Conference Team
CARI EARNHART
Conference Chair
Dr. Cari Earnhart serves as the Director of Choral Activities at California State University, Fresno, where she conducts the top choral ensembles and teaches graduate conducting. The Fresno State Choirs maintain an active performing profile. In 2022, under her direction, the Fresno State Concert Choir was selected to perform at the California All-State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC) and in April 2017 the Fresno State Chamber Singers were invited to perform at the Library of Congress to honor the 21st US Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera. Earnhart is active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator and has worked with choirs throughout the US and abroad. Abroad she served as DCA at the American University of Sharjah in the UAE and as artistic director of Nassim al Saba, an Arabic choral music ensemble. She has been a guest conductor with the Budapesti Vándor Kórus, and the Istanbul International Chamber Choir; she served as Maestro of Ensemble Vocale Tempus Floridum and as Maestro Collaboratore of Coro dell’ Accademia del Diletto and Coro Polofonico del Caricentro, all in Florence. She frequently presents workshops on Arabic choral music, vocal pedagogy and conducting. From 2016-2020, she served on the ACDA Western Region Board as R & R Repertoire Specific Chair, Conference Chair for the 2022, 2024 & 2026 Western Region Conferences. She currently serves as the 2025 ACDA National Interest Session Chair and served as a co-chair for the Indigenous People’s Immersion Choir for the 2023 National Conference. Earnhart also serves on the California Choral Directors Association Board (CCDA), is President of the Fresno Madera Counties Music Educators Association (FMCMEA) Board of Directors and is on the CMEA Central Section Board. She holds BM and MM degrees in Vocal Performance/Pedagogy from Oklahoma State University and a DMA in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas.
DR. STEPHANIE COUNCIL
Interest & Poster Session Co-Chair
Conductor, educator, and singer Dr. Stephanie Council is Associate Director of Choral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she conducts the University Chorale, Chamber Choir, and Argenta (the treble voice ensemble). She maintains a private conducting studio of graduates and undergraduates, and teaches Advanced Choral Conducting, Choral Literature, and Choral Methods.
An experienced educator at the middle school through adult community levels, Dr. Council is passionate about choral pedagogy related to the development of individual music literacy, collective sound building, and the cultivation of inclusive and affirming learning environments.
Dr. Council previously led the choral programs at Simpson College and Mount Holyoke College. She is the recipient of multiple awards for her teaching including the Best New Faculty award given by the Mount Holyoke Student Government Association and the Helen DeVitt Jones Excellence in Graduate Teaching award for courses she taught at Texas Tech University.
She is a sought-after lecturer in choral music education and conductor of collegiate, high school, and youth honor choirs around the United States, and she was a graduate finalist in the American Choral Directors Association National Conducting Competition. Her most recent engagements include conducting the 2024 Washoe County Honor Choir, 2023 Nevada Music Educators Association All-State SSA Choir, 2021 Pride of Iowa Honor Choir, 2019 Vermont Northwest District Honor Choir, 2018 New Hampshire All-State Treble Chamber Choir. She previously served on the faculty as a conducting fellow at the Summer Choral Festival at Westminster Choir College. She has conducted clinics and honor choirs in Oklahoma, Texas, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Iowa, Nevada, Michigan, and in various European locations.
A strong proponent of new music, Dr. Council is an active commissioner and performer of new choral works, and she has also had the privilege of working on a number of new operas, serving as the chorus master for Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig at Simpson College in 2021 and world premiere performances of Letters to Lily by Emily Clements in 2023 and Paul Fowler’s Behold the Man in 2023 for Opera Las Vegas. Council is the founder and artistic director of Desert Singers Las Vegas, a professional-caliber choral ensemble with the heart and dedication of an amateur chorus. The singers are professional performers and music educators based in and around Las Vegas who apply their musicianship and diverse experiences to each project.
