Paducah Middle Choir Director Samantha Veal is the distinguished recipient of the 2025 Robert K. Baar Award for Choral Excellence. Veal received the award at the Kentucky American Choral Directors KyACDA Summer Conference, which was held July 14-15 in Bowling Green.
"The reason Samantha has been so successful as a director is that she is such a great voice teacher," said KyACDA president Daniel Wesley at the award presentation. "She has such a great understanding of the developing voice and knows how to grow it. She also fosters a great confidence in changing voices . She loves them through it and encourages them to keep singing! Samantha loves her kids and they love her right back."
In addition to serving as the Choral Director at Paducah Middle School and Assistant Choral Director at Paducah Tilghman High School, Veal also directs the Paducah Symphony Children's Chorus. Under her direction, choirs have consistently achieved recognition, being featured at multiple Kentucky Music Educators Association conferences.