The KSUCAC Mission Statement
To present a wide variety of sacred and secular choral music of high artistic quality. The Choir fosters lifelong musicianship in its members, and strives to enrich the lives of the Kennesaw State University community and beyond.
The Kennesaw State University Community and Alumni Choir began in 2007. This all-volunteer, non-auditioned choir now averages about 70 members who come together each season to share the joy of music with the local community. Members represent KSU alumni, faculty, staff, students, and members of the surrounding community, including Cobb, Cherokee, Bartow, Paulding, and Fulton Counties. The KSUCAC represents a wide variety of musical talents and experiences, and is open to all who wish to share the joy of music.
Erika Tazawa – Artistic Director
Erika Tazawa joined the KSUCAC as the new Artistic Director in the Fall of 2023. This is in addition to her new appointment as Limited Term Instructor of Choral Music and Assistant Director of Choral Activities, where she conducts KSU Chamber Singers, University Chorale, and Men’s Ensemble.
Tazawa enjoys a versatile and collaborative musical career, having a background as a conductor, pianist, and vocal coach. Tazawa is in the final stages of completing a DMA in Choral Conducting at the University of Georgia. While at UGA, she was a conductor of the University Chorus and Repertory Singers and led performances of chamber choir repertoire to major choral/orchestral works. She also served as an assistant conductor of the Hodgson Singers, the second-prize winner of the 2023 Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition in Germany. Tazawa’s current research explores Japanese choral works originally commissioned by a national competition for school-aged ensembles.
Prior to the appointment at KSU, Tazawa was on faculty at Emory University, led as a principal opera coach at Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University, and taught 9-12th grades at Arizona School for the Arts. A recipient of the prestigious Stern Fellowship in vocal accompanying, Tazawa has collaborated with leading vocal artists and choral ensembles internationally and has served as musical staff for the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, Atlanta Summer Conducting Institute, and the Atlanta Opera.
Sherri N. Barrett – Principal Accompanist
Sherri N. Barrett received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan and her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Tennessee. She studied with Eugene Mancini from the Cleveland Institute of Music and Arthur Rivituso from the Juilliard School of Music. Ms. Barrett has recorded two solo piano albums entitled From His Hand and At Peace.
She has been an active soloist, accompanist, and adjudicator in the Atlanta area for over 35 years. She has performed both in the United States and Europe as soloist, in chamber ensembles, as accompanist for various choral groups. She maintains a large teaching studio; several of her students have won international piano competitions. She also serves as the pianist for First Redeemer Church, along with the Kennesaw State University Chamber Singers, Men’s Ensemble, and Chorale. Ms. Barrett is a member of the National Music Teachers Association and the International Music Fraternity Delta Omicron. Ms. Barrett has served as KSUCAC’s principal accompanist since the choir’s inception in 2007.
