All-State Conductors

Jamie L. Nix is Director of Wind Ensembles, Professor of Music, and holds The Hal J. Gibson Distinguished Chair in Conducting at Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music. Dr. Nix, the first recipient of the Sam and Jacquie Rawls Distinguished Music Professorship at CSU, conducts the Schwob Wind Ensemble and Wind Orchestra, heads the graduate wind band conducting program, and hosts the annual Schwob Conductors Workshop. Previous posts include Associate Director of Bands and the Donald R. Shepherd Assistant Professor of Conducting at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he was director of the Michigan Marching Band, and Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Texas-Austin Butler School of Music.

Under his direction since 2010, the Schwob Wind Ensemble has performed at the 2025 American Bandmasters Association Convention, 2023 Midwest Clinic, the 2015 College Band Directors National Association National Conference, the 2012 CBDNA Southern Division Conference, and the 2025, 2018, and 2012 GMEA State Conferences. Nix has led performances with the World Youth Wind Symphony at Interlochen, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the United States Army Field Band, chamber musicians from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and for several international events, including the Alberta International Band Festival, IDRS Conference, ITG Conference, and the ITF Conference. Nix has conducted All-State Bands in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia, as well as the Music for All Summer Symposium and numerous honor bands in North America. He has also served as a clinician for conducting symposiums at LSU, Michigan State University, Texas Tech University, University of Michigan, UMKC, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Texas, and alongside H. Robert Reynolds for the Reynolds Conducting Institute at the Midwest Clinic. As an orchestral conductor, Nix has led performances with the CSU Schwob Philharmonic, was music director of the Advanced Young Musicians String Orchestra in Coral Gables, FL, and in 2008 participated in the International Mahler/Brahms Conducting Festival with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in the Czech Republic.

Nix, elected into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 2016, holds a DMA in conducting from the University of Miami Frost School of Music (Gary Green), two MM degrees, in trombone performance and conducting, from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance (H. Robert Reynolds), and a BM Performance degree from Auburn University. Nix is a conductor or producer on the following CDs: Vital Signs (George Curran, New York Philharmonic), Atlanta Chamber Winds, Psychedelia (James Markey, Boston Symphony bass trombone), A Beautiful Noise (featuring trombonists Joseph Alessi, Charles Vernon, Paul Pollard, and others), Wolf Rounds, The Blue Album, Brooklyn Bridge, The Victors Valiant, and the Schwob Wind Ensemble CD entitled Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs, released on the Summit Records label in 2017.

Dr. John Zastoupil is Director of Bands and tenured associate professor of music at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. His primary responsibilities at UT include conducting the University of Tennessee Wind Ensemble, teaching graduate courses in wind studies, guiding the graduate wind conducting program, and providing the administrative leadership for all aspects of the University of Tennessee’s comprehensive and historic band program. He also serves as Chair of the Performance and Ensemble Division within the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music and is the music director/conductor of the Tennessee Wind Symphony, the premier adult community band in East Tennessee.

Since arriving at UT in 2022, the UT Wind Ensemble has regained national prominence performing at the National CBDNA, Southern Division CBDNA, TnMEA, and the East Tennessee Band and Orchestra conferences. UT has led commission projects or joined commission consortia for multiple new works, including numerous world premieres for band. Dr. Zastoupil has collaborated with award-winning composers such as John Mackey, Frank Ticheli, Ryan Lindveit, Paul Dooley, Joel Puckett, Kevin Day, Michael Daugherty, William Bolcolm, Augusta Read-Thomas, Stephen Gryc, Gunther Schuller, Scott McAllister, and James Stephenson. An advocate for music education at all levels, Zastoupil founded the UT Conducting Workshop and the Volunteer Concert Clinic for concert bands to serve music education in our communities. He regularly provides clinics, professional development, masterclasses, and guest conducts professional and student honor ensembles throughout the United States, including Europe and Asia.

Dr. Zastoupil’s previous professional experience includes Director of Concert Bands at Missouri State University, as well as Associate Director of Bands/Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Texas – Arlington and Eastern Michigan University. Originally from Kingwood, Texas, he holds degrees from Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, and Baylor University. He is a former student of the Aspen Music Festival and School.

