As Interim Director of Choral Activities at the University of Minnesota Duluth he conducts the various choral ensembles including UMD Concert Chorale, leads vocal jazz ensembles Lake Effect and Chill Factor, and teaches voice lessons, ear training, and vocal pedagogy. Deignan is also the Artistic Director of the semi-professional ensemble Twin Ports Choral Project and was a fellow at the 2022 Baylor International Choral Conducting Masterclass.
In addition to teaching and conducting, Deignan performs as a professional vocalist. He sang with the new Baton Rouge choir Red Shift in their 2020 Southern ACDA performance, where he also served as tenor soloist. Deignan sang with Dallas’ Orpheus Chamber Singers and Dallas Bach Society, and community choir Denton Bach Society as tenor soloist for their performance of Rossini's Petit Messe Solennelle. He was tenor soloist for the University of Iowa Choirs and Orchestra's performance of Schubert's Mass in Ab in 2017. Deignan performed with the Cedar Rapids Chorale and Iowa Orchestra as tenor soloist and Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre as tenor soloist and young artist. In 2011, he was chorus-master of CROT's production of The Merry Widow.
At the high school level, Deignan was Director of Choirs for the West Des Moines Valley High School choral program of 350 students, seven traditional choirs, two show choirs, and four jazz choirs. Under his direction, Valley Singers performed at the 2016 NC-ACDA Convention in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Prior to West Des Moines, Deignan was Associate Director of Vocal Music at Cedar Rapids Washington High School where he led a Slice of Jazz to the 2012 Iowa Vocal Jazz Championship.
Deignan holds a BA in Vocal Performance from Luther College, an MA in Music Education from the University of Iowa and DMA in Choral Studies with a cognate field in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of North Texas. He is a member of ACDA, NAFME, NATS, JEN, and the Voice Foundation.