Vocal director Brad Beale resigns from CCHS

Beale to pursue master’s degree in Arizona

By Kate Hayden

khayden@charlescitypress.com

Vocal director Brad Beale is going to have a lot of goodbyes at Charles City High School this year –– and not just with the graduating seniors. Beale is going back to school, too.

After two years in the Charles City district, Beale is leaving to earn his master’s degree in choral conducting at Northern Arizona University. The high school program he’ll leave behind looks much different than when he joined in August 2014.

“When I took over at the end of last year, we had 45 students in one choir,” Beale said.

Since then, Beale has added an additional curricular girls’ choir, Comet Chorus, and two extra-curriculars, A Capella and Chamber Choir to accommodate the 75 program participants. Under Beale, students also began closing concerts by singing the high school’s alma mater, a tradition he has previously said stems from his own high school choir experience.

Beale gives credit to the administration and wider community for the amount of trust he’s been given as a first-time teacher –– he graduated in spring 2014 from Luther College, where he studied K-12 choral music education.

“I really had the leeway to do with this program what I thought was best,” he said. “I told the kids, without them there is no choir program. I certainly pushed them, but they ran right along with me.”

“Especially from the administration, totally giving me support in every way. Everything I’ve asked for, or wanted to do, they’ve been totally supportive. It’s a lot of trust they’re putting in a new teacher. It’s pretty remarkable.”

Under Northern Arizona’s offer, Beale has accepted a choral assistantship, directing the school’s University Singers choir and maintaining an assistant director position for a Flagstaff community ensemble.

“I’ll basically have a college choir to myself,” Beale said. “It was just an opportunity I felt I couldn’t pass up.”

High school students heard the news from Beale on Tuesday, he said.

“There were a lot of tears on both ends,” he said. “This program has always been in their hands, but even more so now. They know what it takes and what they want. They’ll have a big say in how that plays out going forward.”