Interlacing lived experiences with innate passion, Dr. Henry Dorn is a nationally recognized music composer/conductor renowned for his energizing rhythm, syntax versatility, and passion for creating storytelling sounds with larger picture meanings. Dorn’s compositions encompass intimate narratives often told from the lens of being a musician and an African American. He is passionate about developing immersive experiences while setting an example of his life signature – the path may not always be smooth or clear, but it will always be worth it. His works have earned him recognition and performances by distinguished ensembles across the country, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, the United States Coast Guard Band, Music from Copland House, JACK Quartet, the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet, Aizuri Quartet, Argento Ensemble, and the Dallas Wind Symphony.

Dr. Dorn is Assistant Professor of Conducting and Composition at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where he is conductor of the St. Olaf Band. Under Dorn, the St. Olaf Band garnered national recognition with its invitation to the College Band Directors National Association Biennial National Conference in Fort Worth, TX, in March 2025. Prior to St. Olaf College, Dr. Dorn worked as an Assistant Director of the Memphis Area Youth Wind Ensemble and formerly served as Director of the Nu Chamber Collective. He has also worked with musicians of the United States Army Field Band, the United States Air Force Band, and has guest conducted the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” Dr. Dorn has also presented at regional and national conferences of the College Band Directors National Association, College Music Society, and at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic.

As a composer, Dr. Dorn has earned several accolades. He was an Inaugural Future of Music Faculty Fellow with the Cleveland Institute of Music and an ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award recipient. He is a past participant in The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Minnesota Orchestra Composers Institute, American Composers Orchestra EarShot, JACK Quartet’s JACK Studio, and Copland House CULTIVATE. He was in residence at MacDowell in summer 2023.

Originally from Little Rock, AR, Dr. Dorn’s ardency toward composing sparked at an early age while he was surrounded by blues and the sounds of his father’s vinyl record collection. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition from The University of Memphis, a Master of Music in Composition and Wind Conducting from Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Conducting and a DMA in Composition from Michigan State University. His primary conducting teachers have been Kevin L. Sedatole, Harlan D. Parker, and Kraig Alan Williams. He studied composition with David Biedenbender, Ricardo Lorenz, Alexis Bacon, Oscar Bettison, Kamran Ince, and Jack Cooper, among several others.

Dr. Cameron “Chip” Crotts serves as Professor of Practice at Georgia Tech, where he is the Director of the Jazz Music Program and Assistant Director of Athletic Bands. Previously, Dr. Crotts held tenured positions at Samford University, Jacksonville State University, and as an Assistant Instructor at The University of Texas at Austin.

A multi-dimensional and Grammy-nominated trumpeter, Chip’s career has spanned nearly four decades as a professional musician. Dr. Crotts has toured and worked with a myriad of artists, including Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Frankie Valli, The Temptations, Bob Newhart, Joan Rivers, and The O’Jays. Manhattan Transfer, Bernadette Peters, Arturo Sandoval, Matt Catingub, The Pussycat Dolls. Don Rickles, Boston Brass, Wycliffe Gordon, T.I., Jennifer Holiday, CeeLo Green, and Maynard Ferguson, among others. Dr. Crotts has also been active in the recording field, having done commercial work internationally for companies such as The Disney Company, Carl Fischer Music, Hal Leonard, and video soundtracks such as Destiny 2 and the Legend of Zelda series. Chip can be heard on numerous labels, including SeaBreeze Jazz, Sanachie Records, and Mark Records, as well as on a variety of live TV, broadcast recordings, and national Broadway tours over the years.

As a jazz educator, Dr. Crotts has been directing university and professional jazz ensembles for 30 years, including All-State Jazz Ensembles in North Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, South Carolina, Alabama, and Texas, as well as numerous region and district honor groups nationwide. Chip performs regularly with a variety of professional jazz and commercial ensembles, including the Atlanta Symphony Pops, Joe Gransden Big Band, South Carolina Jazz Masterworks Big Band, Atlanta Latin Jazz Orchestra, Georgia Symphony Orchestra Big Band, Macon Pops Orchestra, and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra. He has served as a past Vice-President of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators. As a lead trumpeter and soloist, Chip has been featured in venues worldwide such as Birdland, Blues Alley, Les Duc des Lombards (Paris), The Blue Note NY, Lincoln Center, The Hollywood Bowl, and Carnegie Hall.

