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Middle School Honor Choir Clinician Bios

Here you can learn more about the members of the Middle School Honor Choir

Dr. Chantae Pittman
Dr. Chantae Pittman

Dr. Chantae D. Pittman is the Director of Choral Activities at Campbell High School in Smyrna, GA in the Cobb County School District. She also serves an adjunct professor at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Ga. Dr. Pittman is passionate about all forms, disciplines, and styles of music. She is a proud graduate of Tennessee State University (Bachelor of Science in Music Education, 2010), VanderCook College University (Master's Degree in Music Education, 2013), and most recently The University of Georgia with her Doctorate in Education (May 2021) with an emphasis in Choral Music Education.

A native of Hampton, GA, Dr. Pittman is a graduate of Lovejoy High School. She began her teaching career back home in 2010 by opening Eddie White K-8 Academy (now Middle School) in Clayton County. After building her program to become one of the largest in the county, Dr. Pittman moved on to the high school level to rebuild the choral program at Alcovy High School (Newton County School System) in 2012. She then moved on in 2019 to do the same at Campbell High School in the Cobb County School District where she now also serves as the fine arts department chair. Programs under her direction have performed across the United States including invitational performances in Orlando, FL., Nashville, TN., New York, NY., and Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Pittman continues to serve as the director of several extracurricular musical groups, music director for the school-wide musical, and advisor of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. In 2017, she represented Alcovy High School as the "Teacher of the Year.” Throughout her 13-year career in choral music education she has taught students at every level including elementary and graduate level college students. Due to that vast level of experience in music education and her demonstrated commitment to excellence in performance - she is highly respected as a choral clinician, mentor, music education consultant, instructor, grant writer, and performance adjudicator.

She continues to be very active as a flautist, soprano soloist, and choral musician as a member of the Grammy award winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus (since 2011), and the Atlanta Women’s Chorus (since 2020), where she currently serves as membership president. Having performed with bands, orchestras, choirs, and small vocal ensembles throughout her career, Dr. Pittman proudly continues to learn, grow, and develop as a musician, conductor, and pedagogue. She is a proud and active member of the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), National Educators Association (NEA), Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority, Inc.

Concert Choir conductor Dr. Frank Watkins

Dr. Frank A. Watkins, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, taught secondary choral music in Texas for six years. He holds degrees in piano performance from Jackson State University (BM), the University of Arkansas (MM), and choral conducting from Northwestern University (MM) and Michigan State University (DMA). Watkins is in demand as guest conductor and clinician. Recent engagements include the 2013 Mid-Michigan Honor Choir, University of Nebraska Omaha Collegiate Choir Concert Series (2014), Dunn St. Croix Honor Choir (2015), Lakeland All-Conference Honor Choir (2015), University of Nebraska Omaha Middle School Honor Choir (2016), and the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra (2016). Future engagements include the 2016 Great Northern Conference All- Conference Choir and the 2017 Big Nine Festival Honor Choir in Red Wing, MN. He has presented workshops on choral methods for the International Music and Christian Arts Conference, Michigan State University, and the Ohio State University. In 2015 he presented at both the Wisconsin Music Educators State Convention and the National Collegiate Choral Organization National Conference. Watkins joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2014. In 2016, he was appointed Conductor and Music Director of the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra. A dynamic young conductor, Watkins' love and passion are teaching. He believes that in order to educate, you must first inspire! It is his goal to make an impact…not just an impression on the lives of those that follow his baton.

Christopher McGinley

Christopher G. McGinley is a dynamic conductor and music educator based in the Twin Cities where he pursues the DMA in conducting at the University of

Minnesota and directs music at Trinity Lutheran Congregation. He holds faculty positions at Augsburg University (music education) and the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (music education and directing the Women's Chorus, Symphonic Choir, and The Singing Statesmen). His choirs are noted for their vibrant and nuanced interpretations of works from diverse eras and genres. A strong advocate for community music, McGinley has served intergenerational choirs in Philadelphia, Wisconsin, and Oregon. He holds degrees in conducting and music education from the University of Oregon and University of Delaware, and pursued further studies in conducting at the Frost School of Music. His mentors include Kathy Saltzman Romey, Matthew Mehaffey, Karen Kennedy, Sharon Paul, and Paul Head. 

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