Gideon Burrows is a Professor of Music, the Director of Choral Music, and the Chair of the Department of Music at Eastern Arizona College. He joined the faculty in 2018 and serves as the conductor for the tenor-bass choir, Resonus; the Symphonic Choir; and the college’s flagship choral ensemble, the A Cappella Choir. As part of his duties, he supervises the activities of the six choral ensembles and coordinates the voice program. He also teaches applied voice, diction for singers, second-year music theory, World of Music, and elements of conducting.

Prior to this appointment and preceding graduate study in music, Dr. Burrows served as the choir director for the senior high and middle schools in Rigby, Idaho. Under his direction, the district’s choral program experienced immense growth and his students were consistently recognized for their excellence in performance at local, state, and regional events. He also previously served as the Women’s Choir Repertoire and Standards Chair for the Idaho ACDA, and as the associate conductor for the Idaho Falls Sounds Choir and the Utah Baroque Ensemble.

Dr. Burrows actively participates as a community and church musician, and has appeared as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor for various school and community events in Idaho, Utah, Texas, and Arizona. He earned his D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas, an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Idaho, and both a M.M. in Choral Conducting and a B.M. in Music Education from Brigham Young University.

Dane Alexander Carten (he/him) is a lifelong musician, performer, and composer, lending his voice to concert halls from Detroit to Tucson in professional ensembles such as the Audivi Symphonic/Opera Chorus, Detroit Symphonic Orchestral Choir, and the Helios Ensemble. He spent his formative years in the Punk and Metal scenes of Detroit, and toured the Midwest first as a Hardcore Metal vocalist, then as a Bassist and backup vocalist for several Rock and Pop-Punk bands. During this time, he also acted as a vocal coach to local Rock and Metal singers, co-owned and managed the High-Octane Concert Lounge in Romeo, MI, and worked to promote, book, and manage local bands across the Metro Detroit area.

Dane holds two Summa Cum Laude degrees in music – the Associate of Music Theory and Composition from Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and the Bachelor of Music Education with a focus in Voice from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Most recently, he finished the Master in Choral Conducting at the University of Arizona in May of 2023. Dane was also awarded high honors for his work in the Communications department during his time at Oakland Community College and has served as a Teacher’s Assistant for courses across various institutions including Popular Entertainment, Sinatra-Era Music, Rock and American Popular Music, and History of American Popular Music. As of August 2023, he has begun working towards the Doctorate in Choral Conducting with a minor in Composition at the University of Arizona.

Dane has and continues to serve in many teaching and leadership positions – Chancel Choir Director at Lord of Grace Lutheran Church in Marana, Assistant Director of the Helios Ensemble in Tucson, Director of the University of Arizona’s Faculty/Staff Choir and Artistic Director and founder of the Neoteric Chamber Choir. During his time in Detroit, he helped establish their local chapter of the Justice Choir whilst creating and leading two separate children’s choirs within local Montessori schools. He also worked as Music and Vocal Director on several music theatre productions including Mamma Mia! and Little Shop of Horrors at Grosse Pointe Theatre in Grosse Pointe, MI.

Taylor Day is a recent graduate of Choral Music Education from Northern Arizona University. Taylor has been involved in many choral ensembles and is still an active singer and performer. Her most recent performance was a Choral/Orchestral World Premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York City with Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers. Currently, Taylor is a music teacher in the Kyrene Elementary School District teaching K-5th general music. Taylor is an active Arizona American Choral Directors Association (AzACDA) board member, where she coordinates communications, and served as the president of the NAU ACDA student chapter. She also is an assistant director at Arizona Community Theatrical Company (AzACT) where she teaches a variety of voice lessons, piano lessons, interest workshops, acting classes, and summer camps. Taylor is passionate about teaching music and continues to feed her enthusiasm by attending conferences, just like ACDA’s Summer Conference!

M. Nicole Davis is the Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Arizona where she conducts the University Singers, teaches undergraduate courses in conducting and choral pedagogy, and serves as the Artistic Director for the University Community Chorus. Dr. Davis holds MME and PhD in choral music education degrees from Florida State University.

