Karen Thames Ballew

Irish Singing & Voice

Karen Ballew’s ethereal voice and poetry invites her listeners into a space of awe and wonder. She began learning the harp and songs in the Irish language at the annual O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, developing her own unique voice along the way. Since 2014, Karen has been asked to teach the Gaelic singing workshops at this retreat. She loves connecting with others and sharing this beautiful tradition!
In Dallas, Karen also sang with a global Christian worship ensemble, sharing biblical songs from around the world. This was a very meaningful experience for Karen and has greatly shaped her voice as an artist and songwriter!
In 2013, Karen was presented the opportunity to create and direct a youth chorus for The North Texas School of Irish Music. Together, she and her students learned more about the old style (sean nós) singing and enjoyed sharing songs in the Irish language with audiences throughout the DFW area. They also traveled to Donegal, Ireland to visit their sister school, participate in classes, sightsee, and take a singing workshop with Moya Brennan!
In 2018, Karen studied singing with Éilís Kennedy at the O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat. Since then, Éilís has become a great mentor and friend to Karen! Karen is so grateful for the opportunity to hear stories from Éilís and learn more about Irish language and culture.
After moving to Nashville, Karen began writing and recording original songs with her band The Deer’s Cry. They are named after an old Irish prayer (St. Patrick’s Breastplate) and draw inspiration from Irish, Bluegrass, Jazz, and other genres. The band released their first album, Rise with the Dawn, in 2020 and their second album, Heal the Heart, in 2022.