Dr. Crotts remains true to his roots in the marching activity and is highly active as an instructor, adjudicator, and pedagogue. As an instructor, Chip has spent over 25 years in the drum corps activity and is currently the Brass Caption Head for the 21-time DCI World Champion Blue Devils. Crotts has won world championships with three different organizations, and brass programs under his instruction have received the “Jim Ott Award for Best Brass Performance” multiple times during his career. As an adjudicator, Crotts has served for organizations such as Bands of America, Drum Corps International, Drum Corps Japan, Taiwan Marching Academy, Music for All, and Winter Guard International.
Chip has been a clinician and presenter at numerous professional conferences during his career, including the International Trumpet Guild, Conn-Selmer Institute, International Association of Jazz Educators, USBands Summer Symposium, New York Brass Conference, Jazz Education Network, and The Midwest Clinic. He has a variety of articles in publications such as the ITG Journal, NAfME, Yamaha Education, Conn-Selmer Education, Bach Brass, and has been a regular author and contributor to the Make Music articles, Smart Music blog, and UDB and StrideTV.

In terms of professional service, Chip is a member of NAfME, the American Federation of Musicians, the Jazz Education Network, and the International Trumpet Guild. He is a past fellowship recipient from the Aspen Music Festival and Music at the Banff Centre (Canada) for Classical and Commercial Trumpet Performance. Dr. Crotts has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Institute of Health, and the Georgia Tech Foundation.

Chip received his undergraduate degree in Music Business from East Carolina University, a Master of Music in Orchestral Performance from Penn State University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Trumpet Performance with a Jazz Emphasis from the University of Texas at Austin.

Chip is a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician and Bach Trumpet Performing Artist.

John Daversa is a multiple Grammy Award-winning trumpeter, EVI player, composer, and producer whose artistic vision continues to shape the landscape of contemporary jazz. As an artist and educator, Daversa’s work exemplifies innovation, cultural impact, and a dedication to artistic excellence. His genre-defying compositions and performances seamlessly fuse tradition with boundary-pushing creativity, earning him international recognition, including an Emmy nomination and multiple Global Music Awards.

Daversa’s artistic contributions span a diverse range of projects, from the socially resonant American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom, which highlights the voices of DACA recipients, to Kaleidoscope Eyes: Music of the Beatles, a genre-bending big band exploration. His discography showcases an expansive range of musical expressions, from orchestral jazz to intimate duo collaborations. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with legendary artists such as Herbie Hancock, The Yellowjackets, Dr. Dre, Fiona Apple, and Burt Bacharach, further cementing his place as a vital force in modern music.

Beyond his artistic achievements, Daversa is a dedicated educator, serving as Professor and Chair of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. His commitment to mentorship and artistic development has impacted countless students, inspiring the next generation of musicians. His contributions to music education have been recognized with the prestigious Frost Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship.

In addition to his work as a performer and educator, Daversa is the creator and host of The John Daversa Podcast, a platform dedicated to deep, thought-provoking conversations with renowned musicians and cultural leaders. Through this podcast, he fosters artistic dialogue, shares valuable insights, and provides an educational resource for aspiring musicians and enthusiasts.

Daversa’s influence as both an artist and advocate for the arts has been recognized by the City of Miami Beach, which declared February 23 as “John Daversa Day” in honor of his contributions to the community.

With a relentless creative drive and a deep commitment to mentorship, John Daversa embodies the spirit of artistic excellence and community engagement that pushes him forward each new day.

Dr. Andrew Lynge is Associate Professor of Percussion and has served as the Percussion Area Coordinator at The University of Alabama since 2019. In 2025, he was named a Distinguished Teaching Fellow by the College of Arts and Sciences. His debut solo album, Alchemy: Music for Solo Percussion and Fixed Media, was released in 2024 on the Equilibrium Recording Label and includes works by Wharton, Viñao, Walker, and Psathas. He leads the internationally acclaimed UA Percussion Ensemble, winners of the 2020 and 2024 PAS International Percussion Ensemble Competitions, the highest honor received by a university percussion ensemble. The UA Percussion Ensemble performed Showcase Concerts at the 2021 and 2024 Percussion Arts Society International Conventions. The UA Percussion Ensemble’s debut album, Fear/Release, was released in 2024 on the Equilibrium Recording Label and includes works by Akiho, Reid, Muhly, Peruzzolo-Vieira, Curtis, and Psathas. Dr. Lynge’s students have distinguished themselves on the international stage, earning top-three honors at prestigious events, including the Great Plains Marimba Competition, the Modern Snare Drum Competition, and multiple solo composition contests presented by the Percussive Arts Society.

