Previous Artistic Directors
Artistic Director
Ro Rains
2024-2025
Ro Rains loves choirs and joined Sage Singers in August of 2021, where she combines her musical talent and passion for the LGBTQA mission. For more than twenty-five years, she has been a choral director, which includes public school music, UCC churches, and community choirs. At Wheat Ridge UCC, Ro continues as the Music Director since 2007. In that position, she directs adult and youth choirs, along with Wheat Ridge Ringers, their handbell choir. For several of those years, she was also the Assistant Director of the LGBTQA mixed chorus “Harmony, a Colorado chorale.” Last year, Ro was the Assistant Artistic Director for Sage Singers 2023-2024, where she assisted Jana Thomas with sectionals, helped with warm-ups, and substituted in her absence. She has a B.A. in Music Education from Metro State University and an M.A. in Psychology from CU-Denver. Along with conducting, she sings, plays piano, flute, and some pipe organ.
Ro met Deana Carter 18 years ago in Harmony, and they’ve been legally married for 10 years. They also enjoy spending time with kids and grandkids, as “Nana & Nina.” What a blessing in life!
“Being offered the position of Sage Singers Interim Artistic Director this year is my wildest dream coming true! After the tremendous success we had at the Gala Choral Festival this summer in Minneapolis, of which I was grateful to be part, Sage Singers has even more love and inspiration to share. My greatest joy is helping to create beautiful, rich musical experiences that uplift the community and all involved. Together, we can continue to make a powerful difference in this world.”
Artistic Director
Jana Thomas
2023-2024
Jana Thomas is a retired band instrument repair tech, having owned her own shop in Fort Collins beginning in 1979, until moving to the Denver area in 2016. It was the perfect career in many ways -- challenging, artistic, satisfying and rewarding! In 1991 Jana co-created the Fort Collins Wind Symphony. It continues on with great success to this day! In 1992 she started the Rainbow Chorus, also in Fort Collins. TRC was a non-auditioned, mixed chorus and a member of GALA Choruses. Jana directed TRC off and on until 2006.
Jana has been married to her lovely wife Julie since 2006. Together they raised a beautiful child, Ollie, who currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia.
Jana takes over the Artistic Directorship for this one year interim position with great pride and honor. She has a tremendous love for Sage Singers having been a member since 2019, serving in many positions from singer to board member and now interim artistic director. “I am honored and proud to be able to step in for this year with Sage Singers! GALA 2024 — here we come!”
Artistic Director
Keith Arnold
2021-2023
Keith Arnold believes in the power of choral music to lift up and transform those who experience it. As a conductor, Keith was appointed AD of Sage Singers in November 2021, where he directs the chorus in rehearsal and performance, leads the Music Team, and represents the chorus in national GALA conversations.
Outside Sage Singers, he directs the Voices of Light Chamber Choir, serves as the Minister of Music at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Bolden, CO, and conducted the One World Singers from 2004-2022. He serves on the non-profit board of the Kutandara Marimba Ensemble, a Boulder-based ensemble dedicated to preserving and sharing traditional Zimbabwean marimba and mbira music.
He is past national President of the Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries and has conducted choirs on tour in Bulgaria, Britain, Germany, Ireland, Canada, and China. Keith earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in the History and Performance and Choral Music from the University of Colorado, holds a Masters of Music degree from the University of Illinois, and an undergraduate degree from Rhodes College.
As a composer, Keith wrote the music to a 2016 cantata, "Awakening to Blessing," that was performed in Golden, Co, Denver, Co, St. Louis, Mo, and Princeton, NJ. Along with husband David Burrows, Keith composed the 2021 "Ruach Song Cycle," a multi-movement musical reflection of the pandemic written for SATB chorus, brass quintet, and strings. Keith and David live in Northwest Denver with their beloved dog, Benny.
Founding Artistic Director
Kevin Crowe
2018-2021
Kevin Crowe began his choral career as a member of the United States Naval Academy Men's Glee Club. After realizing that music and not submarines was his true passion, he studied music education at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where he earned the Master of Music in choral conducting. In 2010, he and his husband moved to Denver where he became a public educator, teaching K-12 band, choir, general music, theatre, algebra, and geometry at various times.
Kevin's first experience with GALA choruses was as Assistant Artistic Director for the Denver Gay Men's Chorus, during which time he worked under the direction of Dr. Tim Seelig, Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus.