Dr. Council sings professionally with mirabai, a professional women’s ensemble conducted by Dr. Sandra Snow, and the San Antonio Chamber Choir, a professional chamber choir conducted by Richard Bjella. In the past, she has been engaged to sing with the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir and at the Spoleto Festival USA. Dr. Council serves as the College and University Coordinator for Western ACDA, and she is on the board of the Nevada chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the National Board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO). She has served on the board of the Massachusetts chapter of ACDA in the past.
Council earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting and a graduate certificate in early music performance practice from Texas Tech University. She holds a Master of Music with distinction in choral conducting from Westminster Choir College and Bachelor of Music degrees in music education and vocal music performance from Oklahoma State University.
RYAN HOLDER
Interest & Poster Session Co-Chair
Ryan W. Holder is currently the Associate Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ), where he directs the Vox Astra (Women’s Chorale), Northern Voices and High Altitude vocal jazz ensembles, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and choral methods, supervises choral student teachers, serves as the adviser for the NAU student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and the three contemporary a cappella groups. In addition, he is the coordinator of the annual Jazz Madrigal festival, which brings in over 120 high schools and 165 choirs every year.
Dr. Holder currently serves as the director of music at The Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona, Arizona where he conducts the Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir. Dr. Holder is also the founding artistic director of the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers, choir-in-residence at The Church of the Red Rocks.
Ryan has given lectures and presentations at local, state, and regional ACDA and NAfME conventions. His vocal jazz ensembles have been invited to perform throughout the Southwest, including performances at state, regional, and national conferences. In June 2023, Dr. Holder made his Carnegie Hall debut, directing a world premiere of Lionteeth by Swedish composer Anders Edenroth.
Ryan served as the Arizona State ACDA President as well as the ACDA National Committee on Educational Technology. In 2020, Dr. Holder was awarded the Arizona ACDA Choral Director of the Year award.
Dr. Holder received his DMA degree from the University of Miami in addition to bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Oregon University and University of Northern Colorado, respectively.
“Try Not. Do…or do not, there is no try”
Yoda
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
MOLLY PETERS
Performing Choirs Co-Chair
Ms. Molly Peters is a 3rd-5th grade music teacher in the Culver City Unified School District. She spent the previous 20 years as the choir director at West Ranch High School and Rancho Pico Junior High School in the William S Hart High School District, where she built programs based on music literacy and high performance standards. Ms. Peters is also passionate about music technology, and developed a 7-12 grade music industry CTE career pathway for the Hart District in which students create original projects using DAWs like Soundtrap, Logic, and Ableton. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Masters Degree in Educational Administration from California State University, Bakersfield. In her free time, Molly enjoys traveling, reading, gardening, cooking, going to Dodgers baseball games, and of course attending live music performances. Ms. Peters is also the proud mom of humans Clark and Georgia, and dog Tugg. She and her husband live with their menagerie in Los Angeles. Ms. Peters is the President Elect for the California Choral Directors Association.
TINA PAULSON
Performing Choirs Co-Chair
Tina Paulson holds a BM in Voice Performance from Washington State University, and Masters degrees in Voice Performance and Choral Conducting from San Jose State University, where she studied with Erie Mills, Dr. Charlene Archibeque, and Dr. Amanda Quist. As a music educator and program builder, she has taught elementary, middle school, high school and community college choirs. She is currently the Director of Music at Notre Dame High School, San Jose where she leads choir, band, strings, and music ministry ensembles. Outside of teaching duties, Ms. Paulson vocal/music directs musicals for Bay Area theater companies, and has served as a section leader for the Santa Clara Chorale since 2017. In between work and gigs, she loves to travel, run long-distance, hang out with her family, and read.
Inspirational Quote….