As an international percussionist, Dr. Lynge has performed and presented in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Italy, South Korea, and Thailand. He was a concerto soloist with the Dallas Winds at the 2021 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic and has performed at five Percussive Arts Society International Conventions, both as a soloist and ensemble musician. He was a featured artist at the 16th, 18th, and 20th Patagonia International Percussion Festivals in General Roca, Argentina; the 2019 and 2021 World Percussion Movement in Bari, Italy; the 2019 Percussion Seminar at Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Campinas, Brazil; the 2022 JeJu International Brass and Percussion Festival in JeJu, South Korea; and the 2nd International Thailand International Percussion Festival in Bangkok, Thailand.

Dr. Lynge is a founding member of Epoch Percussion, a percussion quartet that has gained a national reputation as concerto soloists with top wind bands in the United States. With over a dozen concerto performances, Epoch Percussion has been featured as soloists with the Dallas Winds, the University of Texas at Austin Wind Ensemble, the University of Alabama Wind Ensemble, Columbus State University Wind Ensemble, Kennesaw State University Wind Ensemble, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts Wind Ensemble, and the World Youth Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Arts Camp. They premiered the wind ensemble arrangement of Orbital by John Psathas with the Dallas Winds and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble in 2023. Tim Diovanni, from The Dallas Morning News, states, “The Epoch Percussion Quartet, made up of Cory Fica, Nigel Fernandez, Oni Lara, and Andrew Lynge, combined rhythmic precision with nonstop energy.”

Dr. Lynge is an artist and clinician for Innovative Percussion, Pearl/Adams Percussion, Zildjian, REMO, and Black Swamp Percussion.

Julie Davila is a renowned percussionist, performer, music educator, and clinician specializing in concert and marching percussion. She was inducted into the WGI Percussion Hall of Fame in 2014, in recognition of more than 30 years of contributing to the marching arts activity as a leader, teacher, designer, and adjudicator.

Julie served as the President of the Percussive Arts Society for the 2023 and 2024 term, and now proudly serves on the council of Past Presidents. She is a member of the chamber percussion ensemble, the CAIXA TRIO, winner of a 2011 “Drummie” award by Drum Magazine. Julie is the arranger and percussion coordinator for the Middle Tennessee State University Band of Blue Drumline, and can be heard playing tenors on EA Sports’ NCAA College Football 25 for PlayStation and Xbox.

Before her work at MTSU, she was the percussion specialist at several high schools in Nashville, Tennessee, and many of her groups medaled in all divisions of the WGI activity. Julie is a member of the DCI and WGI nationally recognized adjudication teams and was recently appointed Chief Judge Administrator for DCI.

As an active clinician specializing in contemporary and marching percussion, she has performed in Poland, China, Peru, South Korea, France, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil, and extensively throughout the United States.

A proud alumnus of the University of North Texas, she is the author of “Modern Multi-Tenor Techniques and Solos”, “Impressions on Wood”, and “Inspirations 4 Mallets” and is a co-author of “Aptitude”, an innovative solo snare book published by Row-Loff Productions. Julie is an endorser and clinician for the Pearl Corporation, Innovative Percussion, Avedis Zildjian Company, Grover Pro Percussion, and Evans Drum Heads.

Mr. Livingston has appeared with the Houston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Series, the Illinois Chamber Orchestra, at the Festival de Musique in France, with the Stockholm Wind Orchestra, the Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania, and the Pan Pacific Festival Orchestras in Sydney. He has conducted extensively in Poland, including the famed Leopoldinum Orchestra and the opening concert in an international festival of European Academy Orchestras. Maestro Livingston regularly conducts All-State Ensembles across the United States, including an unprecedented twelve appearances at the TMEA.  He has led the Sewanee Music Festival Orchestra and often served as a clinician for the Disney Honors Program. A renowned pedagogue, he has appeared as principal clinician in orchestral conducting workshops in Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and throughout the United States.

Mr. Livingston has held positions as Vice President/Music Director of the New England Conservatory of Music, Dean of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music, where he chairs the Conducting Department, and Acting President of Westminster Choir College.  Recently inducted into the Music for All Hall of Fame, Mr. Livingston appeared in the “Lights Out” episode of Glee and was featured as a mentor in the USA Cable Network Television series, “The Moment.”

