Cary-Apex Youth Choir Staff

​​Artistic and Executive Director
Prelude Choir and Lyric Choir

Founding Director, Laura Delauney is a lifelong musician, choral conductor, and music educator. From a young age, she studied piano, later adding violin, and sang in the renowned Charlotte Children’s Choir under the direction of Sandy Holland, where her passion for choral music was ignited. Mrs. Delauney went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Richmond and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 
Since moving to the Triangle in 2003, Mrs. Delauney has directed numerous school, church, and community choirs. She also sang with Women's Voices Chorus in Chapel Hill, where she served on the Board of Directors for several years. 
​In 2018, Mrs. Delauney founded the Cary-Apex Youth Choir to enhance access to choral singing for young singers in the area and contribute to the musical fabric of the community. It is her greatest joy to teach the singers of CAYC and collaborate with members of the community. In addition to leading CAYC, she also teaches musical theater classes in Cary. Mrs. Delauney is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and Chorus America.

​​Associate Conductor
Discovery Choir and Apprentice Choir

John Ballantine-Pollock is a music educator who has been teaching music for over 10 years. He received his B.A. in Music Education from Muskingum University and has earned his Orff-Schulwerk certification through Kent State University. John has taught music both in public and private schools in the states of Ohio, Georgia, and North Carolina. Between teaching jobs, John spent 3 years working in children's programming for the Live Oak Public Library System in Savannah, GA where he started the Music and Movement Storytime for toddlers. John is a current member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA). He currently serves on the board for the Central Carolina Chapter of AOSA as the Communications Director. Along with general music, John has taught specialized classes including chorus, ukulele, handchimes, theatre, musical theatre, and film appreciation. John currently teaches K-5 general music at Brooks Museums Magnet Elementary where he also leads the Brooks Chorus.

​​Associate Conductor
ENCORE!

Elizabeth Daly is a conductor, soprano, and music educator. She currently serves as Director of Music Ministries at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church in Durham, Associate Conductor with the Cary-Apex Youth Choir, and is a staff soprano with Duke Chapel’s Evensong choir and Schola Cantorum. She also sings as Soprano with the Taylor Festival Choir, based out of Charleston, SC. Mrs. Daly is a recent graduate of Georgia State University’s MM in choral conducting and holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and performance honors from Syracuse University. 
​Prior to moving from Atlanta, GA to Durham, NC, Mrs. Daly co-founded the Atlanta Festival Consort, a collaboration of early musicians, served as conducting intern with the Georgia Festival Chorus, music intern at Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Atlanta, and appeared in the opera chorus of the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra’s production of Dido and Aeneas. Mrs. Daly also taught Fundamentals of Aural Skills at Georgia State University and has experience as a researcher of choral music, having served as a member of the research team for the Empowering Silenced Voices Database with Chorosynthesis.

​Accompanist

Jessica Stephens joined Cary-Apex Youth Choir as Accompanist in Fall 2019.  She holds a B.A. in Music from Thomas Edison State University.  Mrs. Stephens has over 15 years of experience teaching private lessons in both violin and piano, including 6 years at Duke University String School where she worked as a violin instructor, orchestra assistant, and chamber music coach.  In addition, she has served as piano accompanist for many solo recitals and both led and accompanied a variety of church vocal and instrumental ensembles. Mrs. Stephens resides in Roxboro, NC where she teaches private violin and piano lessons from her home studio and serves as a pianist on the worship team at First Baptist Church Durham.

​Accompanist

Eric Luke (He/Him) is a collaborative pianist, vocal coach, music director, and tenor based in Raleigh, NC. He holds degrees in both Piano Performance and Voice Performance from Appalachian State University. Eric maintains an active performing career throughout the Raleigh area, working with organizations including the Cary-Apex Youth Choir, North Carolina Master Chorale, and North Carolina Opera. He currently serves as a collaborative pianist at Meredith College.
As a collaborative pianist, Eric thrives on making music with a multitude of people spanning all ages, backgrounds, personalities, and skill levels. There is nothing more fulfilling than the human connection created through shared music-making

​Choir Manager

Anitha Jain-Rodriguez joined Cary-Apex Youth Choir in May 2025 as their Choir
Manager after being an active parent participant since her daughter joined CAYC in fall
of 2021. Anitha is trained as a physician and, though she has never had formal training
in the arts, has had a lifetime love of creating with the physical arts in every format she
has ever been able to get her hands on. Bringing her love of working with children of all
ages, seeing the devastating effects anxiety has brought on our society, and her
passion for art and it’s healing powers, she is so excited to be a part of this
organization. Anitha lives in Apex with her husband, 3 kids, and pet dog. In her spare
time you can find her reading, being creative, gardening, laughing through the tears,
and navigating this messy middle with pottery clay on her hands and a paintbrush in her
hair.​

​Administrative Assistant

​Heather Marino joined Cary-Apex Youth Choir in March of 2022 as their Administrative Assistant. Heather has a B.A. in Art with a concentration in graphic design. She is passionate about all types of arts education and is happy to be part of an organization that brings music opportunities to youth in our area. She resides in west Cary with her husband and two boys. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, reading, listening to podcasts, and exploring new places with her family.

Rehearsal Assistant

Keshav joined Cary-Apex Youth Choir as a singer in the Lyric Choir in Fall 2021. He is now a junior at Apex Friendship High School and a member of his school chorus. He is excited to volunteer with CAYC to support the younger singers.

Rehearsal Assistant

Abbie is a junior at Green Level High School who has been involved in Cary-Apex Youth Choir since the very beginning! She absolutely loves volunteering with the Discovery and Apprentice Choirs! Abbie has been singing in choir since 4th grade and started singing in her high school choir in 9th grade.

Rehearsal Assistant

Isha Raman joined CAYC as a singer in Lyric Choir in the Fall 2021. She has been singing since elementary school and is now a sophomore at Apex Friendship High School, eager to continue her musical education as a member of the Chorus. She's so excited to continue volunteering with CAYC's Apprentice Choir this year! In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and running track, along with baking and writing.

Rehearsal Assistant

Fabi is a junior at Holly Springs High School and has been involved in choir since the 4th grade. She is currently a part of the North Carolina Master Chorale Youth Choir and a member of her school’s advanced choir. Fabi is also involved with Theater Academy Productions, where she performs and serves as a teaching assistant. Outside of choir, Fabi loves playing guitar, hanging out with friends, and acting in her school’s productions. She is so excited to be part of the CAYC team and hopes to make a positive impact on the singers.

Rehearsal Assistant

Allison is a senior at Apex High School and is heavily involved in both the band and choir programs at her school, where she is a member of both top ensembles. Allison has been involved in some sort of choir since the age of 9 and is beyond excited for this volunteer opportunity with CAYC's Discovery and Apprentice Choirs. Outside of choir, Allison enjoys baking and playing guitar. 

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery."
~Mark Van Doren