COEUR d'ALENE — People are singing the praises of a local choir director.

Coeur d'Alene High School's Lexi Walker has been named the 2024-25 Idaho Music Educators Association's Outstanding Young Music Educator.

"I found out this morning when my admin came in and surprised me, that was so, so nice," Walker said Monday. "I’m grateful to be in the Coeur d'Alene community. It’s just really reassuring that all the work I'm doing is making a difference."

Coeur d'Alene High Principal Mike Randles said he was thrilled Walker was selected for this honor.

"She has completely shifted the culture of that program in this building," he said.

He said these positive transformations have taken place with Coeur d'Alene's arts program and the school is now seeing it with the music program.

"Her presence really speaks to the power of an effective and a quality educator in the classroom," Randles said.

The Outstanding Young Music Educator Award recognizes an Idaho Music Educators Association member for distinction in music education. It honors young teachers who have made exemplary contributions to their students' music experiences.

This is Walker's third year at Coeur d'Alene High. She was also the Coeur d'Alene School District's 2023 High School Rookie of the Year.

"As far as my philosophy on teaching and teaching music, I am definitely one who believes every child deserves a music education, whether it's a huge part of their life or if it’s something they did through school," Walker said.

The experience of musical performance can be life-changing for students, she said.

"A music education helps boost test scores, it helps with math, science, English and it’s also an opportunity to be part of a team, like any high school athletic group," she said. "You have to figure out how to trust your peers, where you fit in the team. Every student should have an awesome music education."

Originally from Bozeman, Mont., Walker has been teaching music for 10 years. She operated a private piano and voice studio, taught with Utah Piano Conservatory and completed a music education degree program with Brigham Young University in April 2021. 

She has studied with renowned concert pianist Azusa Komiyama, Intermountain Opera Company Musical Director Linda Curtis, Julliard School professor Darrell Babidge and Michele Broadbent Hatch at BYU. She has performed with Intermountain Opera Company in productions of "Carmen," "La Boheme," "Hansel and Gretel" and "Suor Angelica (la Novizie)."

She said she benefited from excellent music teachers in her formative years.

"We had just incredible music in our schools, that’s something that really pushed me to work in the public sector," Walker said. "It wasn’t just me receiving private lessons with a private teacher; it was really every awesome music teacher I had from elementary all through high school that pushed me to keep doing it in college."

Walker will take students on a European concert tour in 2026, which will give young vocalists opportunities to sing in cathedrals and other public spaces in European towns. She participated in a similar program when she was a student.

"Since I've been here, the students have come so far," she said. "I feel comfortable enough that I’ll be taking them across the ocean to perform in Europe."