Michael Follis has been named the new Choir Director at Dripping Springs High School, Principal Angela Gamez announced Tuesday.
A Texas native, Follis recently returned to the Lone Star State after spending two years in Chicago, where he worked as a music educator, professional singer, church musician, and Senior Associate Conductor of the Chicago chapter of the Grammy Award-winning National Children's Chorus.
Follis began his career in public education in 2020 after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. He served for two years as Assistant Director of Choral Activities at East View High School in Georgetown, helping lead a choral program of more than 150 students across four ensembles.
Prior to relocating to Chicago, Follis spent more than three years as Director of Music at Shepherd of the Hills Christian Church in Austin and served as Assistant Conductor of Chorus Austin, the city's symphonic choral ensemble.
Follis earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from UT Austin, where he performed with the University of Texas Chamber Singers and served as a section leader in Texas Choirs. He also made history as the first undergraduate appointed Director of the Longhorn Singers, the university's official show choir, in the ensemble's 60-year history. Follis later earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from UT Austin.