Esther Morey has been pouring her heart into the youth of Fayette County, West Virginia for more than 35 years. What began in the 1980s as a small music studio in her living room—teaching piano lessons and early childhood music—naturally grew into a lifelong calling to nurture children through creativity, learning, and community. Along the way, music and theater became powerful tools, with collaborative work on youth productions such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Operation Silent Night (telling the story of the WWI Christmas Truce), and the city-wide outdoor drama Bethlehem.

For 12 years, Esther directed The Learning Center, a homeschool enrichment program serving about 40 K–12 students, and in 2006 she co-founded the New River Youth Symphony and Chorus. In 2007, she and her son launched the first Coda music camp, which blossomed into the residential Coda Summer Music Festival. Music and STEM day camps followed in 2010 and 2016 and now serve approximately 250 students each year, while additional Coda initiatives continue to grow and expand the organization’s reach. In 2013, the Coda Inspire after-school programs were born—starting with just 27 students and growing to serve around 240 youth annually. Today, Coda programs collectively reach over 500 at-risk or underserved youth each year.

Esther and her husband have two children and one grandchild. They pastored the same church in Fayetteville for 43 years, retiring in the fall of 2025. Their greatest joy is serving God and people, whether through mentoring young lives or reaching out to the community. They love to travel, make friends from different cultures, and hike together in the New River Gorge—or wherever else the journey leads.