Batesville Schools Get New Choir Director

Daniel Borns will take over the position and Batesville Middle School and Batesville High School.

Daniel Borns. Photo provided.

(Batesville, Ind.) - Daniel Borns, a choral director with a proven track record for program expansion and competition success, has been tapped for the choir director position at Batesville Middle School (BMS) and Batesville High School (BHS), announced BHS principal Andy Allen. A Greensburg resident, Borns has 20 years of choral direction experience while holding various leadership positions in statewide vocal music organizations.

“Our middle school and high school programs have done well the past five years under the direction of Rachel Quillian, who is departing to pursue another opportunity,” Allen said, “We want to build on that and are thrilled to have found someone already living close to Batesville to continue growing the program. We look forward to having Mr. Borns join the Batesville team.”

Borns received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne (IPFW). After a brief stint teaching in the Fort Wayne Community Schools, he directed the choirs in grades seven through 12 at nearby North Decatur Jr.-Sr. High School for ten years. During his tenure at North Decatur, participation in the choir program expanded to include 40% of the school population. In addition, Borns served as part of a directorial team that revived the drama program there.

Borns will be coming to BCSC from Greenwood Community High School, where he has served as choral director since leaving North Decatur in 2013. At Greenwood, he worked with six high school choir classes, directed both the play and musical productions, taught theatre, and served as the Thespian troupe director. Under his guidance, the school’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble has been a finalist in the Indiana State School Music Association’s (ISSMA) competition six out of the last seven years. In addition, the choir program nearly tripled in size.

As a seasoned choral director, Borns’ expertise has been utilized as a judge, clinician, and conductor for a variety of groups. He served as the principal choir conductor for the Indiana Ambassadors of Music’s tour of Western Europe in 2018, a position he plans to repeat during the summer of 2023. He has also been part of choirs that have performed in clinics and festivals across the United States and Canada and has judged several Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) events. Borns currently serves as the Indiana High School Mixed Choir Repertoire and Resources Chair for the Indiana Choral Directors Association (ICDA).

"I am hopeful that sharing my experiences as a director and performer with students in the Batesville public schools will allow them to have a meaningful music education," Borns explained. “My goal is to grow the choral program to allow more students to experience the joy of performing.”

A Fort Wayne native, Borns has lived in Greensburg since 2003. His family includes wife Amy, 17-year-old-stepson Ellis Loehmer, and eight-year-old son Zeke. Besides singing, he enjoys participating in community theater, playing golf, and fitness activities.

“I am excited to be teaching in the area again,” Borns said. “The Batesville community has always been very supportive of the performing arts and I look forward to continuing my career as an educator in that sort of environment."