About Lauren Southard
Lauren Southard is the Director of Outreach and Early Childhood Programs for the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. Now in her ninth year with the organization in an artistic capacity, her teaching duties include Early Childhood, Preparatory, and Regional Choirs as well as Jubilate, ICC’s choir for children with special needs. Mrs. Southard created the Jubilate program in 2013 as an opportunity to extend ICC’s efforts in reaching all children in central Indiana through quality music education and the pursuit of artistic excellence in choral music performance.
Mrs. Southard’s previous teaching experience includes Preschool-8th grade general music at St. Mary’s School in Anderson, Indiana, and Kindergarten-6th grade music at Maplewood Elementary in Wayne Township.
Mrs. Southard received her Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis degree from Ball State University in 2016 with a Certificate in Autism. She is currently in the process of completing a Master of Arts in Education in Educational Administration from Ball State University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Butler University in 2006, where she was named Outstanding Student Teacher in Elementary Music and received an Outstanding Future Educator award.
Mrs. Southard is certified in First Steps in Music, has completed the Orff-Schulwerk Certification Program at Anderson University, and has received Kodaly training from Indiana University. Mrs. Southard has presented at the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA) annual convention and the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children annual conference. She has also presented at the IMEA Council for General Music Fall Workshop and the Chorister and the Church of the Future Conference at the University of Notre Dame on the topic of special needs in the choral classroom, and has participated in Picture Exchange Communication System training conferences. Mrs. Southard also presents musical education workshops to public and private schools throughout central Indiana through the ICC’s Innovations program. Mrs. Southard and her husband Josh live in Whitestown with their two children.