Dr. Davis regularly serves as guest conductor for honor choirs and choral clinician for local schools. Her previous conducting experience includes her work at Florida State University as assistant conductor for University Singers, Choral Union, the Tallahassee Community Chorus, and the Festival Singers of Florida. Additionally, Davis was the Artistic Director of the Thomasville Singers, a community choir in Thomasville, GA, for seven years. 

Before pursuing her doctorate, she was the Choral Director at Thomas County Central High School, GA (TCCHS). She directed five curricular ensembles (treble, tenor/bass, intermediate mixed, advanced treble, and advanced mixed) and taught AP Music Theory. Under her direction, TCCHS became the winningest choral program in Southwest Georgia. Soloists and ensembles from this program consistently won vocal competitions and earned superiors in sight reading. Most importantly, many students became steadfast music supporters, with some pursuing careers in music education, music therapy, and church music. 

As an active researcher, Davis is a sought-after guest lecturer and panelist. She has presented at numerous state, regional, and national conferences, including the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. (NANM) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Dr. Davis is active in multiple service roles for her profession. She serves as the National Scholarship Chair for NANM, a leadership team member for Women in Choral Higher Ed (WiCHEd), and as a board member for  Voices for Social Justice. Her scholarly interests examine the intersectionality of social, racial, and economic factors with choral music education and performance.

Lindsay Decoste is the current director of choirs at Red Mountain High School in Mesa. She graduated with a BME in Choral Music from NAU, and previously attended Mt. San Antonio College in Southern California. Lindsay has served on the AzACDA board since 2017, and has presented at State, Regional and National ACDA conferences. She currently serves as Conference Chair for AzACDA. Lindsay is also an avid performer, singing in Canto Vivo at MCC as well as performing in community theatre productions throughout the valley. She has two cats and a husband. 

Benny Dominguez has been a passionate music educator to students at the middle school level since 2015. He is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he received a Bachelor’s of Music Education with Choral Emphasis. He has been the Director of Choirs and Orchestras at Sossaman Middle School in the Higley Unified School District since 2019 and previously, Director of Middle School Choirs at Veritas Preparatory Academy. At both schools, he increased student participation in the arts and fostered artistic excellence, earning both schools their first superior ratings at AzACDA Festivals. He was also on staff with Phoenix Children’s Chorus for five years assisting the Prep Choir and later conducting East Valley Voice’s middle school choir, Vivace. Outside of choral music, he’s an active cellist, playing obbligato and continuo for numerous choirs across Arizona. He also regularly plays in musical theatre pit orchestras, including over a dozen productions with Mesa Community College. 

Jess Edelbrock directs the Tucson Girls Chorus Bumblebee and Mariposa Singers, along with TGC's Pop Acapella Group. She oversees all programming in partnership with Dr. Molina as Director of Operations. 

Jess earned a B.M. in Choral Education from Northern Arizona University in 2013 and an MM in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University in 2018. She has experience teaching students in grades K-12 and believes that all students deserve access to the many benefits of singing together.

Jess directed the choir program at Central High School in Phoenix for one year before moving back to Tucson, then spent two years as the music teacher at Mesa Verde Elementary and another two at the Tucson Hebrew Academy. Jess has found her passions in teaching children and young teens, as well as serving future and current music educators. In Spring 2023, she was appointed Adjunct Professor of Music Education at the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music. She serves on the board for the Arizona Choral Directors Association and has presented several sessions at state conferences. She enjoys spending time with her wonderful husband, two adorable children, two dogs, and lots of plants.

Alexandra (Allie) Fardelos is going into her 7th year of teaching. She currently teaches at Taylor Junior High in Mesa Public Schools. She has taught music, choir, and musical theatre to all ages from kindergarten through twelfth grade in Higley, Gilbert, and Mesa School Districts. She received her BME from Northern Arizona University in 2017.

Allie is the social media chair for the Arizona board of the American Choral Directors Association. This will be her 9th year on the AzACDA Board. She has presented at State and Regional conferences.

