First known Native American composer (Cherokee & Quapaw), born near Miami, Oklahoma. He graduated from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and the University of Tulsa with music degrees, and became music director at the Institute of American Indian Arts. The grand opus of his career was designing Native American public school music curriculum under the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Like Bela Bartok in Hungary and Antonin Dvorak in Czech, Ballard's music drew from the folk tunes he grew up hearing in Oklahoma Indian Territory. "Scenes from Indian Life" was premiered in Rochester, NY, in 1963, by Howard Hansen, and the fourth movement was added 30 years later.

Ballard created an elementary music textbook, complete with recorded examples by the composer, of Native American music and instruments for the classroom. He was a dedicated educator whose mission was to normalize Native American art in all aspects of modern American life.