Melissa Ballard recently completed the Concurrent Music Education program at Brandon University and now teaches band and general music in rural Manitoba (Canada). During her time at Brandon University Melissa studied percussion with Ben Reimer and Victoria Sparks, as well as piano with Dr. Joan Miller and Mary Jo Carrabre. As a percussionist, Melissa has performed with Dame Evelyn Glennie at the 2011 Winnipeg New Music Festival in the premiere of Vincent Ho’s “The Shaman”. Melissa Ballard recently completed the Concurrent Music Education program at Brandon University and now teaches band and general music in rural Manitoba (Canada). During her time at Brandon University Melissa studied percussion with Ben Reimer and Victoria Sparks, as well as piano with Dr. Joan Miller and Mary Jo Carrabre. Melissa has performed with Dame Evelyn Glennie at the 2011 Winnipeg New Music Festival in the premiere of Vincent Ho’s “The Shaman”. and was a soloist with the Brandon Univer
sity Percussion Ensemble in 2011 and 2013. She was a member of the National Youth Band of Canada in 2011 and 2012. In 2013 Melissa travelled to Iceland with the Brandon University New Music Ensemble for the Dark Music Days Festival.

Melissa has participated in a variety of ensembles including concert bands, jazz ensembles, contemporary ensembles, string quintets, and duos. She greatly enjoys taking ideas from contemporary music and chamber music and using them with her students in rural Manitoba.