Michael Dean is the new choir director at New Palestine High School
NEW PALESTINE — Michael Dean will never forget the day he figured out music would be an integral part of his future.
“I was in middle school, eighth grade to be exact, and had been having quite a rough day,” Dean said. “Nothing seemed to be going well and I was really down.”
That is, until he walked into band class around lunch time. The percussion ensemble had sacrificed some of their lunch period to go in and rehearse for an upcoming Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) solo and ensemble festival. When Dean walked in and heard the sound of music, all of the problems of the day were lifted.
“It was at that moment that I truly discovered the uplifting and comforting power of music,” Dean said.
Dean has been named the new choir director of New Palestine High School after school board officials approved his appointment at the July 10 meeting. He replaces Steve Beebe, who retired at the end of the school year after 18 years in the district.
Dean comes to New Palestine from Beech Grove City Schools, where he was the head choir director and auditorium director at Beech Grove High School for the past eight years. Dean will be doing most of his work at New Palestine High School but will also be assisting at New Palestine Junior High. He will also be in charge of the school’s show choirs.
“My fundamental belief is that music is one of the greatest uniting forces in the world,” Dean said.
“Music brings together people of all backgrounds to join together in creating memorable experiences and making life-long connections that exist exclusively through musical performance.”
While at Beech Grove, Dean led three curricular choirs for Beech Grove High School, taught AP Music Theory and a tech theatre course. During his tenure at BGHS, his show choirs were awarded numerous awards for best in captions, show design, grand champions, and they were even named ISSMA state finalists. Dean’s most recent accomplishment was being named BGHS’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.
“We are excited to welcome Michael Dean to our Music program,” Superintendent Lisa Lantrip said. “Through his past experience as a choir director, he brings a wealth of experience and past choir program success to our corporation music programs.”
Lantrip noted Dean has a proven record of building successful choir programs and working well with students.
“He is a leader and a collaborative teacher who is excited to work with our junior high choir director to bring renewed excitement into our music and choir programs,” she said.
For Dean, it’s all about the music and the students.
“I am excited and honored to be entrusted with the future of this storied choir program and look forward to continuing a legacy of excellence in performance,” Dean said. “Through a variety of choral genres, I look forward to fostering and building meaningful relationships and connections between our students.”
Dean noted he was very fortunate to grow up in a community in southern Indiana where they were extremely supportive of performing arts programs.
“The concert and marching bands were a powerhouse in the late 1990s and early-mid 2000s. The drama department was very active and their productions were well-attended. In my sophomore year, the band director also took on the role of choir director and new life and elevated the program to new heights,” he said. “As I participated more and more in each of these programs, I came to realize that the leaders of these programs that were so impactful all attended Indiana State University, so my path was set.”
Dean holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Business Administration and a master’s degree in Choral Music Education from Indiana State University.
Although Dean says he didn’t grow up participating in the extracurricular things like show choir, he sees their value.
“Although I, myself, did not grow up in a school with a show choir, I have come to love the activity and community that show choir provides,” Dean said. “It can be intense, just as with any other competitive activity, but I believe that can help to push us to new heights.”
It’s that competition Dean noted that can bring out the best in performers.
“When we focus our efforts in a constructive and collaborative way, we begin to compete against ourselves each and every day.” he said. “Our fellow choir members are our teammates, and we are able to help uplift one another to achieve the group’s performance goals.”
While show choir receives a great deal of attention in Indiana, Dean said he truly enjoys using the first musical instrument — our voices — to create beautiful music of all styles.
“It is my never-ending quest to help our students to feel confident and to excel in singing and performing in many genres such as concert, jazz, show choir, pop, world/cultural musics and more,” he said.