Conductor and violinist Alejandro Gómez Guillén approaches music as a space for discovery, collaboration, and storytelling. As Director of Orchestras at Arizona State University—home to one of the nation’s leading orchestral programs and the largest public university in the United States—he guides a vibrant community of emerging artists and educators. Alejandro also serves as Music Director of Sphere, a string collective known for its adventurous programming and genre-crossing commissions, including a recent world premiere by GRAMMY-nominated composer Carter Pann.

Previously, Alejandro spent two seasons as Assistant Conductor of the Omaha Symphony, participating in the Grammy-nominated premiere of Andy Akiho’s Sculptures, and seven seasons as Artistic Director of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, where he conducted the Indiana premiere of Florence Price’s Fourth Symphony and the world premiere of Mickey Tucker’s Spiritual Collage. During his tenure as Associate Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony, he led community, pops, educational, and bilingual programs, collaborating with artists such as Time for Three and mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte.

As a guest conductor, Alejandro has worked with orchestras across the U.S. and abroad, with upcoming engagements including the Lancaster Festival, New Mexico Philharmonic, Orlando Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, West Texas Symphony, Tulsa’s Signature Symphony, and Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. Highlights include performances at the Oregon Bach Festival, in works like the B Minor Mass and St. John Passion, and collaborations with renowned conductors such as Ankush Kumar Bahl, Tito Muñóz, Eric Jacobsen, Robert Spano, and Ruth Reinhardt.

Alejandro combines artistry with education, having led Omaha Symphony’s acclaimed community and education programs reaching 25,000 students annually. He was a Freeman Conducting Fellow with the Chicago Sinfonietta and served as Assistant Professor of Music at Colorado Mesa University, where he taught violin, viola, and led the university’s orchestra. Additional roles include Music Director of the Colorado Youth Philharmonia, conducting youth and collegiate orchestras, and leading historical performance projects as a violinist and conductor.
As a violinist, Alejandro has served as concertmaster with the West Texas Symphony, Grand Junction Symphony, and Junges Stuttgarter Bach Ensemble, performing across Europe at venues like the Rheingau Music Festival and Berlin Philharmonie. He was a returning member of the Oregon Bach Festival’s Berwick Academy for Historical Performance and plays in Tonos del Sur and Chaski Quartet with his wife, Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Cranor.

Born in Colombia and a proud U.S. citizen, Alejandro holds a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from Texas Christian University and master’s and doctoral degrees in conducting and violin from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His research includes a critical edition of Jorge Pinzón’s violin concerto and a guide to using Bach’s orchestral dances for modern developing orchestras. His mentors include Gary Lewis, Helmuth Rilling, Mei-Ann Chen, and Matthew Halls.

When away from the stage, Alejandro can be found trail running, singing, or reveling in a Bach fugue.

Award-winning conductor Katherine Kilburn has conducted in music halls all over the U.S. and in Europe. She has served as Assistant Conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra, the El Paso Opera, the Hot Springs Music Festival, the Bowling Green State University Philharmonia, and the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. She was Conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Wind Ensemble, Music Director and Conductor of the Greater New Haven Youth and Chamber Orchestras, and Conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Repertory Orchestra. She has guest conducted the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, the Grossman Ensemble in Chicago, the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, the Lawrence University Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theater, the Green Bay Symphony, Ensemble X, Cleveland Opera Theater, and the Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestra. Kilburn assisted Sir Simon Rattle for performances of Peter Grimes at the Salzburg Easter Festival, and toured with world-renowned clarinetists David Shifrin and Alexander Fiterstein.

She has conducted numerous world and USA-premieres, including performances at the Cabrillo Music Festival, the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music Festival, the Philadelphia International Music Festival, and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.

Ms. Kilburn has been on the faculty of Cornell University, Kent State University, and Baldwin Wallace Conservatory. She is now Assistant Director of Orchestras at Michigan State University.

Cindy Shea is a multi-Grammy Award-winning musician, composer, arranger, producer, engineer, and founder of the internationally celebrated all-female ensemble Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea. A classically trained trumpeter, she studied music education at Cal State Fullerton and received a full scholarship to study jazz performance under Latin jazz legend Arturo Sandoval at Florida International University.

