Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Thames Ballew.
Hi Karen , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am deeply grateful to have a wonderful family and mentors who have encouraged me to pursue a creative path. It started when my mom’s friend recommended I audition for the Classical Youth Chorus in my hometown of Abilene, Texas. The director, Dr. Betty Karol Wilson, is an inspiring teacher and taught us classical songs and folk songs from around the world. From her, I learned the value of teamwork and the endless possibilities of art!
I then began taking private voice lessons with Richard Burke, an incredible operatic tenor who taught me how to project my voice, to embrace my authentic self, and how to sing from the soul. My piano teacher Sherry Frush and high school choir teacher Terri Godfrey taught me the wonders of music theory and harmony, while my Humanities teacher Mr. Monroe encouraged me to write and explore the deeper questions of life. These things helped pave the path to me becoming a songwriter!
I continued to learn music theory, history, and choral music at Furman University in South Carolina where I enjoyed studying voice with Dr. Trudy Fuller and singing with the Furman Singers and Furman Chamber Choir.
After graduating college, I married my best friend Brad Ballew and moved to the Dallas area. There, I found kindred spirits and a home in the Dallas Irish music scene and began learning Irish singing and harp at the annual O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat. I’m very grateful to have found my amazing harp teacher, Rebekah Passmore!
Later, I had the joy of directing a youth chorus at The North Texas School of Irish Music. I also taught music lessons, sang with the St. Philip’s Episcopal Church vocal team and directed a children’s choir at the church.
One of the most impactful experiences of my life was singing with ISHQ, a Dallas based global Christian worship group. We sang biblical songs from around the world, leading worship for events, conferences, and ESL banquets. The youth choir in Abilene had planted that seed of interest in music from other cultures and ISHQ further expanded that learning!
Spiritual and world traditional music, reflective and poetic writing, collaborating with others in an ensemble– All of this led to me founding The Deer’s Cry collective.
After moving to Nashville in 2017, I came across my old Humanities folder from high school. I read some of my reflections from that time. That began opening the door to me writing again and eventually writing songs!
I love creating with others, so I decided to form a group with the new music I was writing! I named it The Deer’s Cry after the St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer as my music explores spiritual themes, nature, and the intrinsic worth and interconnectedness of all living things. Every person in the ensemble brings their own unique voice and experience to these songs, and I am deeply grateful for my collaborators. We have a new album, Echoes of Eternity, that will be released on June 27, 2026!
In the past five years, I’ve been learning Persian and Pamiri dance with Natalie Nayun in the Bay Area, and she has inspired me to begin incorporating dance in my performances! Another person that continues to encourage me along the artistic path is my dearest friend and soul sister Gaby Fuentes. She lives in France now, but we met in Nashville. She is an incredible Mariachi musician and teacher! I have also been greatly encouraged by my friends Johanna Gomez and Fernando Castro. They are from Colombia, and we enjoy singing Colombian choral and folk music together!
It’s been an immense blessing as well to lead worship with my friends Sara and Jeffrey at Glen Leven Presbyterian Church, teach singing and harp at The Nashville Irish Music School, to dance with the Nashville International Folk Dancers, and to sing with the early music ensemble Mon Ami. Nashville has some very special and beautiful communities to be a part of, and I’m thankful God connected me with these kindred spirits!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This may sound strange, but the biggest obstacle I’ve faced along the way is myself, my own mind really. My mind is great at piling on the weight of expectation on any task I set out to do, so it can be difficult for me to get started on things. This is done with the false assumption that somehow I have to figure out everything on my own and it has to achieve a certain kind of outcome. What I’ve discovered in recent years is the gift of letting go, letting go of the need to control things for fear of failing. Making mistakes is actually not a bad thing. It’s how we learn. I noticed, as I started to let go of control, that yes I would still make mistakes, but at the same time I let in a greater possibility for growth, discovery, and beauty.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love sharing music, writing songs, and collaborating with others. One of my very favorite things is having deep conversations with people and learning from their perspectives and experiences. It’s really interesting to talk about God and the soul, our universe, science, art, history and culture.
I am particularly moved by folk traditions with their timeless themes, wisdom, and layers of memory. The music I write is greatly influenced by this.
Through workshops and retreats, I have spent the most time learning Irish singing, sean nós, and harp, but I take every opportunity to learn from other traditions as well– There’s so much beautiful music out there!
My lyrics are inspired by many things including Old Irish prayers, the Christian contemplative tradition, and the beauty of the natural world.
What I aspire to do, in both performing and teaching, is to create a sacred space for discovery and wonder, a meeting place where we can grow together.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is a lesson about perspective. Though we may not realize it, all of us are bombarded with ideas about what it looks like to be successful in life and in our careers. It is tempting to think that if we’re not doing these things that somehow we’re behind, or maybe we’ve chosen the wrong path.
But think about the people who are trailblazers. The reason they succeed is that they have faith in their inner vision, even when this vision doesn’t have a well-worn path to follow, even when the experts would advise against it.
Most importantly, I’ve learned that we all have purpose and intrinsic worth. No one can take that away from us. As a Christian, I believe we were created in the image of God with immense capacity for love, creativity, ingenuity, deep connection, and strength. Oftentimes, the things we think are important, or the things we think we ‘need to live up to,’ are quite trivial when seen from this perspective.
Recently, I’ve begun asking myself, was I fully present today? Was I present and in tune with the people around me, did I listen to the birds and the wind through the trees, was my spirit in flow with the spirit of goodness, was my heart and desire aligned with the heart of God? If so, then that is all that matters.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thedeerscry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeerscryband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeerscryband/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvr3cS-YXq8SyRAcB8g7vJg
Image Credits
Barbara Potter Photography, Sam Wiseman Photography, Ashley Henry, Brad Ballew
