Junior Division

Renée Gehlbach-Martinez is a southern California native musician and music educator. She has worked as an organist, pianist, and vocalist in various churches and sung in professional choral ensembles. Renée holds a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Azusa Pacific University and a California teaching credential for music. She currently directs 4th and 5th grade choirs at seven elementary schools within the Covina-Valley Unified School District. Renée is also a Musicianship Instructor at the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus in Pasadena. She is thrilled to be joining the NCC team and expanding her skills as a choral conductor.

Kelly Adams is a twice-over graduate of the University of Southern California where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in music industry and a Master of Arts degree in music education. In 2013, she attended the Kodály Association of Southern California (KASC) Summer Institute where she fell in love with Kodály’s revolutionary methods and ideology, eventually receiving her certification under Dr. Kathy Hickey and Dr. Niké St. Clair in 2016.  Now Kelly serves as Past President on the KASC board, and currently teaches Level I Pedagogy during KASC’s Summer Institute at Azusa Pacific University. She continues to build Kodály-based curricula for the National Children’s Chorus as Principal Associate Conductor and recently conducted students from schools across Los Angeles in the 2023 KASC Honor Chorus Festival. Kelly is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in music teaching and learning at the University of Southern California. When she’s not teaching or conducting, Kelly performs, writes and records with the band Karmina (search Queens of Heart to hear Karmina’s latest album) and sings in feature films (How to Train Your Dragon, Wonder, Pan, The Lorax). Kelly is thrilled to conduct her daughter, Rudi, in the Minuet Level.

Laura Keverian Pitts is a native of Southern California and has spent her teaching career in both private and public schools, teaching music literacy and specializing in choral music. Her passion for choral conducting led her to study with master children’s and youth choral conductors Dr. Doreen Rao, Dr. Janet Galvan and Mr. Henry Leck. She received her Master in Music degree in choral conducting, studying with her longtime mentor, Donald Brinegar. Additional advanced musical study included Kodály pedagogy and methodology, and she was recently invited to be an instructor for the Kodály Association of Southern California certification courses. Mrs. Pitts teaches at Azusa Pacific University and Cal Poly, Pomona, focusing on aural theory, sight-singing and ear-training, and music education courses. A lifelong singer, Mrs. Pitts formerly performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and is currently performing with the Donald Brinegar Singers, with whom she is a founding member.

Kate Crellin is an award-winning educator, composer, arranger, and vocalist. Kate graduated top of her class with a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from Queens’ College, Cambridge. In 2019, she received a double Bachelor of Arts degree in choral music and law, history & culture from the University of Southern California. As an educator, Kate has taught pre-K through 12th-grade music in both public and private schools across Los Angeles. She is currently the choir director at Mira Costa High School and Manhattan Beach Middle School. Kate is also a published, award-winning composer, with pieces released through Heritage Music Press and Alfred. Recently, “Day of Fire and Sun” was selected as a JW Pepper Editor’s Choice. As a vocalist, she has performed across the world, singing with the Rolling Stones, David Crosby, Eric Whitacre, Pentatonix, and touring across eight countries. She is active in the contemporary a cappella scene as a freelance arranger, performer, and staff member of A Cappella Academy.