Annalisa C. Chang is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Music Education at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia. At Clayton State, Dr. Chang teaches general music education courses, string methods, music for early childhood, music appreciation, and supervises student teachers.  She was named the 2022-2023 Gene Hatfield Teacher of the Year by the CSU College of Arts and Sciences.  In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she serves as the Director of the CSU Music Preparatory School.

Her research on string teacher education, the inclusion of students with disabilities in string classrooms, and equitable access to music education has been presented at state, national, and international music education conferences. Her work has been published in the String Research Journal, the Florida Music Director, and the ArkMEA Journal.

​Dr. Chang is an active member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), currently serving as the Secretary for the Georgia chapter, and as member of the national Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and the Research Committee. She is also an active member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) through her participation in the Georgia Music Educators Association as the Georgia CNAfME Advisor, and the Children with Exceptionalities Special Research Interest Group (SRIG), for which she is currently Chair.

​As a clinician, Dr. Chang has presented sessions on teaching students with disabilities, string education, classroom management, and traditional (folk) music instruction in the schools at state in-service conferences (Georgia, Florida, Texas, and North Carolina), the American String Teachers Association National Conference, and the Midwest Clinic.

Dr. Chang holds degrees in Music Education from Florida State University (Ph.D), and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (M.M., B.M) where she was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow.

Shalunda Fincher has been active in teaching and performing on her instrument throughout her career. Ms. Fincher received her bachelors in music education with a performance certificate from the University of South Carolina. In 1997 she was the winner of the USC Symphony Orchestra's Young Artist Concerto Competition. She also performed with the Excelsior piano trio that placed third in the nation at the MTNA collegiate chamber music competition and was a member of the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra.

Miss Fincher received her masters degree in cello performance from Bowling Green State University. During her studies in Ohio, she was a member of the BGSU graduate string quartet that actively performed recitals throughout the community. She also performed with several orchestras in Ohio.  One of the highlights of her time at Bowling Green was performing in a master class for the great Cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Miss Fincher moved to Georgia, and began her teaching career in Fulton County schools where she taught for 10 years. She also taught privately at the Benjamin Franklin Academy and the Greater Atlanta String Institute. She then transitioned to Cobb County where she taught for three years at Dodgen Middle School. After stepping away from teaching for 4 years, she returned to her first love of teaching orchestra in 2019 at Tapp Middle School. She is currently in her 6th year at Tapp.

In addition to teaching, Ms. Fincher has performed with the Macon and Columbus Symphony Orchestras. She is also the director of the West Cobb Upbeat! String Camp.