Ernest Reineke, M.M.
Adjunct Faculty
Education Department
Education
Administrative Endorsements (2001)
Buena Vista University; Storm Lake, Iowa
M.M. (1996)
University of Northern Iowa; Cedar Falls, Iowa
B.A. (1988)
Northwestern College; Orange City, Iowa
1 year of classes
Iowa Lakes Community College; Estherville, Iowa
Biography
Prof. Reineke is currently in his 36th year of teaching choral music and his 24th year in the Mason City, Iowa Community Schools. At Lincoln Intermediate School, he is in charge of twenty sections of general music and directs four fifth-grade choirs and two sixth-grade choirs, involving 375 choral students.
Prof. Reineke has served the Iowa Choral Directors Association in many capacities. He has been a piano accompanist since 1993. He was a co-creator of the North Central Iowa 7-12 Choral Festival, established the 5-6 North Central Iowa Honor Choir Festival and served on the executive board as a North Central District Representative. Not only was he the 2015, 5th and 6th Grade Iowa Opus Honor Choir Director, but he has also conducted area district honor choirs. He has been featured in the “Sounding Board,” the official publication of the Iowa Choral Directors Association; “Rhythms,” the official publication of the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa; “Seasons by the Lake,” the official publication of the Ingham-Okoboji Lutheran Ministries, Okoboji, Iowa; and “The Classic,” the official alumni magazine of Northwestern College. He has also published two local history books and several family history books. In 2024, he was recognized by the Iowa Choral Directors Association as the North Central Iowa award recipient through their honors initiative.
His students have performed in the Iowa All-State Choir, Iowa Opus Honor Choir, and the Iowa State Capitol. As a middle school teacher, his choir was one of two selected to perform at the three-state Middle-Level Educators Convention held in Ames, Iowa. His church choir and his select Lincoln Singers Choir performed at the Iowa Choral Directors Association Summer Symposium. His students sang at the Minnesota Music Educators Winter Convention in February 2025. He also supervises student teachers from Wartburg College, Luther College, Waldorf University, the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University.
