Carol Hovland Benson Hometown: Fertile, MN Current Home: Northfield, MN Major: Music Email: carolbenson@gmail.com
Well, I must have chosen the right career path because I have stayed close to it for most of my life. I graduated with a music major and a religion minor. Over the years I have led many children’s choirs for churches, taught elementary and middle school music, worked with St. Olaf’s Children’s Theater summer program, and given voice lessons at two colleges. I retired from being an elementary school music teacher in Northfield, Minnesota, in 2009, but I also taught in Washington and the Twin Cities. I am still directing a children’s choir at a local church. I have always enjoyed working with kids and making music, so it keeps me connected and happy. I have sung in some fine choirs, including the National Lutheran Choir, the Chamber Ensemble of the Bach Society, and Yale’s Battell Chapel Choir. Singing in concerts directed by Robert Shaw and Neville Marriner were especially exciting and rewarding. My husband and I have three children, a son and two daughters. Two children and their spouses live in the Twin Cities with our two grandchildren, and our eldest daughter lives in Washington, D.C. One special experience I have had was helping to lead a semester abroad college program for 28 students. They studied in Egypt, India, China and South Korea. Another semester program we led a few years later had the students studying in Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam. It etched those places and people in my mind forever. I hope in some small way I have helped to live, teach, and share the values that Concordia sought to have us take into our hearts and minds.
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