Music Team | MVChorale

OUR MUSIC TEAM

Carol Nike, Director, graduated from Las Cruces High School and has a bachelor's degree in voice performance and a master's in choral conducting, both from New Mexico State University. While living in the United Kingdom and working there in the corporate world for many years, she was also active in church, classical, and theatrical music. Since returning to Las Cruces in 2010, she has conducted the Celestial Sounds women’s chorale and continues to serve as music director at St. James Episcopal Church, in addition to teaching private voice lessons.

Judy Bethmann, Assistant Director, graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant with a bachelor’s degree in music education. Judy taught in Iowa for thirty years before moving to Las Cruces in 2001 and joined the Mesilla Valley Chorale that same year. She retired as band director and elementary music teacher at White Sands in 2013. She is active in community theater and P.E.O., is Vice President at Wellspring Church, and is also conductor of the New Horizons Band at NMSU.

Charlotte Johnson, Accompanist, started playing the piano at age four and began accompanying while in junior high school. She was the “orchestra” for many Las Cruces Community Theater productions, playing piano arrangements derived from orchestral versions. She also accompanied Voz Vaqueros for several years, as well as a variety of students at NMSU from 1972 to 1998–including singers, players of trombones, flutes, saxophones and trumpets, and some NMSU productions.

Asa Cleveland, Assistant Accompanist, has been playing the piano since he was very young, having been taught by his mother and sister. He studied under Naomi Rupp and is currently being taught by Lela York. He has accompanied soloists and ensembles in past years and occasionally plays piano for Grace Bible Church as needed. He plays alto sax in the Main Street Homeschool Band and the New Horizons Band, and was first chair alto sax in the 2023 All-State Small School Band. Asa also enjoys playing guitar, violin, mandolin, and ukulele.