“If we add up “sense of rightness,” “tranquility,” “balance,” “catharsis,” “expressivity,” we begin to approach the meaning of “fun.” Add to these “participation,” “creativity,” “order,” and “energy release,” and you almost have it. Fun is all the things we find it impossible to say when we hear Beethoven’s Opus 131. Fun is the “x” of the equation that tries to solve the riddle of why art exists at all.” ~Leonard Bernstein
JENNIFER LOWRY
Reading Sessions Co-Chair
Jennifer Lowry is a choir director in the Clark County School District. She has taught middle school choir for 17 years, 14 of which have been at Del Webb Middle School. She attended Western Washington University where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Education. She is honored to serve as the Nevada ACDA President. Mrs. Lowry’s choirs have performed at Regional and National ACDA Conferences (2014, 2019). She is committed to helping her students learn to express their emotions through music in a safe and respectful environment. Mrs. Lowry knows and understands how important music is and hopes to instill that same passion in her students. She wishes that each student will continue their love of music into high school and beyond. Mrs. Lowry has been a guest conductor and adjudicator in several states. She lives in Henderson, Nevada with her husband, daughter, and dog.
ANGEL VAZQUEZ-RAMOS
Reading Sessions Co-Chair
Ángel M. Vázquez-Ramos, a native of Carolina, Puerto Rico is Director of Choral & Vocal Studies and Professor of Music at California State University, Bakersfield. He teaches undergraduate courses in music education, choral conducting, and conducts the University Singers and Chamber Singers. Dr. Vázquez-Ramos is the co-founder and co-director of the CSUB Kodály Institute, and founding artistic music director of Meridian Voices, a chamber choral ensemble based in Bakersfield. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician. In addition, he established La Voz Music Publishing, a music publishing company dedicated to Latin American choral music.
Before completing his doctoral studies at Florida State University, Dr. Vázquez-Ramos taught secondary choral music at Pinellas County Schools in the Tampa Bay Area. Previous music director positions have included congregations in both Florida and California. He has served as a board member on the California Choral Directors Association Board, and the Organization of American Kodály Educators Western Region. Currently, he is serving on the boards of the ACDA Western Region and the National Collegiate Choral Organization. Dr. Vázquez-Ramos is also a member of the National Association for Music Education, and the International Kodály Society.
He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education at the University of Puerto Rico. Studying with Judy Bowers, Rodney Eichenberger, Kevin Fenton, Clifford Madsen, and André Thomas, he holds Master of Music Education and Ph.D. in Music Education degrees from Florida State University. Dr. Vázquez-Ramos has presented sessions at state, regional, national and internal conferences. His interests include: teacher preparation, rehearsal techniques, adolescent choirs, and Latin American choral music. He has also published articles on assessment in music education and teacher preparation in the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing and the Florida Music Director.
MARC MCGEE
Honor Choir Co-Chair
Marc McGhee is a Learning Director at Lemoore High School in Lemoore, CA, located in the San Joaquin Valley. Marc has worked with a variety of singers and students from a variety of backgrounds. He has been in education for the past 5 years. Prior to his career, Marc received his BA in Music with an option in Vocal Performance in May 2018. He received his MA in Music with an option in Choral Conducting in December 2020. In addition to his profession in public education, Marc has chaired the Western Region Honor choirs beginning in 2022. He also chairs the CCDA Central Region Honor Choirs.
“Don’t forget what you have and what you offer and who you are; whether this continues or not; fight for yourself!” ~Kristin Chenoweth
VIVIAN SANTOS
Honor Choir Co-Chair
Vivian Santos is the Choral and Musical Theatre Director at Sierra Pacific High School in Hanford, California located in the San Joaquin Valley. She has held this position for eight years. Prior to becoming a public school teacher, she ran her own private voice and piano studio for two years. Vivian earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Choir and Voice from California State University, Fresno in May 2016. Vivian is heavily influenced by her Portuguese heritage and has been a Fadista (performer of Fado music) since she was sixteen years old. She was nominated and won Portuguese-American Artist of the Year for SOPAS (Society of Portuguese-American Students) in 2018 in which she was recognized by Tulare County, The California Senate, and the United States Congress. Vivian also served as the Western Region Honor Choir Co-Chair in 2024.