Her husband teaches high school band. Together they have two Siamese cats named after Star Wars Creatures (TaunTaun & Jawa).

Katie Gerrich is the Director of Choirs at McClintock High School in Tempe and is honored to serve as the President of the Arizona Chapter of ACDA.  She has been teaching choral music for 22 years, the past nineteen at MHS. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Masters in Education/Human Relations, both from Northern Arizona University. While in her undergrad at NAU, she served as President of the Shrine of the Ages Choir, and studied under the direction of Dr. Edith Copley, Dr. Alan Rieck and Mrs. Sally Hanson. Katie has served as the chair for both the Arizona Southwest Regional Choir and the Arizona All-State Jazz Choir. Katie truly enjoys mentoring student teachers, and she is honored to be requested as a guest director, clinician and collaborative pianist throughout the state.  She lives in Chandler with her husband and 8-year-old daughter. 

Ryan W. Holder is the Associate Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University, where he directs the Women’s Chorale, Northern Voices and High Altitude vocal jazz ensembles, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and choral methods, supervises choral student teachers, and serves as the adviser for the NAU student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. Ryan received his doctoral degree in the Fall 2007, from the University of Miami in addition to bachelors and masters degrees from Southern Oregon University and University of Northern Colorado, respectively.

A native Oregonian, Ryan graduated from South Medford High School and served as the Director of Choirs at Grants Pass High School from 1997-2001. During his tenure in Grants Pass his choirs won awards and accolades in both vocal jazz and traditional choral music, and his Melodairs women’s choir took first prize in the women’s choir division at the Vienna Youth and Music Festival in 2001.

Dr. Holder has given lectures and presentations at local, state, and regional American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the National Music Educators Association conventions, and recently gave a lecture on “Male Choir Directors: Working with and Relating to Beginning Women’s Choirs” at the 2009 ACDA National Convention in Oklahoma City.  He has conducted honor choirs in Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana, and Hawaii.  His ensembles have been invited to perform throughout the Southwest, including performances at state and regional ACDA conferences. Dr. Holder serves as the Arizona State ACDA President as well as the ACDA National Committee on Technology.

Ryan also serves as the Director of Music at The Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona and is proud to serve as the Artistic Director of The Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers.

Justin Jenkins is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. He continued his education at Arizona State University, where he earned his Masters Degree in Music Education (Choral Emphasis).

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Mr. Jenkins has been a music educator for the past 21 years. During this time, he has taught at the middle school and high school levels in the states of Arizona and Tennessee. His teaching experience ranges from starting new choir programs in schools to working with groups that tour regionally and internationally. In his most current position, he serves as the director of choirs at Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where his groups have toured and performed in various festivals in Arizona, California, and New York.  Mr. Jenkins also serves as the director of Bravo (a high school group) in the Phoenix Children’s Chorus, a position he has held for the past three years.  

In addition to his role as a public school educator, Mr. Jenkins was a staff member for the Arizona Ambassadors of Music, an organization that toured with some of the top Choir and Band students in the state of Arizona through England, France, Italy, Austria, and Germany. Mr. Jenkins has also served as a clinician in the Arizona Choral Educators Junior High School Festival, as well as the Dysart Unified School District’s Junior High Honor Choir, The Dysart Unified School District’s High School Honor Show Choir, the Deer Valley Unified School District’s Junior High Men’s Honor Choir, and the Tempe Elementary School District’s Junior High Honor Choir.  

Outside of rehearsing and performing in choir, Mr. Jenkins enjoys spending time with his wife, Erin, and his two children, Ava and Justin Jr. In addition, Mr. Jenkins is a huge sports fan and enjoys attending sporting events with his family. 

Hannah Olivia Kimball is thrilled to be making her first presentation at AZ ACDA! After this summer, she will be leaving Arizona to pursue a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Denver. She has over 5 years of teaching experience at the Middle School level, having taught Chorus and Music Exploration at Kyrene Middle School, Pueblo Middle School, and Sossaman Middle School. She also served as the Artistic Director of the Phoenix Women’s Chorus for two years, and sang with the Phoenix Chorale. Keeping so busy has led her to find new ways to manage and be as efficient with her time as possible, leading her into the discovery of AI and its many uses in our field! In her new-found free time, she enjoys roller-blading and crafting. 

