Our Director

Pictured left - Katie and Mary Ann, each being presented with the Skidge Heath Memorial Award as Co-Directors of the 2010 Championship Chorus, by Barbara Ann MacIntosh of Harmony Heritage.The award is named after Skidge Heath, who was a Past International President and founding member of both Harmony, Inc. and the Harmony Heritage chapter. In 1959, Skidge designed the original HI logo, used as the official membership pin until 2011, and then five decades later she created the design of our 50th Anniversary pin as well. Skidge passed away in 2009.

Northern Blend Chorus

Our Director

Katie Taylor began her barbershop life listening to the favorite quartets of her parents who were already enamored with the barbershop style. Singing with her mom and dad and her younger sister, Lorie, their family quartet, Compound W, was born. She joined Northern Blend at age 12, which was the soonest as she was allowed, and less than a decade later, singing bass in For Heaven's Sake with her sister, mom and her friend, she garnered her first crown in 1996. That following spring she graduated from college with her bachelors degree in music education with a vocal concentration. She began co-directing the chorus with her mother, Mary Ann, in 2003 and together they led the chorus to their first GOLD medal in 2010 in Saint John, New Brunswick (oddly, the same place For Heaven's Sake was crowned Harmony Queens!).

In 2008 Katie joined with three women from Chicago to form U4X and earned her second crown as a tenor! In November 2013, her mom stepped down and Katie became the front-line Director of Northern Blend. The chorus is and always has been thrilled to be on the receiving end of the vast wealth of musical knowledge and talents that Katie has to offer. Her talents are surpassed (only slightly) by the way she teaches her craft and her zestful personality!

In 2015, joining with three NBC members she earned her third crown as a lead with LiveWire! She continues to actively sing and perform with both For Heaven's Sake and LiveWire and is always proud to represent HI as a Harmony Queen!

Katie started singing baritone with her quartet, Roulette, in 2019, and after almost two years of being apart due to Covid (their tenor is Canadian!) they finally hit the stage in 2022 and were awarded the 4th place medalists. In 2024 they captured the GOLD and Katie earned her FOURTH CROWN! She is the only person in the entire barbershop world to have won a quartet championship in ALL FOUR voice parts!!!

Northern Blend feels blessed to have such a gifted and talented woman who is also a teacher and a friend leading them forward! As a result of her dedication to the chorus and honing the nuances of the unique art form, Katie led the chorus to their second GOLD in Halifax in 2017, their third GOLD in 2022 in Verona, NY and their fourth GOLD in 2024 in Louisville, KY!

In her real life, Katie is a middle school Vocal Music Teacher and assists as musical director of the annual musicals at her school. In 2007 she was awarded "Music Teacher of the Year" by the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra with nominations by her principal, peers, and students of past and present. Katie also received the "Kay DeLong Award" at Area 3's AC&C in 2008 for her service to Northern Blend, Area 3, and to Harmony, Inc. Katie held the position of Youth Coordinator for Area 3 for a decade and obviously loves to work with young singers who may become members of a barbershop organization in the future! She has served as clinician for youth choruses at summer Harmony Explosion Camps and other Youth Outreach events since 2007.

Katie loves to coach quartets and choruses in HI, SAI, and BHS. She also makes learning trax - www.TaylorTrax.homestead.com - that she happily offers to help quartets and choruses learn their new music.