Katy Dane is an educator, director, and performer based in Austin, Texas, USA, with a diverse background in music education. With 21 years of public school experience, she has taught a wide range of music disciplines, including orchestra, choir, music theory, contemporary a cappella, barbershop, and musical theatre, from elementary to collegiate levels.
Katy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Instrumental & Vocal Music Education from Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) and a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from Texas State University (San Marcos, TX). She has performed as a violist, singer, and conductor across Europe and the USA. Katy also holds leadership positions in several music organizations, including Director of A Cappella Texas since 2017, Director of A Cappella Unlimited since 2011 (Sweet Adelines International), former VP of Music & Performance for the Southwestern District of the Barbershop Harmony Society (2019-2024), and President of SING! Texas (2017-2023). In 2022, she was awarded Music Educator of the Year by the National Association for Music Education & Barbershop Harmony Society.
Katy is on the music education faculty for the Great Gulf Coast Region 10 (SAI) and a faculty member at Harmony University (BHS), for the last 4 years as the Dean of Music Education. As director of A Cappella Unlimited, Katy has led Au to seven 1st Place Division A Small Chorus Regional Championships. In 2019 and 2023 Au received the Audience Choice Award. And in September 2019 she directed Au to a 2nd place finish in their first-ever Sweet Adelines International Harmony Classic Division A competition in New Orleans, LA.
In 2025, Katy will serve as Director of A Cappella Jugendcamp in Mollenbeck, Germany, where she will lead over 60 youth in a globally live-streamed event.
Under Katy’s direction, A Cappella Texas has earned Most Improved Chorus in Plateau A Southwestern Division, overall Most Improved Chorus in the Southwestern District, and 4th place in the Southwestern District (BHS). After over 200 zoom meetings through the pandemic and outside parking garage rehearsals, Katy helped the chorus survive & thrive even bigger and brighter than before! In 2021, Katy, with the support of the membership and the A Cappella Texas Board of Directors, launched the Austin chapter into a chorus for ALL VOICES! Membership has continued to grow and we have been able to reach a wider demographic of communities in the Austin area, singing and performing weekly.