Dr. Mirae Lee is an accomplished conductor, composer, and educator, distinguished by her global experiences and unwavering dedication to music education. With a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting with a minor in Music Theory from the University of Arizona, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Alabama, and a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Chung-Ang University, Dr. Lee has honed her craft through rigorous academic training and practical experience.

Dr. Lee's expertise in conducting has been recognized through numerous honors and awards, including the Medici Award from the University of Arizona and multiple scholarships and fellowships. She has also presented research and participated in conducting masterclasses at prestigious institutions and conferences worldwide. Dr. Lee is a published author, with a forthcoming book, "Choral Repertoire by Women Composers," co-authored with Dr. Elizabeth Schauer, slated for release by GIA Publications in 2025. With a passion for fostering cultural understanding through music and a dedication to empowering the next generation of musicians, Dr. Mirae Lee continues to inspire and uplift communities through her artistry and leadership.

Driven by her education philosophy that "Education has the power to change lives," Dr. Lee is committed to instilling a love for learning and music in her students, believing that education has the power to transform lives and create opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment.

Nicky Manlove (they/them pronouns) is the Community Engagement Director for the Tucson Girls Chorus, where they also conduct the Jubilate Choir and the Estrellas at Prince Elementary and accompany the Bumblebees and Mariposa Singers.

Nicky has served as the founding director of THEM Youth Ensemble, an LGBTQ+ and allied performing arts program, on the conducting faculty of the University of Arizona School of Music, and as the director of music at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ. Nicky is also an active tenor with Boston-based chamber choir VOICES 21C, whose improvisational and interdisciplinary performances have been described as "explosions of love." VOICES 21C is an artists’ collective that is devoted to exercising the choral art in pursuit of human rights and justice, dedicated to a mission of global understanding through music.

Nicky is a committed advocate of equity-centered and liberatory choral practice, and supports a number of justice-focused choral initiatives nationally. Nicky’s research on gender diversity has been featured on The Choral Commons podcasts, as well as at choral and music education conferences around the country. Nicky is the chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Arizona Chapter of ACDA, has served on the ACDA National Diversity Initiative Committee's Task Force for Transgender Justice, as well as equity-based committees for ACDA Western Division, Early Music America, GALA Choruses, and the Presbyterian Association of Musicians.

Nicky holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts with an emphasis in Music from Seattle University, and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona.

Troy Meeker, Phoenix Children’s Chorus Artistic Director, has taught with the organization since 2011. Mr. Meeker is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he earned a Bachelor’s in Music Education, and Master’s degrees in Educational Technology and Choral Conducting while studying under Dr. Edith Copley and Dr. Ryan Holder. Mr. Meeker taught for 15 years at the middle, high school, and collegiate levels most recently as the Choir Director at Trevor G. Browne High School, a thriving urban choir program which he helped grow to over 350 singers.

Mr. Meeker enjoys the opportunity to serve. Having served the Arizona choral community in a variety of positions he is currently the AzACDA Youth Repertoire and Resources Coordinator. In addition, he serves nationally as a member of the Artistic Advisor Council for Choirs of America. He also enjoys mentoring young educators, guest lecturing, and providing professional development workshops for districts throughout the state.

Mr. Meeker is an in-demand presenter and clinician. He has presented at the Western Division and Arizona Choral Directors Association (AzACDA) Conventions as well as the Arizona Music Educators (AMEA) Convention on topics ranging from rehearsal techniques to technology integration in the choral classroom. He has served as a clinician and judge for festivals with Arizona Choral Educators (ACE) and AzACDA, as well as a conductor for various honor choirs throughout Arizona.

