CHRISTOPHER PETERSON is Associate Professor of Music at California State University, Fullerton where he directs the CSUF Concert Choir, the Titan Men’s Chorus, and teaches classes in choral music education. From 2001–2007 he was Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dr. Peterson taught music in the public schools of Maine for nine years, including elementary, middle, and high school music instruction. He is the author of articles published in the Music Educators Journal, is a contributing author for the textbook series Experiencing Choral Music, published in the United States by Glencoe, and is Series Editor and a choral arranger for Hal Leonard’s Close Harmony Series for Men and the Close Harmony Collection. He also holds the position of State Choral Representative for the California Music Educators Association (CMEA), and is the newly-appointed Repertoire and Standards Chair for Men’s Choirs for the Western Division of the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA). For six years Chris conducted the Milwaukee Youth Chorale, a mixed honor choir for high school students affiliated with the Milwaukee Children's Chorus. The Youth Chorale presented concerts nationally and internationally, including singing Holy Mass at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  Dr. Peterson maintains an active schedule as a choral clinician, guest conductor, and judge for festivals and choral performance events across the United States and internationally. Recent engagements have taken him to England, Sweden, and New Zealand. Chris is also vocal coach and bass section leader with the Masters of Harmony men’s chorus from Santa Fe Springs, CA, seven-time International Chorus Champions of the Barbershop Harmony Society. He earned the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Southern Maine, the Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Maine, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Choral Music Education and Conducting from Florida State University where he studied with Rodney Eichenberger, Andre Thomas, and Clifford Madsen

Dr. Whitener came to Southern California in 1985, studying composition with Dr. Morten Lauridsen and pursuing a Masters degree in Music Education at the University of Southern California. In 1987 he began working as an orchestrator and film composer in Hollywood, having scored several short movies and two full-length feature films. Whitener received his Masters degree from USC in 1995. In 2007 he completed his Doctoral studies, focusing on music education, composition, music history and conducting. While a doctoral student he continued his composition studies with award-winning composer Morten Lauridsen, and most recently has studied composition with the celebrated former composer-in-residence of the Pacific Coast Symphony and famous wind band composer, Dr. Frank Ticheli. In 2009 Dr. Whitener completed a Masters of Education degree in Educational Psychology from the USC Rossier School of Education.

Janine is a professor in the music department of Cal Poly Pomona, one of the universities in the California State University system. Since beginning there in 2000, she has worked closely with the Department of Education there and served as a coordinator with a Teacher Quality Enhancement grant, focusing on developing the Professional Associate program and assisting in revision of curriculum in the credential program. In the music department, Janine is the advisor for all music education majors, the lead person for the music education option, and the assessment coordinator for the department. Cal Poly Pomona’s subject matter preparation in music education is approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

 In 27 years of teaching she has taught strings and general music in public and private K-12 schools, as well as at the college level. Dr. Riveire is a specialist in strings education, trained in Rolland’s methodology, and having studied the pedagogical approach of Kato Havas, as well. She has explored the connections between string movement study to the movement study of Laban. Her research explores the development of bodily understandings of rhythm and movement, and how to integrate this into the beginning string curriculum.  

Her 2007 sabbatical study with Bert Turetzky yielded an enthusiasm for music for the unaccompanied bass, particularly for talking bassist.