Over the past few years, Mrs. Kat Smith Grieshop has taught 4th-12th grade vocal programs and Upper School music electives, led Elite Beats and the award-winning a cappella group “Ars Nova,” and directed the Upper School Musical. Originally from Pittsburgh, she arrived at MVS in 2021 and quickly found a home in our community. She had recently graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor’s in music, which she earned while simultaneously creating a professional a cappella career that is still an important aspect of her life today. After falling in love with UD, she actually intended to major in history to be a history teacher. While music was always at the back of her mind, history felt more normalized. However, music always found its way back into her life. She started being involved in the a cappella community at 19, and when her professional a cappella choreography business unexpectedly started to take off during college it was the final sign that she needed to switch majors to music.
She is now one of the leading experts in the a cappella choreography field. The a cappella community is small and divided into sections such as competitive a cappella, showcase a cappella, etc. Inside that, there are many roles besides performers such as arrangers and even more niche than that comes choreography, which is what she decided to specialize in. To put how small the community is in perspective, she said she could “name on one hand all the a cappella choreographers I know.” This close community and small amount of talent has its unique benefits, allowing her to stand out. She was also involved in Remedy A Cappella at the University of Dayton, which was founded by the same people who founded the Ars Nova a cappella institution at MVS. She now professionally attends national festivals, has choreographed numerous award-winning sets at every level, taught masterclasses, along with leading Ars Nova.
She has always been open to teaching, coaching, and directing. After being recommended the job at MVS by a friend, it was a perfect fit. Some highlights include our MVS community and how we support each other, along with getting to know students. Many teachers at our school have always stated that MVS students are always eager to learn more than they knew before they came in the room, which she said is a rarity in other schools.
This is her last year at the Miami Valley School, and she plans to return to Pittsburgh next year. She has lived in Dayton for the past 10 years and is excited to go back to her hometown, but she said that she was glad that she spent the beginning of her career here, doing new things she hadn’t done before. She leaves behind over five years of classes, performances, rehearsals, musicals, electives and much more. Her impact on the programs she was involved with will continue to live on here for many years to come. She plans to continue her a cappella career, along with spending time with her family, her nephews, and potentially coaching softball. Ariel Radinovic, a University of Dayton alum, will be the new director of Ars Nova, with new positions filling her other roles at MVS. She is excited for the next chapter of her own life, while also looking forward to seeing how new voices continue to shape the vocal programs at MVS. We will miss you!
