Elaina Ballard ‘25, a senior Psychology and Scandinavian Studies double major from Thief River Falls, MN, has been involved in many areas of the Music Department. She’s a current section leader in the Gustavus Choir, a member of LeGACy Acapella, takes piano lessons with Dr. Yumiko Oshima-Ryan, and performs piano accompaniment for vocal and choir students.
Ballard first got into music when she was six years old. She took piano lessons through high school, and she also took voice lessons in elementary and middle school while participating in choir from 6th-12th grade.
What made Ballard decide to be in the Music program at Gustavus was finding out about our music scholarships when she was applying to colleges, “I auditioned with piano for the Bjorling Scholarship, and I was also interested in the choir program and auditioned during my first year,” Ballard said. “I got to be a part of Lucia Singers for my first year, which was super fun, and during my sophomore year auditions I got a callback and got accepted into the Gustavus Choir!”
Ballard’s experience so far in the Gustavus Choir has been rewarding in multiple ways, especially the Choir tour of Spain, France, and Italy when she was a sophomore. “It’s something very unique and special to travel and perform in some amazing spaces,” she said.
Another favorite memory for Ballard is being in CinCC every year, “it’s my favorite event and performance ever,” she said. “I look forward to it every year because the choirs and orchestra come together to make it amazing.”
Before Gustavus, Ballard didn’t do a lot of accompanying and didn’t even know it’s an actual job. Through her experiences playing for different vocal students, Ballard has been able to show her leadership skills and versatility. Playing for Josh Newman ‘25, Jane Williams ‘26, and Calvin Weis ‘27 at a vocal competition in the Twin Cities especially helped her showcase her skills in a high-pressure environment with lots of different vocalists from all over the region. “There’s a huge need right now for accompanists and pianists all over the place,” she said.
Before Gustavus, Ballard wanted to continue in music but didn’t know if it would be something long term, given that she’s a non-music double major with a lot of other commitments. But performing as an accompanist for other music students at Gustavus made Ballard realize that she can continue playing piano for other people and stay motivated in her development as a musician.