Charlie Leftridge, Director of Music and Worship
Phone: (507) 388-2925
E-mail: cleftridge@blcmankato.org
I began directing the Junior Bells in 2018 and the Bethlehem Brass in 2019. I started my undergraduate studies at Concordia College, Moorhead, and graduated from Dickinson State University in 2012 with a Bachelors of Music, vocal music focus. In 2015, I received my Masters of Music in Music Composition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
I especially love creating worshipful experiences through musical practice. Rehearsal is a vehicle for worshiping God, too, and shifting that focus makes the music learning process so exciting! My favorite part of working with Junior Bells and Brass is digging deep into new music, finding new ways to express ideas with tools we learn along the way. Writing and arranging for these ensembles is an immense joy.
Currently, I serve as the Director of Operations for the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and as the director for the Minnesota State University, Mankato, University Chorale. I moonlight as a composer and arranger, working in particular with new works for choir and chamber music ensembles. In my free time, I enjoy singing, hiking, gardening, watching 80s horror films, visiting breweries/trying new brews, and caring for a menagerie of four-legged children.