Meet Our Team
CONNIE CAMPBELL
Program Co-Coordinator & Conductor
Connie Campbell is the Director of Choirs at Bellingham High School, where she administers the choir program, teaches AP Music Theory, Unified Music, and Piano/Keyboarding as well as leads the Whatcom Middle School Choir Club and serves as music director for the BHS Drama Club's productions. Before moving to Bellingham in 2017, Connie served for 10 years as the Director of Choirs at Woodland Park High School in Colorado. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Miami. Connie has been singing in an ensemble since she was five years old when she joined her parents' community choir. In addition to productions in public schools, Connie has served as music director for community, college repertory, and children’s church productions, and is a founding member of the summer nonprofit program, Squalicum Musical Theatre Institute. She is excited to work with middle grade students in a choral ensemble!
PEARL PETAIA
Program Co-Coordinator & Conductor
Pearl Petaia grew up in Bellingham in the Meridian School District. She graduated from Western Washington University in 2021 with her Bachelor’s in Music Education. She has been heavily involved in school and community music ensembles since 6th grade, including youth symphony, choirs, pit orchestras, and various jazz, marching, pep, and concert bands. She enjoys all types of music and believes that community can be built with any person by learning about the art that they love.
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She has taught both elementary and middle school music in the Bellingham Public Schools. She is currently working her dream job teaching middle school band, choir, and orchestra at Kulshan Middle School. When she’s not teaching or performing, you can find her reading, playing with her pets, crocheting, eating bagels and tomatoes, coaching middle school track, and advocating for music education for all students.
Pearl has served on the board of the Washington Music Educators Association and has advocated for increased education funding and the importance of arts education in Olympia, Washington DC, and the Bellingham Public Schools. She values life-long learning and is currently pursuing her National Board Certification. She hopes that Bellingham Youth Choir is a place where student musicians will feel cherished, have fun, increase their musical knowledge, and make connections with each other and their community through their shared love of choir.
JEN LOIS
Administrative Support
Jen Lois has been a sociology professor at Western Washington University since 2000, teaching courses in gender, emotions, and identity. She developed an adult-onset musical-theatre obsession when she saw the Lion King from the front row on Broadway in 2006. Her appreciation greatly expanded when her daughter began performing in musicals and taking voice lessons. Since then, she’s been an enthusiastic proponent for drama- and music education for young people and has used her organizational skills to help create opportunities in the community. In 2020, she, Connie, and two other arts educators formed the nonprofit, Squalicum Musical Theatre Institute, where she is the Managing Director. In 2023-24, Jen served as Advisor for Squalicum High School's Drama Club, and directed her first musical, Guys and Dolls. She is ready for an additional rewarding endeavor in the performing arts and can't wait to see BYC blossom under the musical direction of Connie and Pearl!
LORRAINE EARLE
Rehearsal & Performance Accompanist
​Lorraine Earle is a Bellingham-based pianist, teacher and collaborative musician. She studied at WWU with Ford Hill and Ed LaBounty and in Darmstadt, Germany with Grigory Gruzmann. Her latest musical adventure is taking international walking trips, where she can be found playing a wooden Waldorf flute and singing with friends from all over the world.
Learn about our Program!