CHI-CHI KING - Head Director
CHI-CHI KING is in her 38th year as a music educator. For more than 27 years she has been the Head Director at Keller High School where her choirs have consistently won the Sweepstakes Trophy at UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Contests and 1st place trophies at music festivals in Texas, Florida, and California. Her choirs have also traveled to Europe where they performed at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London; Bath Abbey in Bath, England; Sant Stefano al Ponte in Florence, Italy; Sant’ Agnese in Agone in Rome; St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican; Chartres and Rouen Cathedrals in France; the American Cemetery in Normandy; and to Hawaii where the choir sang at Pearl Harbor. Mrs. King served as the Region 2 Vocal Chair from 2010-2012. She was a member of the Fort Worth Chorale of Schola Cantorum of Texas for 36 years and served as the Soprano Section Leader of this performing group.
Mrs. King holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Texas Tech University, a Masters in Music Education with Vocal Pedagogy Emphasis degree from the University of North Texas, and has completed coursework toward a Doctorate in Fine Arts, also at Texas Tech University. Mrs. King has been nominated several times to Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers and received the UIL Sponsorship Excellence Award at Keller High School in 2000. She is also the recipient of the 2014-2015 Teacher of the Year for Keller High School.
In 2012, her Varsity Mixed Choir was invited to perform for the State Board of Education in Austin. The KHS Chanteurs Varsity Treble Choir was selected to perform for the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in 2014 and the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in 2017, a huge honor given only to a few choirs each year.
ZACHARY STEELE - Assistant Director
Zachary Steele holds a Master of Music Education from Texas Tech University and a Bachelor of Music Education from Tarleton State University. Mr. Steele is in his seventh year as a music educator and his fifth at Keller High School where he directs all non-varsity ensembles and the varsity tenor-bass choir in addition to co-directing the varsity show choir. Ensembles under his direction have earned sweepstakes at UIL Concert/Sight Reading. Currently, Mr. Steele serves as the TMEA Region 30 Vocal Division Chair as well as the High School Choir Area Lead for Keller ISD.
Mr. Steele is an active performer, clinician, and composer. He has performed with choirs around the DFW area and has sang in Ireland, Japan, and Carnegie Hall in New York City. His composition, "Veni, Emmanuel!" was selected as the Emily Crocker Emerging Composer Competition winner in 2022 and was published by Hal Leonard. In the same year, he was invited to present at the Texas Choral Directors' Association convention. Additionally, Steele has been invited to clinic ensembles and adjudicate various vocal competitions, auditions, and evaluations.
Mr. Steele previously worked in Lewisville ISD where he taught the choirs at both Briarhill and Durham Middle School. Prior to that, he was the Elementary Music Specialist at Willis Lane Elementary in Keller ISD. He is thrilled to return to Keller ISD and to his alma mater to teach in the place where he acquired his love for choral music. In his time at KHS, he was a member of the TMEA All-State Choir, a member of Tribe Show Choir, a choir officer, and a frequent participant in musical productions.
Mr. Steele resides in Fort Worth with his wife, Macie (a fellow music educator), and his two daughters, Millie and Ella. He is passionate about mentoring students, inspiring a love for choral music, and embracing life's joys with family and friends!
