David Carew is entering his 20th year as Director of Choral Activities at Southwestern Michigan College, where he conducts four ensembles, oversees applied voice instruction, and teaches courses in aural skills and music history. He is also the founder and director of the SMC Summer Institute Choral Camp, a residential weeklong program that brings together young singers from across the region for intensive music-making and community building. Prior to his collegiate work, David taught middle and high school choral music in the Dowagiac and Edwardsburg School Districts.
He holds a Bachelor of Music in Education from Western Michigan University (1998) and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University (2006).
David is the founder and conductor of Chorllennium, a professional-level choral collective composed of experienced performers and area music educators. He has prepared choruses for the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and he currently serves as the principal conductor of the Southwest Michigan Chorale.
He recently completed a seven-year tenure as Chancel Choir Director at First United Methodist Church of Mishawaka, IN, where he led the ensemble in diverse and meaningful sacred repertoire, including the Robert Ray Gospel Mass and The Song Everlasting, by Joseph Martin, a choral cantata of American folk songs and hymns.
A passionate professional choral singer, David performed with the Camerata Singers for ten seasons (2003–2013), including at the 2008 ACDA Central Division Conference. In Fall 2025, he will join the tenor section of Re:Sound, a newly formed professional choir based in Kansas City, for its inaugural performance. David has also enjoyed appearing in community theater productions.
He lives in Buchanan, Michigan, but is actively seeking residence in Kalamazoo to be closer to his people. He is the proud father of two wonderful humans: Jacob (23) and Laura (18). He enjoys racquet sports, large bodies of water, and has a soft spot for ’70s R&B and classic rock.