Mr. Meeker was recently recognized for his outstanding teaching winning the O.M. Hartsell Excellence in Teaching Music Award from the Arizona Music Educators Association and the Arts Educator of the Year Award from the Arizona Department of Education. In addition, his choir Encore performed for the AMEA Convention in 2020 marking the 3rd performance appearance of ensembles under his direction.

In his free time, Mr. Meeker enjoys watching movies, cooking, cycling, and studying karate. His home is in Glendale, Arizona, with his wife, Adrienne, and their children Grant and Annika.

Jason A. Mincy is the director of choral activities at Navasota High School. Prior to his position in Navasota, Mincy taught both elementary music and middle school choir in North Texas. While working for Barwise Middle School in Wichita Falls, Mincy was recognized as the 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Mincy received his Bachelor of Music Education from Midwestern State University (MSU Texas) with additional studies at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Mr. Mincy holds a Masters degree in Music Education from the University of Florida in Gainesville. In addition to his studies, he is certified in the use of the Kodály concepts of music teaching, an experience-based approach through the Kodaly Teacher Institute at MSU Texas.

Most recently Mr. Mincy conducted the TMEA Region 13 Middle School Honor Choir, TMEA Region 7 Elementary School Honor Choir, and the Navasota ISD Elementary Honor Choir. Mincy teaches Choral Pedagogy in the Fort Bend Kodály Institute and has presented professional development sessions for TCDA, AZACDA, TMTA, OKCDA, & TMEA. 

Mr. Mincy is President of the Kodály Educators of Texas (KET), an affiliate member of the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE). He is an active member of the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA), the Texas Music Adjudicators Association (TMAA), and the Texas Choral Directors Association (TCDA).

Joshua Palkki (he/him) is Assistant Professor of Music Learning and Teaching/Choral Conducting and Associate Director of Choral Activities at Arizona State University and co-author of Honoring Trans and Gender-Expansive Students in Music Education (Oxford University Press, 2021). He holds degrees from Michigan State University (Ph.D. music education), Northern Arizona University (M.M. choral conducting), and Ball State University (B.S. music education). Dr. Palkki has presented at national and international events including the National ACDA Conference, NAfME National Conference, and the Society for Music Teacher Education Symposium and is a sought-after guest conductor and scholar on equity and justice topics. Joshua’s writing appears in several choral and music education publications including Choral Journal, Journal of Music Teacher Education, and Journal of Research in Music Education, Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook for Middle School General Music (2nd edition), Routledge Companion of Jazz and Gender, and the Handbook of Music and Art (Bloomsbury).

Jordan Rakita is the director of the Phoenicians, a premier barbershop chorus in the Metro Phoenix area and also serves as the director of the tenor/bass ensemble Canticum Bassum at Arizona State University where he is pursuing a doctoral degree in Choral Conducting. 

Rakita is indebted to his early educators, Randy Pagel and Kim Ritzer, who helped form a deep love of choral music, performing at the National ACDA Convention and encouraging him to attend Northern Arizona University with Dr. Edith Copley. While in Flagstaff, he pioneered a tenor/bass ensemble with the Flagstaff Youth Chorale where he served as Associate Director. This pursuit was the result of his time in The Westminster Chorus, a barbershop chorus he participated in, taking first at the Barbershop Chorus Competition in 2010 in Philadelphia. In 2015, Rakita completed a Master of Music in Choral Conducting as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education at NAU. During this time, he served as the director of the University Singers, a 100 voice mixed ensemble. He also studied voice with Dr. Ricardo Pereira and Dr. Judith Cloud, who both impacted his understanding of vocal pedagogy immensely. He was able to use this tutelage while he held the position of voice instructor at the Curry Summer Music Camp teaching private lessons and master classes as well as courses in musical theater and music theory.

In his time in Phoenix, Rakita has been fortunate to continue pursuits as a performer. He was thrilled to be a part of the Grammy-award winning Phoenix Chorale under Charles Bruffy. He also sang in Helios, a unique early music vocal ensemble made up of seven voices. As an educator, Rakita has an array of experience as a middle school and high school director, with the Phoenix Children’s Chorus, Heritage Academy and Gilbert Christian High School. He is a sought after clinician, and is looking forward to conducting the Nevada Middle School Honor Choir this fall. 