ANDREW HOWDEN
Composer Track Co-Chair
Andrew Howden grew up in Payson, Utah and gained a love for choral music under the direction of Melodie Henderson at Payson High School. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Choral Music Education from Brigham Young University in December 2015, as well as a double minor in French Teaching and Business Management. During his time at BYU, he studied under Jean Applonie, Rosalind Hall, Paul Broomhead, and Ronald Staheli. In May 2024, he graduated with his Master’s in Music Education from the University of Utah where he had the opportunity to work with Emily Mercado and Barlow Bradford.
Andrew began his teaching career at the Utah International Charter School in South Salt Lake in 2016 where he taught choir and general music to students grades 7 to 12. He then began teaching choral music at Herriman High School in 2017 and still currently teaches there. He teaches six various choirs, Music 1010, and serves as the Performing Arts Department Chair. He also co-teaches the Music, Dance, Theatre class with Kaycee DeYoung and acts as the Music Director for all of the musicals at the school.
Andrew has sung in multiple choirs throughout his high school and college years including the BYU Men’s Chorus, BYU Concert Choir, Salt Lake Men’s Choir, and Salt Lake Vocal Artists. He currently sings in Cantorum under the direction of Steve Durtschi. He has also been an active member of ACDA and NAFME/UMEA since 2011 and seeks to build up the choral community in any way he can. In his free time, Andrew enjoys spending time with his family and friends, playing board games, going hiking, and being outdoors.
DAVID SALDAÑA
Composer Track Co-Chair
David Saldaña is a homegrown Los Angeles Chican@ composer (ASCAP), writer, and singer from the San Gabriel Valley. He maintains an active membership in the National Association of Composers USA (NACUSA) and the American Composers Forum (ACF), Los Angeles chapters as well as an associate membership of the Dramatists Guild (DG). He collaborates frequently with artists in both dance and theater, creating content ranging from incidental music to new musical theater works. You can find him performing throughout the Los Angeles area with different vocal groups, and, at times, on electronics using one of his several new instruments. A graduate of California State University Long Beach’s Bob Cole Conservatory of Music’s M.M. in Music Composition and UC Santa Barbara’s College of Creative Studies B.A. in Literature with a dual emphasis on Analysis and Creative Writing.
Musically, his interest lies in (re)designing musicmaking tools and technologies. Many of his compositional ideas center around creation of new tuning systems using simple-ratio relationships, spectral deconstruction, and reimagining standard performative practices through the use of electronics and controller design. He has a special focus on composing vocal/choral works that utilize electronics in a variety of manners throughout the creative process. His standard software include Max MSP, Processing (P5.js framework), and Pro Tools. He utilizes Arduino microcontrollers, repurposed game controllers, as well as other network-enabled objects for expanded artistic expression. His latest work has expanded into digital media arts with the inclusion of interactive graphical interfaces.
MARCELA MOLINA
Conducting Masterclass Chair
Dr. Molina has been leading the Tucson Girls Chorus since 2006, first serving as Artistic Director and taking the helm as Executive Director in 2011. Under Dr. Molina’s guidance, the Tucson Girls Chorus has grown significantly in programming and community engagement. With her leadership, the TGC has transformed into a vibrant and collaborative organization that creates access to inclusive programming for youth, and provides resources to music educators and support to their classroom all year-round.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Dr. Marcela Molina holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and the University of Arizona. She has contributed articles to Antiphon, and the books Teaching through Performance in Choir, Volume 2 and Choral Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor-Teachers. She was named 2019 Choral Director of the Year by Arizona American Choral Directors Association (AzACDA), and she often serves as a clinician and guest conductor for choral festivals around the country. Dr. Molina has served on the board of the AzACDA, standing committees for ACDA Western Division, and currently serves on the board of Chorus America. In addition to her work with the TGC, Dr. Molina serves as Director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus.