conductor, and soprano based in Austin, Texas. She is currently pursuing the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas, under the direction of Dr. J.D. Burnett. At UT Austin, McKenna sings with the Concert Chorale, and is the Assistant Conductor of the University Treble Choir, Treble Chamber Choir, and Repertory Chorus. In addition to her studies, King is the Director of Music Ministry at Shepherd of the Hills Christian Church. She has sung professionally in the Central Texas area with the UT Wind Ensemble, Da Capo Treble Choir, Tinsel Singers, Capital City Chamber Choir, St. Louis Vespers Schola, St. Theresa Catholic Church, Masterworks Singers of Austin, and Chorus Austin. Prior to pursuing her Master’s degree, McKenna taught secondary choral music and piano in Bastrop ISD, where her choirs received superior ratings and nearly doubled in size. King holds a Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Studies from the Butler School of Music at UT Austin, where she also earned a Texas EC-12 Teacher Certification. She holds professional memberships with TMEA and TCDA, and in her free time, she loves to bake, coach lacrosse, explore Austin, and cheer on the Texas Longhorns!
Steve Carlton, Collaborative Pianist
Steve received his B.A. in music from Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California, where he studied classical and jazz piano, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in collaborative piano at the University of Texas at Austin. Since moving to Austin in 2014 he has worked as an accompanist, music director, and vocal and instrumental coach for numerous schools in the area. In addition to working with the Austin Children’s Choir, he has served as the music director at KidsActing Studio in Austin, and since 2021 has been the collaborative pianist for the South Austin Academy of Vocal Arts. He also works with The Bastrop Honor Choir, and is the music minister at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bastrop.
Board of Directors
Austin Children’s Choir is actively seeking contributing board members. Please reach out to us if you are interested in serving on the board. Board@AustinChildrensChoir.org
The Austin Children's Choir 