Robert Decoste has served as Director of Choirs at Higley High School for the past ten years. Under his leadership, the program has grown into a dynamic and inclusive community, attracting students from across the region. His ensembles have performed coast to coast in the United States, including a recent performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Robert holds degrees from Northern Arizona University and Mt. San Antonio College and has toured internationally throughout Europe and Asia and has performed at the ACDA National Conference. Before focusing on choral music, he was an accomplished trombonist and Drum Major for Pacific Crest Drum Corps. He resides in Arizona with his wife, Lindsay, and their two cats, Starbuck and Momo.

Emily Drum (she/her) is a singer, arranger, composer, vocal producer, songwriter, and educator based in Phoenix, Arizona . She is a sought-after choral composer and arranger, commissioned by high school ensembles, top collegiate a cappella groups, and semi-professional choirs across the country. Her self-published arrangements have been performed in over 37 countries across six continents. Emily is also a vocal coach, producer, and member of the award-winning treble vocal quartet Red Letter Daze. Her contributions to countless vocal projects have earned her 37 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nominations and wins.

Emily has two original works published through Graphite Publishing and sells many of her arrangements via Sheet Music Plus and Sheet Music Direct. She is passionate about bridging the worlds of choral and a cappella music and building community among singers and creatives. Emily looks forward to continuing to write music that resonates deeply with performers and audiences alike.

Mrs. Taryn Tidwell is in her 12th year as the Choir and Musical Theatre director at Shepherd Junior High School in Mesa, AZ with Mesa Public Schools. Taryn is a strong supporter of music and arts and enjoys bringing music, dance, and laughter into her classroom. Taryn is also a cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma her first year of teaching. She is excited to be in remission as a happy and healthy educator, committed to being a force of excellence for secondary music education!

Taryn received her Bachelors of Music in Choral/General Music Education from Arizona State University, where she studied voice under the direction of Carole FitzPatrick, and recently earned her Masters in Educational Leadership degree from ASU. She is an active member of the ACDA, NAfME, and AMEA music organizations and is currently serving as the Show Choir Repertoire and Resource Chair for AzACDA. She is also very involved in community theatre and enjoys choreographing and performing in shows, workshops, and musical theatre camps around the valley. She is a highly sought-after choir clinician and presenter, and was most recently seen at last year's 2024 WACDA conference in Pasadena.

Taryn is the 2021 AZ Inaugural Tancer Arts in Education Award Winner with Act One as well as a 2020 AZ Teacher of the Year finalist and Ambassador for Excellence with the Arizona Educational Foundation. She also was a 2015 recipient of the AMEA Outstanding New Choral Music Educator Award, recipient of the 2017 Arizona Diamondbacks Most Valuable Teacher Award, and was a 2023 ASU Arizona STEM Acceleration Project (ASAP) Fellow, connecting the worlds of STEM/STEAM with performing arts programs around the valley. Taryn is grateful for her family and performing arts team for always supporting her!