Memorial Choir

Raised in Solon, OH, Kelsey D. Burkett is a 2006 Graduate of Capital University, where she majored in Music Education and served as the alto section leader in the renown Chapel Choir.  She completed her Masters of Music in Music Education and Kodaly Certification from Capital University in 2019. In her 18th year of teaching, she has a passion for the developing voice and middle school singers. She serves as the Director of Choirs at Hilliard Memorial Middle School, where she directs the 7th Grade Treble Choir, 8th Grade Treble Choir, and Blue Notes A Cappella.  She also serves as co-director, alongside Jeremy Witt & Alyssa Schott, of Hilliard Bradley High School’s premier contemporary a cappella group, Shades of Blue A Cappella, who were crowned the 2023 ICHSA National Champions.  Together, her team runs the Jaguar A Cappella Program, consisting of four 7-12 contemporary a cappella groups.

Choirs under her direction have consistently received Superior and Excellent ratings and Grand Championships at the District, State, and National Contest levels.    In June 2016, the MMS Choirs made their Carnegie Hall Debut as a part of the Songs of Inspiration and Hope Concert under the director of Mrs. Lori Loftus. In Summer of 2018, the MMS 8^th Grade Treble Choir performed for the Ohio Choral Director’s Association Summer Conference at Otterbein University and in 2021 were invited to perform at the Ohio Music Education Conference.  Ms. Burkett is a warrior for Social Justice within her community, and co-founded the Hilliard BIPOC Alliance, for her coworkers of color within the Hilliard City School District, working for change within and outside of their classrooms.  Currently, she serves as the National Co-Chair for Contemporary/Commercial Choirs for the American Choral Directors Association and the Treble Honor Choir Chair for the Ohio Choral Directors Association.

In March 2020, she was awarded the 2020 Country Music Association Foundation’s Music Teachers of Excellence, one of only 10 teachers from across the United States.

Ms. Burkett maintains an active singing career, performing with professional ensembles around the city of Columbus.  She is a member of the American Choral Director’s Association and the Organization of American Kodaly Educators.  Above all her professional accomplishments, her greatest joy is being mom to 5-year-old Harper, partner to Jen, and cat/dog mom to Chito and Phil.

Follow her on Instagram:

@biracialchoirunicorn @shadesofblueacappella

Jeremy Witt is an educator, conductor, and performer from Hilliard, Ohio. He is a graduate of Cedarville University with a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Education and of Kent State University with a Master’s in Music Education. He currently is in his seventh year of teaching and serves as the Director of Choirs at Hilliard Bradley High School. In his role at Bradley, Jeremy conducts the Symphonic Choir and Concert Choir Tenor/Bass. He also oversees the Jaguar A Cappella program, co – directs Shades of Blue a cappella with Ms. Kelsey Burkett and Ms. Alyssa Schott, and directs ECHO a cappella. In addition to his responsibilities at Bradley, Jeremy directs the 7th and 8th Grade Tenor/Bass choir at Memorial Middle School

Jeremy is very involved in the contemporary a cappella movement. He has served as a producer for the all – a cappella radio station, Acaville. Jeremy has worked as a judge for the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards, and as a judge for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and International Championship of High School A Cappella. Jeremy founded Cedarville University’s first contemporary a cappella group, The Inversions, and served as the Music Director/President four years. Under his direction, the group had sold-out concerts, produced two EP studio recordings, and had their singles “Stay” and “Mad World” selected for the international a cappella compilation album Voices Only. The “Mad World” music video was nominated for an A Cappella Video Award.

Jeremy has continued his work in contemporary a cappella educationally through developing the Hilliard Bradley High School A Cappella program with Kelsey Burkett and Alyssa Schott. In recent years, the program has grown from one to four contemporary a cappella groups. Jaguar A Cappella consists of one middle school group, Blue Notes, and three high school groups WAVE, ECHO, and the award-winning Shades of Blue.

On February 2nd, Jeremy was awarded Ohio Music Education Association’s Outstanding Young Music Educator for 2023!

Jeremy is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, Ohio Choral Directors Association, Ohio Music Education Association, and the A Cappella Education Association.

Jeremy is lovingly supported by his wife, Lindi, and daughter, Hayden.

Alyssa Schott is a music educator, conductor, and vocalist originally from Orland Park, Illinois. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Music Education specializing in vocal music. At Hilliard Bradley High School, Schott is responsible for teaching the treble voices of the Bradley Choir program. She directs the Concert Choir, Chorale, and assists Jeremy Witt with the Symphonic Choir. She additionally co-teaches the 8th Grade Treble Choir at Memorial Middle School with Kelsey Burkett.

Alongside Witt and Burkett, she leads the Jaguar A Cappella Program which boasts four contemporary a cappella groups in grades 7-12, three at Bradley High School and one at Memorial Middle School. She also serves as a co-director of Shades of Blue, Bradley High School’s premier contemporary a cappella group. In addition to local performances, Shades of Blue competes in the ICHSA tournament, completes recording projects released on streaming platforms, maintains an active social media presence, and has regularly performed at national conferences in recent years.

During her time at Ohio State, Schott spent a year as the assistant director of the Hilliard Youth Chorus. She additionally completed internships with both Capriccio Columbus and the Columbus Children’s Choir. She served as the state Student Representative for the Ohio Choral Director’s Association as well as the President of the student chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association at OSU. Schott studied voice with Professor Loretta Robinson and conducting with Dr. Kristina MacMullen. She performed as a member and soloist in The Ohio State Women’s Glee Club, Symphonic Choir, and in stage productions through the OSU Opera and Lyric Theater Department. Schott was the winner of the Wilson Vocal Competition and recipient of the Swank Vocal Award and John Long Music Education Award.

In addition to her scholastic commitments, Schott sings professionally as a soprano soloist around the Columbus area and is an active member of the Ohio Music Education Association. She currently sings as a soloist and soprano section leader at First Community Church in Grandview, Ohio. Schott also recently co-presented at the annual 2023 OMEA conference in Columbus, Ohio in a session geared towards young educators preparing to transition into a new professional position.