“A big part of being a musician is believing in yourself and saying ‘yes’ to the little opportunities that come your way. Sometimes we can get down on ourselves. We think, ‘I'm not cut out for that.’ Believe in yourself and what you can do, no matter what the situation... Don't be afraid to say ‘yes,’ to try out for that show or audition for that ensemble. Encourage your students to do the same thing because you never know where those opportunities are going to take you.”

Jessica Koenig loves sharing her passion for music and the relationships it forges with people of all ages and backgrounds. She joined choir at the age of 9 and has never stopped singing! At age 17 she was selected as a featured soloist during Pope John Paul II’s visit to St. Louis. Jessica went on to receive her BS in Music Education from William Jewell College in 2003. After several moves, she spent 13 years teaching general music at a private K-8 school where her children’s choir consistently had 60-80 students. They were featured in choral festivals, twice performed the Star Spangled Banner at Harlem Globetrotters games, and led music at countless church services.

Jessica accepted a public middle school choir position in 2022 in order to reach a more dynamic group of families. During her second year there, her treble ensemble was one of two middle school choirs to achieve a Superior-Plus rating at the Illinois Grade School Music Association’s State Organization Festival and also shared the stage with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. Jessica’s choirs are known for their pure sound and strong tonality.

She became the Co-Artistic Director of Kantorei in 2024. Kantorei is the premier 4th-12th grade community choir in Rockford, IL. This organization is committed to offering an excellent choral education to all students who love to sing without the barriers of cost and is funded completely on donations. Jessica lives in Rockford, IL with her three talented children. Find more information about Kantorei at kantorei.com.

To get in touch with Jessica, you can e-mail her at jessica.leigh.koenig@gmail.com or visit kantorei.com.

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Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson