Meet the
sINgSPIRE Instructors
& Artistic Team
Our passionate and talented instructors are professional musicians and instructors specializing in singing. They look forward to sharing their passion for music and the art of singing with each student by lessons via video-call.
Please get to know our instructors below. Read their bios and view our “Meet our sINgSPIRE Instructor” videos.
ASHLEY BALLOU-BONNEMA is the founder of Breathe Bravely and the visionary behind sINgSPIRE. Ashley holds a B.A. from Augustana University and a M.M. degree in Vocal Performance from the University of South Dakota. She works as a professional musician who has performed with professionally acclaimed ensembles such as Transept and The South Dakota Chorale, while also performing as a guest soloist internationally. Ashley also maintains a private voice studio where she specializes in teaching private voice to the developing high-school-aged singer in Sioux Falls, SD while tirelessly advocating for the cystic fibrosis community. Read more about Ashley on Our Story Page.
NATALIE CAMPBELL holds a B.M. from Houghton College, NY, and a M.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of South Dakota. Natalie not only shares her voice creating unforgettable music with Transept, the South Dakota Chorale and The Rose Ensemble, but she also uses it to inspire developing musicians through her passion for teaching. Natalie is currently a private voice instructor at Augustana University.
KRISTA COSTIN is both a passionate performer and instructor - obtaining her masters degree from Indiana University. Krista’s unique and authentic artistry can be heard as a soloist and/or ensemble member with the Oratory Bach Ensemble, Consortium Carissimi, Minnesota Bach Ensemble, The Singers, MN Chorale, House of Hope Motet Choir, Oregon Bach Festival, and Bachakademies in both Weimar and Stuttgart, Germany under the direction of Helmuth Rilling. Using her own experiences, her vast knowledge and understanding of the voice and the entirety of its mechanism, Krista empowers the aspiring singer. Krista also teaches yoga and mindfulness classes in the Twin Cities - enriching her teaching practices as she combines the mind, body, and spirit of discovering one’s voice. Krista is currently working on a Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. www.kristacostin.com
MAREN ENGEL has a vast resumé of musical involvement beginning from her early years in Tulsa, OK. Whether it is singing with The South Dakota Chorale, Transept, being active in The Good Night Theatre Collective's Cabarets, a creative staple in Midtown Radio Hour shows, or cultivating a love for making music in her students, Maren is a staple in the music community and has traveled worldwide sharing her voice. Maren holds a B.A. from Augustana University.
REBECCA SACKS, a Northern California native, began her vocal training in musical theatre before studying voice at Stanford University. She then received her Masters of Music from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia in 2018. Classical singer Rebecca Sacks is known for her dynamic stage presence, smart musicality, and stylistic versatility. From Pittsburgh to Miami, to Fargo to Oregon, Rebecca’s presence and powerful voice transforms each unique role she steps into - breathing an authentic accessibility in which every listener feels a part of something special. To learn more about Rebecca and to read her full bio visit https://www.rebeccasacksmezzo.com
Betty Kay Merkle, an extraordinary artist who not only has a special talent of bringing music to life, but has an unforgettable ability to inspire the music alive within its listeners to join the greater masterpiece - a way to stretch the imagination and explore self and experiences through creativity and collaboration. She is a graduate of the renowned Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri where she brought roles to life such as Rizzo from Grease, Alice Murphy from Bright Star, Suzy from The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On!, and Paulette from Legally Blonde. Whether it is inspiring others to use their voice in their own unique way or breathing authenticity into a character, Betty has an unforgettable way of bringing the best of music to life for and within others. For more information about Betty visit www.betty-kay.com
Check out our “Meet our sINgSPIRE Instructors” video series below. Click on each video to view.
Meet sINgSPIRE Instructor- Maren Engel
Meet sINgSPIRE Instructor- Ashley Ballou-Bonnema
Meet sINgSPIRE Instructor- Rebecca Sacks
Meet sINgSPIRE Instructor- Krista Costin