About Our Director and Singers

Melanie Bales

Melanie was born and raised in the Panama Canal Zone. Her love of music began at a very young age when she was cast in her first community theatre musical “SHOWBOAT” at the age of 10.  Bitten by the theatre bug, she performed in summer theatre productions, sang in school choirs, and began piano lessons to accompany her school and church youth choirs.  Melanie was an active Thespian in her high school drama program.  She attended the University of Central Arkansas, where she majored in Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology with a minor in Special Education.  She returned to Panama after graduation in 1980, to get married and begin her teaching career as a K-8 Music teacher at St. Mary’s Parochial school.  Music continued to be her hobby as she performed in several community theatre productions at the Theatre Guild and the Pacific Theatre Arts Center.  In 1984 she began her career with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools.   In 1997 she received a Silver public service award for her contributions to the Panama Canal community.  In 1999 she received a Lifetime Theatre Guild membership for her work as President of the Theatre Guild having directed more than twenty musicals.  Melanie won two FORSCOM awards for acting and musical direction.  When the military bases in Panama closed in 1999, Melanie and her family transferred to Okinawa Japan where she continued to volunteer with the community theatre program “Pacific Okinawa Players”, as well as serve as the concert accompanist for the secondary schools.  She served as President of the POPS board of directors and directed the music for over thirty shows.  In 2011 she received a Lifetime Membership award from the POPS organization (Pacific Okinawa Players).  Melanie shares her love of music and theatre with her multi-talented husband Fred.  They will celebrate 44 years of marriage this December.   After 38 years of serving the military-connected students, Melanie retired and moved to The Villages in 2022. She was thrilled to be invited to join Bach With A Beat by member Lois Young, whom she knew in Okinawa!  Melanie is a proud mother of two wonderful sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, and three precious grandchildren. 

Nancy Simmons

Nancy Simmons has been involved in choral music as a singer all her life, participating in church, school, and community groups. She started directing in her 40’s when a church choir director asked her to take over and, although Nancy was untrained, she was blessed to lead that choir for 7 years. Since then she has directed a community choir of about 30 voices and a 10-voice Christian Ensemble. She is presently one of the co-directors for Bach with a Beat and her role is to lead the spring concert.

Nancy and her husband Walt lived in Woodland Park Colorado for 24 years before coming to the Villages in 2019. They still maintain their Colorado home and spend the summers there. Their two daughters were raised and homeschooled there and are now married but live elsewhere. Nancy and Walt are now the proud grandparents of 4 wonderful grandchildren.

Although she didn’t expect to be directing again after coming to the Villages, she enjoys the experience. She is grateful to all those who have helped her learn and grow both along the way and presently.

ABOUT OUR SINGERS!

All of our Bach With A Beat members have sung throughout their lives in various college, community, and church choruses.  We are a truly diverse and accomplished musical group that finds great joy in singing.

Members of Bach With a Beat have had exciting and accomplished musical careers ranging from choral directors to opera singers to musicologists to professional folk singers.