We recently sat down with Indianapolis Children’s Choir Alumna, Dr. Saralyn McKinnon-Crowley, who just had the opportunity of a lifetime to be a contestant on Jeopardy. She was featured on the September 12, 2025 episode and not only did she answer a lot of questions, but she got to share an ICC moment on air.

“So one of the things that they ask you about are like fun facts, right? And you give the producers a list of things that are cool about you. And one of my fun facts that I like to throw out is that I once sang at a Mass in the Vatican. [The host, Ken Jennings] thought it was super neat,” she shared.

As one can imagine, a lot goes into preparing for this famed quiz show, and not just anyone can become a contestant.  “When I was in college, I tried out for College Jeopardy and I made it to the in-person round. But I couldn’t actually make it up to Chicago for that, so that ended that trial. Then probably a year ago, I have a friend who is a giant Jeopardy fan who tried out. I thought, you know, I haven’t taken their “Anytime Test” in a while [to try out for the show], I’ll see how it goes,” Saralyn explained.

Needless to say, it did work out this time for Saralyn. During our chat, it was evident that the ICC not only played a role in her personal life, but many aspects of choir uniquely prepared her for her special TV moment.

“There was a whole classical music category. I answered one [of the questions] correctly. That was arpeggio. Jeff, [another contestant] who’s a composer, was so mad he didn’t get to answer that question,” she recalls. “One of the things that I really learned about [my time in the] ICC is we were so well trained in classical music history just by being in ICC for about 8 years. It’s the stuff that I take for granted [that we were taught] like music theory and knowledge, and classical music history, and things like tonality. Like it’s very basic to me, but [not for] other people.”

She recalled other now ingrained knowledge too, like singing posture and breathing, and even professionalism and behaving as a part of a group—plus friendships that wouldn’t have been forged otherwise that came to be due to being in the ICC. Discipline and practice also came up, as Saralyn prepared with a daily regimen of online quizzes to prep for her Jeopardy debut.

Speaking of Magical Moments, there are a few more that stick out for Saralyn during her time in the ICC. “One was when we were on the Rome trip and we were doing an open concert at this little church somewhere in Rome. It was early evening and the light coming in was just like this beautiful butter color. I think that was the best our choir sounded. I think I remember that being the first or second year that Mrs. West was part of IYC and she was just such an amazing conductor. I wanted more than anything just to make her happy. You know, like any good leader, right? She was so inspiring and so thoughtful. And yeah, she was just an incredible leader.”

Dr. Saralyn McKinnon-Crowley is now an assistant professor of Higher Education Studies & Leadership at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She also serves as affiliate faculty in Women’s and Gender Studies in the Baylor College of Arts & Sciences and is a Faculty Affiliate in the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing. When she’s not completing her daily brainteasers or having her research published in countless scholarly publications, she still occasionally sings as a part of church choir.

“Now my I have a second IMDB entry for Jeopardy. My first one was the Trio of Minuet [the children’s opera] with the ICC,” she said.

And that, we think, is pretty magical.