New-Look Kennedy Singers Making A Splash in 2026

By Chris Mendoza, Western contributor

Two of California’s four Advanced Mixed 1 programs have new directors in 2026. That includes the newest outfit to the club, John F. Kennedy Executive Order.

Logo: Perfect Harmony Booster Club

A Brief History

Previously named Kryptonite, Executive Order, the advanced mixed group at Kennedy, began competing in 2020 after a five-year hiatus under director Janae Morales. They competed mostly in the intermediate division with some success before shocking the California show choir world by jumping all the way up to Advanced Mixed 1 in the 2023 season. Becoming the fourth consistent Advanced Mixed 1 group almost felt somewhat taboo, as competing against Burbank, Los Alamitos, and John Burroughs often felt unachievable for up-and-coming groups. Since the decision to move up, Executive Order has yet to earn a win or caption split over the big three California mixed teams, but it cannot be denied that they have the program strength to continue to pursue it. First Ladies, however, has broken into the conversation as a top-three womens group in California since getting results against the formidable Burbank Blue Impressions and Chesterton Drifters in the 2025 season.

So what’s new?

After Morales departed from JFK, the program was taken over by Christopher Brush in October 2025, just after the Kennedy Singers’ fall concert. With a new director at the helm, there’s sure to be a few changes, and a few things staying the same.

Competing

During Morales’ tenure, Kennedy Singers rarely traveled up to the Los Angeles County competitions, opting instead for the more local Orange County competitions and ending the season at Oceanside. This season, they plan on attending both John Burroughs Music Showcase and Burbank Blast, where they’ll face off with each member of the Big Three (John Burroughs, Burbank and Los Alamitos). They’ll also attend Oceanside Sound-Off again, where they’ll face all three at the same time. Executive Order will compete in the Advanced Mixed 1 division once again this year, but could face Advanced Mixed 2 juggernauts Diamond Bar Marquis and Glendora Royal Stewarts if they opt up a division at any point this season. The Kennedy program will not be hosting its annual competition or traveling out of state in 2026, but rest assured that they are looking forward to doing both in the near future.

Choreography 

In 2026, JFK will stick with long time choreographer Doug Kuhl. Kuhl’s unique signature style, complete with maximalist sets and props, colorful costumes, and simple but impactful choreography has set apart the Kennedy Singers since his arrival. He will also be designing and (presumably) costuming the shows.

Doubling

Doubling has long been a source of controversy in the West Coast circuit, with most programs not doubling at all or very rarely. JFK, along with Los Alamitos and a few other programs, have doubled relatively frequently in the past. Following this season, JFK will be moving away from doubling in an effort to keep students focused on their main choir.

Groups

All four competing groups from last year will continue to do so in 2026. Brush would even like to eventually make Secret Service, the mens group at JFK, a curricular choir in the future.

Musical Style

This will be the biggest change in the Kennedy Singers program. Executive Order will have a new arranger that will be delivering more complex part writing, in contrast to their simpler style of the past. All Kennedy choirs will also be adding classical repertoire to their home shows, something they hadn’t been doing in the past. In general, Brush would like to “add more colors” into the Kennedy Singers’ palette, add “different style concepts” to each song, rather than a singular vocal style, and place an emphasis on his approach to text.

Meet the Director

Christopher Brush is an alumnus of Ball Sate University and has worked as a director for the Carmel (IN), Chesterton (IN), Bishop Dwenger (IN), and Santiago (CA) high school choir programs. He is a member of the Grammy award-winning Pacific Chorale, the resident choir of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and one the best professional choirs in the United States. Although the commitment to the Kennedy Singers and Pacific Chorale takes up many of his days, he still has some time set aside for fun. Brush enjoys exploring the Angeles National Forest during his free time. He is also a fan of popular DJ GRiZ and other electronic music and artists.

Expectations

Secret Service: The main focus of bass groups is who can have the most fun. Secret Service will surely strive for greatness in that regard!

Ambassadors: Ambassadors have been quite successful in recent years, with a full season of first and second places in 2025. This group should continue to do very well in the novice mixed division, and be in contention for wins and captions everywhere they go.

First Ladies:  This is one of the premier womens ensembles in California, and expectations for them are high. They will continue to dominate most other advanced groups, and hunt for captions against Burroughs Sound Sensations and Los Al Soundtrax.

Executive Order: EO is in an interesting place this season. They’re not quite within striking distance of the rest of their division despite being obviously talented. This group will look to fend off any Advanced Mixed 2 contenders they may face, place well against visiting out-of-state groups, and creep ever closer to the Big Three on the scoresheet.

All in all, JFK is at a turning point as a program. It’s been many years since there was true competition for the Big Three groups, but JFK looks to be one of the most promising programs to fulfill this prophecy. With four full groups with healthy enrollment, lots of star power and up-and-coming talent, a passionate new director, and desire to be great, the Kennedy Singers could end up the talk of the region very soon.