With four decades of experience, Cindy has performed with or recorded alongside a diverse array of artists, including Celia Cruz, Joan Sebastian, Jenni Rivera, Christina Aguilera, Becky G, Alejandro Fernández, Karol G, Marco Antonio Solís, Paquita la del Barrio, Aida Cuevas, Natalia Jiménez, Pepe Aguilar, Shaila Dúrcal, Ana Bárbara, Bronco, Ozomatli, U2, Luis Miguel, Ezequiel Peña, Emilio Navaira, Guadalupe Pineda, Yolanda del Río, Angel Lopez (Son by Four), Israel “Cachao” López, Big & Rich, Cowboy Troy, Beatriz Adriana, Adrian Allende (Mexican Dynasties, Bravo TV), and many more.

Under her leadership, Mariachi Divas has released 21 full-length albums through Warner Music, ADA Latin, and her own label, 7th Avenue Records. Now signed as a composer with Limited Edition Music Publishing/Warner Chappell, Cindy continues producing innovative work at 7th Avenue Studios for music, film, and media.

Dr. Shekela Wanyama is a collaborative and community-centered conductor-educator based in Minneapolis. She conducts the Hamline University A Cappella Choir, one of the oldest collegiate choirs in Minnesota. The A Cappella Choir is recognized for its welcoming atmosphere and concerts that bring community members together. Dr. Wanyama also conducts the Minnesota Chorale’s Prelude Children’s Choir, a non-auditioned ensemble for singers in grades 3-5 who reside in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Chorale’s Youth Choirs are an integral part of the Chorale’s mission of supporting lifelong singing through “rigorous artistic practice and joyous collaboration.”

A passionate educator, Dr. Wanyama taught middle and high school choir for over ten years in public, charter, and independent schools in Minneapolis, Seattle, and Berlin. She has also directed ensembles and taught conducting and choral methods courses at the University of Arizona, University of Minnesota, and Augsburg University. Dr. Wanyama’s rehearsals are engaging, joyful, growth-oriented, and welcoming — due in large part to the lessons learned from her energetic and honest students over many years.

Dr. Wanyama is active as a guest conductor for state and regional honor choirs as well as local ensembles. She has presented on repertoire for developing voices, building community in choir, contemporary repertoire by composers of the Global Majority, and holistic chorus preparation. Her writing has appeared in Choral Journal, the International Choral Bulletin, and two GIA publications. Dr. Wanyama participated in Chorus America’s Choral Orchestral Conducting Academy and was a member of the inaugural cohort of Chorus America’s Executive Leadership Academy. She serves on the board of Border CrosSing and on the staff of Schubert Club.

Dr. Wanyama holds a DMA in conducting from the University of Minnesota, an MM in choral conducting from Temple University, a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Minnesota, and is a proud graduate of the Minneapolis Public Schools.

She lives and gardens on Dakota land.

New Orleans native Coty Raven Morris is a proud alumnus of Texas State University-San Marcos, where she studied with Drs. Lynn Brinckmeyer and Joey Martin. She received her Master’s of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University in the Spring of 2020 under Drs. David Rayl, Jonathan Reed, and Sandra Snow.

She is currently the Hinckley Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education, and Social Justice at Portland State University. Prior to this, she was the Director of Choirs at Crosby High School in the Houston area and has served as the Outreach Choir Director at the MSU Community Music School and Music Director at Grand Ledge United Methodist Church. Her choirs received consistent Sweepstakes & Division I ratings at UIL and choral festivals.

Morris was the recipient of the Hays CISD Linebarger Academic Recognition Award for 2013 & Galena Park ISD’s Dazzling Diamond Award in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 for outstanding mentorship and leadership in her field. She serves on committees and holds leadership roles within both the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Her most recent acknowledgments include being a nominee for the Portland State University George C Hoffman Faculty,  A 2024 and 2025 Music Educator Grammy Finalist, and being named one of Yamaha’s ’40 Under 40′ music educators!

Morris is a sought-after clinician and speaker across the country. Her reach has extended through her partnership with Music Workshop, where she helped develop a national professional development curriculum for music educators focused on wellness, equity, and accessible classroom practices. Morris has been a choir member of the South Texas Vocal Artists and Mirabai and has devoted over a decade of summers to working as a camp director at the Texas State, Northeastern, Lamar University, Oregon Repertory Singers, and Blue Lake Fine Arts summer camps.

