06/24/2026
✨Big Department News!✨
Dr. Irene Leites will be leaving her position, and Ms. McKenna King will be stepping into the role of Instructor of Vocal/Choral Music within our department! Let’s welcome Ms. King!!
About McKenna King:
McKenna King is delighted to join the Black Hawk College faculty as Vocal Music Instructor. In this role, she will direct the College’s three choral ensembles, teach applied voice, and instruct various other music courses.
McKenna comes to Black Hawk College from Austin, Texas, where she served as Head Choir Director at Dripping Springs High School. During her time there, each ensemble under her direction received superior ratings at state evaluations and competitions. Her commitment to student artistry was further demonstrated through her success coaching students into the Texas All-State Mixed Choir, Region Choir, and Solo & Ensemble competitions. Prior to teaching at DSHS, she served for two years as Director of Choirs at Bastrop Middle School, securing the school's first-ever superior state contest ratings.
McKenna’s leadership extends to community and collegiate programs, having served as Associate Director of the Austin Children's Chorus, Director of Music at Shepherd of the Hills Christian Church, and a Graduate Assistant at The University of Texas at Austin, where she was Assistant Conductor for the University Treble Choir, Treble Chamber Choir, and Repertory Chorus. Central to her time as an active singer in Austin was her weekly singing with the Vespers Schola at St. Louis King of France Catholic Church —her favorite musical endeavor —complemented by engagements with ensembles such as Austin Cantorum, Inversion Ensemble’s Da Capo Treble Choir, Tinsel Singers, Chorus Austin, and the Masterworks Singers of Austin.
In 2025, McKenna received her Master of Music in Choral Conducting from The University of Texas at Austin, where she studied with Dr. JD Burnett and Dr. Suzanne Pence. She received her Bachelor of Music in Choral Music Studies from UT Austin in 2021. As she steps into this new chapter, McKenna eagerly looks forward to relocating to the Quad Cities area and adding to its already vibrant music community.