He is grateful to his parents and stepparents, Bob and Andrea Rakita and Patti and Rick Lucchesi for their love and support. He is married to Kayla, who is an English teacher at ASU, and they are the parents of Ruby and Milo.

Katherine Rosenfeld is a music educator, voice teacher, and professional soprano teaching and performing throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area and across the state of Arizona. Rosenfeld graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in choral music education in 2019 and has been teaching ever since in Arizona’s public and charter schools. She currently teaches 5th through 12th grade choir at Arizona School for the Arts. She has taught in Mesa Public Schools and ran a private voice studio in North Phoenix for students junior high through adulthood. She has sung with many Arizona-based ensembles including the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, Quartz Ensemble, Canto Vivo Chorale, the Sedona Academy of Chamber singers, and the Grammy-award-winning Phoenix Chorale. In addition to teaching and performing, Rosenfeld loves giving back to Arizona’s choral community. She currently serves as the Student Activities R&R chair for AzACDA.

Sha’meka Sampler is a graduate from Arizona State University with a degree in Music teaching and learning. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in December 2022 and is currently teaching middle school choir and theatre in Tempe. Throughout her educational journey she has had amazing mentors such as: Katie Gerrich, Cami Clausen, Jennifer Pearce, Joey Johnson and many more. She is beyond grateful for all of the support she received during her first year of teaching. The support she was given allowed her to achieve so many special things with her students including: A performance at Disneyland, performing for Governor Hobbs, a school musical, and multiple concerts.  During her first year she received training on “Relational Capacity” and Collaboration within classes. Sha’meka is excited to share her new found knowledge and continue her education at the conference this summer! 

Elizabeth Schauer (she/her) serves as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Arizona, where she is recognized for her innovative and inclusive curricular approach. An award-winning educator, Dr. Schauer conducts Symphonic Choir and teaches graduate courses in conducting, literature and methods with a student-centered focus to an international population of learners. She is in demand as an adjudicator, clinician, presenter and conductor throughout the United States, including for performances at Carnegie Hall and with all-state and honor choirs. 

Choirs under her direction have been selected by audition and invited to perform on local, state and regional conferences of American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), College Music Society (CMS) and American Guild of Organists. In addition, her choirs have been featured on the ACDA National YouTube Channel and the Community Concerts Series of KUAT-FM Classical Radio, and regularly engage in collaborations, notably with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and other regional ensembles. Repertoire embraces choral and choral-orchestral works from the Middle Ages through the present, up to and including new works dedicated to and commissioned for her ensembles, as well as the music of our time and representing a variety of populations and cultures.

Dr. Schauer has presented sessions at the national conferences of ACDA, Presbyterian Association of Musicians and CMS; regional conferences of ACDA, and state conferences of ACDA and NAfME. Former students are active as music educators at public and private schools, churches, colleges and universities throughout the world, and have been accepted into respected graduate schools and programs for continued study. Dr. Schauer holds degrees from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Westminster Choir College and University of Michigan.

Dr. Jeff Vanderlee has been a member of the choral faculty at the University of Arizona since 2021, where he conducts the early music ensemble on campus, Collegium Musicum. He has also taught the second semester of undergraduate choral conducting, and supervises graduate research. In addition to his academic role, Jeff serves as the Director of Music at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Oro Valley, AZ, where he oversees a vibrant music program. Jeff’s contributions extend beyond the university and church. He is an active figure in the Tucson community, frequently working as a clinician and accompanist for local high schools. In addition, his dedication to early music is further exemplified by his role on the board of Arizona Early Music, where he helps to promote and preserve the rich traditions of early music in the region.

Tim Westerhaus is passionate about transforming humankind through choral music that fosters empathy, builds inclusive community, and deepens understanding through diverse programming and collaborations. He seeks to advocate for singing among all ages and to engage choral beauty with contemporary issues relevant to society, justice, and culture in local and global communities. In 2021, he joined Northern Arizona University’s Kitt School of Music as Director of Choral Studies and since 2022, he has served as Artistic Director of Choral Arts Northwest in Seattle. 