Morris is also a host at All Classical Radio and the International Children’s Arts Network (ICAN), a radio station dedicated to celebrating the joy of childhood, exploring diverse cultures, and enhancing children’s learning by providing access to the arts and fostering a love for music and literature. She serves as a Chorus Master and Artistic Collaborator with Portland Center Stage, the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, and Choirs of America. A newly published author and composer, her poetry and compositions have been performed at a multitude of honor choirs and festivals across the country.

Coty Raven Morris is the Founder of Being Human Together, a budding community rooted in music education, striving to normalize difficult topics in our field through conversation and connection. BHT seeks to discuss traditionally taboo topics like mental health, systemic oppression, diversity, and inclusivity. And she is also an avid boxer!

Allyssa Jones serves as Director of Vocal Ensembles and Assistant Director of the School of Music at the University of South Florida. Her 31-year career in arts education includes positions with Boston Arts Academy (Music Department Co-Chair), Boston Public Schools (Program Director for Performing Arts), decades of work as a presenter and consultant, and board-level participation in NAfME, Eastern Division ACDA, and NCCO. A recipient of a Surdna Fellowship for her creative work, Ms. Jones’ credits include five solo recordings, two original musicals, and commissioned works for soloists and ensembles. An alumna of Adelphi University and Northern Illinois University, she studied with Robert Sims (voice), Ronald Carter and Jennifer Barnes (jazz), Larry Newland (conducting), Judith Lang Zaimont (composition), and Dr. Ronnie Wooten and Dr. Patricia Cichy (music education).

Known for championing student choice, voice and identity in music education, Jones service record includes Chair of the NAfME Council for Innovations, the Institute for Composer Diversity, Cultural Connections by Design, Massachusetts MEA-Eastern District (inaugural Advocacy and Outreach Chair), ACDA Massachusetts (Jazz Chair), the NAfME Perspectives Group (co-facilitator), and the Handel + Haydn Society (Education Planning Team). Her work as a conductor and choral clinician includes the Pinellas County Schools Ignite Festival (Clinician), Florida Vocal Association District 11 MPA (Clinician), Massachusetts MEA Northeast District Honor Choir (Conductor), Boston Children’s Chorus (Guest Conductor), Worldstrides Heritage Festivals (Adjudicator/Clinician), and numerous schools and community arts organization across New England and in Greater Tampa Bay.

At the intersection of her experience is Rising Tide Music & Arts, home of Rising Tide Music Press, a composer pathway program created in direct response to the need for BBIA composer representation in pedagogical and professional repertoire. The program launched in 2021 with support from the Sphinx Organization (Sphinx Tank Grant) and has continued to grow through partnerships with the American Choral Directors Association, the American String Teachers Organization, Castle of Our Skins, and Boston Public Schools. In an extension of this work, Ms. Jones is the composer-in-residence for New Voices New Orleans, the Crescent City’s newest youth chorus.

Dr. Marcela Molina has led the Tucson Girls Chorus (TGC) since 2006, initially as Artistic Director and becoming Executive Director in 2011. In addition to shaping the organization’s executive and artistic vision, she conducts the Advanced Choir (grades 9–12) and the Alumnae Choir.

Under her leadership, the Tucson Girls Chorus has experienced remarkable growth in both programming and community engagement. It has transformed into a vibrant, collaborative organization offering inclusive opportunities for youth and providing ongoing resources and support to music educators. TGC is frequently invited to share its programming strategies as a model of innovative practice.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Dr. Molina began her musical journey as a classical guitar major and later pursued choral conducting at Javeriana University in Bogotá. She holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and the University of Arizona. Her writings have appeared in Antiphon and in the books Teaching Through Performance in Choir, Volume 2, and Choral Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor-Teachers. In 2019, she was named Choral Director of the Year by the Arizona chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (AzACDA).

Dr. Molina’s choirs have been described as “simply astonishing,” “powerful and mesmerizing,” and praised for their “sublime sound coupled with mature stylistic sensitivity.” She frequently serves as a clinician and guest conductor for choral festivals across the country. In 2025, she served as one of the honor choir conductors at the ACDA National Conference and made her debut at Carnegie Hall.

She has served on the board of AzACDA and on standing committees for the ACDA Western Division. She currently serves on the boards of both the ACDA Western Division and Chorus America. Additionally, Dr. Molina is the Director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus and co-editor of the Molina/Brown series at La Voz Publishing.