Publicity

ELIZABETH K. BAKER
Marketing & Communications

Elizabeth K. Baker is a Native Hawaiian arts educator from Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. She teaches choir and ʻukulele at ‘Ilima Intermediate School and serves as the Assistant Program Director and Vocal Instructor at Central Theatre Arts Academy. Elizabeth earned her B.Ed. in Secondary Education (Choral) from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, mentored by Dr. Jace Kaholokula Saplan, Dr. Martina Bingham, and Dr. Chet-Yeng Loong.

During her undergraduate studies, Elizabeth founded the University of Hawaiʻi ACDA Student Chapter and subsequently held roles within Hawaiʻi ACDA, including as K-6 Advocacy Chair and K-8 Repertoire & Resource Chair. She has also worked with ACDA Western as Social Media Chair & Communications Coordinator since 2020. Elizabeth has presented at NAfME’s Online Professional Learning Community, ACDA Western’s DEI Series, The Hawaiʻi Music Educators Association (HMEA) Conference, and Hawaiʻi ACDA’s Professional Development Day.

Elizabeth sings and holds a leadership position with Nā Wai Chamber Choir – an ensemble dedicated to the preservation, propagation, and innovation of Hawaiian choral music. Nā Wai has most notably performed at the 2020 Western ACDA Conference and the 2021 National ACDA Conference. In 2023 and 2024, Elizabeth was one of three Hawaiʻi educators to be named as a quarterfinalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator award.

ANNA CAPLAN
Webmaster

Anna Caplan is a vocalist based in Southern California. She is a roster member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and currently performs with Choral Arts Initiative, Conspirare, Long Beach Camerata Singers, Catalyst Chamber Ensemble, Tonality, Pacific Chorale, Bach Collegium San Diego, Colorado Bach Ensemble, and Laude at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. Anna has appeared as a soloist for Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and can be heard on Choral Arts Initiative albums From Wilderness and Tapestry of Becoming. She has performed at Carnegie Hall with Eric Whitacre, three times for the American Choral Directors Association Western Division Conference, and was a featured soloist for the California All-State Music Educators Conference. Anna has sung background vocals for Tiësto, The Who Quadrophenia tour, Sarah Brightman’s Hymn tour, and Josh Groban’s Harmony tour. She has premiered over 50 new works as a soloist and with various ensembles, including compositions by James MacMillan, Rollo Dilworth, and Dale Trumbore. Anna has performed leading roles in operas with Lyric Opera of Orange County and East Village Caravanserai. Her roles have included Hansel (Hansel & Gretel), Romeo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), Dido (Dido & Aeneas), and Phaedo (Socrate). Anna holds a BM in Vocal Performance and MM in Vocal Chamber Music, both from the University of Redlands, and was a Smith Scholar for the IES Abroad Music program in Vienna, Austria. When not singing, Anna works as a web designer, serving as Webmaster for the American Choral Director’s Association Western Region, Oboemotions.com, and the Resonance Collective.



OLIVIA ARNOLD
Tactus Editor

Olivia Arnold is a music educator and choral director in Manhattan, Kansas where she teaches music courses and directs the Concert Choir at Cloud County Community College. While in Kansas, Olivia has served as a director of choirs at Junction City High School where she led two treble ensembles, co-taught the Chamber and Concert Choirs, and taught piano classes. JCHS choirs regularly receive super ratings at solo and ensemble festivals and work with Kansas composers and clinicians. Olivia serves as the editor of Tactus, the Western Region ACDA newsletter. Tactus aims to amplify voices and highlight resources from the western states and include diverse perspectives from around the world. In Hawai‘i, she served on the state boards for HI-ACDA and HMEA, coordinated the middle school choral festival, Nā Leo Pili Mai, and presented at state conferences. Olivia holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Music Education from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Washington and Lee University.