Renee Benson is a vocalist, composer, YA Nationally Credentialed Teaching Artist, and education advocate. She recently served as the Director of Education of Young Audiences of Louisiana (YALA) and is currently YALA’s Director of Access, Belonging and Strategic Partnerships. She is a founding member of YALA’s Transformative Change Initiative, a program to increase arts and education employment trajectories for BIPOC artists. She has worked with the BANFF Centre of the Arts, Hamilton Education Program, and The Kennedy Center VSA and has led DEIA sessions for the Mississippi Teaching Artist Collaborative. Renee serves on the board of National Performance Network.