From 2010 to 2021, Tim served as Director of Choirs and Vocal Studies at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, serving also as Music Department Chair from 2017 to 2021. He recently served as President of the Northwestern Region of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and as the University & College Curriculum Officer of the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA). He founded and conducted the professional-level chamber chorus, Spokane Kantorei, and served as music director of St. John’s Cathedral. He currently serves as a member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization Board, on the Western ACDA Board as Repertoire & Resources Coordinator, and on the National ACDA Standing Committee on Collaboration and Advocacy. 

Tim has conducted collegiate and professional ensembles in the United States, Europe, Colombia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Korea, where he was a Conducting Fellow of the International Conductor Exchange Program. He has led ensembles in performances at regional conferences of ACDA and the National Association for Music Education and at WMEA state conferences. As a tenor, he sings professionally in the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus and has sung there under Helmuth Rilling, Matthew Halls, Jos van Veldhoven, John Butt, JoAnn Falletta, and Craig Hella Johnson; he performs as a solo and collaborative pianist; and he leads baroque performances from the harpsichord. Dr. Westerhaus received his music degrees from the University of Saint Thomas, studying with Angela Kasper, and from Boston University, where he studied with Ann Howard Jones, Dennis  Shrock, and Joshua Rifkin.

An outdoor enthusiast, Tim enjoys running, cross-country skiing, and backcountry camping, whether in the Washington Cascades or Arizona San Francisco Peaks. 

Travis White has been a music and choral educator for ten years. A native of Phoenix, singing has always played a significant role in his life. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Choral Music Education from Northern Arizona University and his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University. In 2020, he was named the “Westside Impact Teacher of the Year,” and he recently began teaching elementary music and middle school choir at Sunset Ridge School in the Deer Valley Unified School District. Mr. White is also currently the Cadet Choir Director and Director of Education for the Phoenix Boys Choir helping to adopt new and innovative programs that recruit, inspire and educate future young vocalists! Travis is blessed to have married his wonderful wife Shelbe, a music therapist and in his spare time loves to walk, watch baseball and bowl. 

Erik Whitehill grew up in Iowa and earned his music education degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.  He has taught general music and choir in Tempe Elementary School District for nearly two decades, also currently serving as district chairperson for general music and elementary choir. Erik has a passion for helping children grow into well-rounded good humans through musical development. His teaching is noted for including newly composed music, both for choirs and for musical theater.  Erik is Orff certified and is a member of the Arizona Orff chapter, where he has served on the board and been a featured presenter. He has also been a presenter for Arizona Music Educators Association.  His compositions are published by Heritage Music Press, Augsburg Fortress, Choristers Guild, Handbell Musicians of America and Falls House Press.  He is also self-published through J. W. Pepper.  Erik was the recipient of the Arizona State University Outstanding Mentor Teacher Award (2012), Tempe Elementary School District “Excellence Begins with Me” Award (2015), and Tempe Elementary Excellence Award (2021).

Dr. M. Dee Wilkins is the former Director of Vocal Music at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where he conducted the OPSU Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, and taught conducting and voice, and music ed courses. 

Dr. Wilkins’ DA degree is from the University of Northern Colorado, with his MM and BM in Music Education from Northern Arizona University, and an AA from Eastern Arizona College.  He taught for 9 years in the public schools in Arizona.  His groups have performed Coast to Coast, including performances in NYC’s Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. He has also participated as guest conductor and judge of numerous festivals, has held state positions with ACDA and NAfME, and was the founder of the Arizona FFA Chorus.  Dr. Wilkins has served on standards committees for two states, and is published in the Grove Dictionary of American Music. He has received invitations to judge and clinic choirs in numerous states, and to conduct at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center. Dee currently works in the Financial Services Industry in sales and leadership. He and his wife Leisel are the blessed parents of ten children.