Jo Carter

After a lifelong involvement in music, Jo joined the ranks of Sweet Adelines International 2 years ago as the director of the Battlefords Blend Harmony Chorus. It has been a soul-searching journey for her but she feels her exposure to many avenues of artistic expression such as drama, modern dance, art, singing and piano, through the genres of baroque, classical, pop, jazz, broadway, country has landed her on this new steep learning curve ready to learn and then lead in this challenging realm of Barbershop. Jo Carter began her music studies in Winnipeg, Manitoba, receiving voice and piano lessons. She continued her studies in Toronto with Heather Wilberforce (student of Louis Quilico) in Bel Canto along with vocal coaching from Albert Greer and Brahm Goldhamer of the Royal Conservatory. She also studied music at York University in Toronto, where she had the opportunity to perform Mabel and Yum Yum in their Gilbert and Sullivan productions. While in Toronto, she was a guest soprano soloist performing Vaughan Williams’ Benedicite, Faure’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Mass in C with the North York Community Orchestra and the Bach in B Minor Mass, Delilah in Handel’s Samson and Delilah with the Elora Singers.

For 25 years, Jo taught voice at Prairie College in Three Hills, Alberta and later at Millar College in Pambrun, Saskatchewan before moving to North Battleford. She has written plays, composed and arranged choral music, conducted small ladies’ ensembles and children’s choirs and has played piano for gospel, country, rock and jazz groups. She has accompanied festival soloists and choirs over the years and most recently was an accompanist for the Summer School of the Solo Voice, The Community Youth Choir and the North Battleford Comprehensive High School choir. She also has sung solos in small groups as well as duetted with her husband in various concerts in the Battlefords. She currently works with the Meota Beach Boys and teaches voice and piano part-time. For the past two years, she has been accompanying sectionals for the North Battleford based Dekker Center Production of the Candlelight Processional and will be co-leading this with her husband during the Christmas 2019 season.

Jo is thankful for the helpful workshop offerings afforded her by Region 26. She has been fortunate to attend seminars led by Lisa Greenough, Mary Teed, Mary Hager, Frenzy Quartet and Ryan Heller. Jo enjoys the diversity of people and expression that accompanies the Adeline world, and treasures the new friendships, collaboration and sometimes wild comradery; she is looking forward to even more discovery in the future.

Jo and her husband Stephen have 9 children they love collaborating with musically.