"Change the world through music.” These five words have been ringing in Douglas Carnes’s head for as long as he can remember.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in Music Education, Douglas Carnes went on to graduate from Five Towns College with his master’s degree in Choral Conducting. Upon graduation, Douglas took employment at Democracy Prep Harlem Middle School (DPHMS) in Harlem, NY where he developed a choral curriculum with a focus on healthy singing and building relationships through the style of barbershop singing. As his program took wings, so did DPHMS's own quartet. With the help of Harmony Foundation International, their quartet went on to help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for young singers internationally.  From the podium to the bandstand, Douglas has had the privilege to sing and play all over the world. His credits include percussion on Disney’s “The Lion King” on Broadway, Carnegie Hall, The Ordway, MGM Grand, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and many more.

In 2015 Carnes relocated to Minnesota, as the Artistic and Musical Director of The Great Northern Union Chorus and choral director at St Louis Park Middle School. Here he helped grow the SLP choirs to over 300 students. Then in 2019, he transitioned from '“The Mighty GNU” back to working with young adults as the Artistic and Musical Director of Sing Out Loud Young Women’s Choirs in Rochester, MN. Most recently he has coached and performed in South Korea, Canada, Ireland, and numerous states within The US. He is an active member of The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and The Nation Association for Music Education (NAfME,) having presented at both national conferences and multiple ACDA state conferences. In 2017 he had the pleasure of presenting at NAfME’s Hill Day in Washington D.C. and in 2018, NAfME's national conference.

Now living with his wife Taryn in Co. Donegal, Ireland, Carnes is the founding director of Danu Young Women’s Choir. He continues to develop curriculum, coach, and conduct as he pursues his Doctorate of Music Performance at The Royal Irish Academy of Music. In his teaching practices, he believes in remaining real and relevant and creating and maintaining lasting relationships with his students and choral singers. Carnes sincerely believes that in order to really change the world, the minds of today must fully invest in the minds of tomorrow.