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2026 ACDA Southern Region Conference March 4-7, 2026 Memphis, Tennessee

H onor C hoir C onduc t ors
Honor Choir Conductors

4th-6th Grade Children’s 10th-12th Grade Senior High TTBB

Coty Raven Morris, a New Orleans na- Richard Schnipke, DMA, serves as di-
tive, is the Hinckley Assistant Professor rector of choral activities and associate
of Choir, Music Education, and Social professor of music performance studies
Justice at Portland State University. She at Bowling Green State University. His
holds a master’s in choral conducting duties include conducting the Collegiate
from Michigan State University. A newly published Chorale and the University Men’s Chorus as well as
composer, Morris’s works have been performed by teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in choral
honor choirs and at festivals across the country. She is conducting and choral literature. Previously, Schnipke
also a two-time Grammy Music Educator nominee (fi- was a member of the faculty at Xavier University and
nalist, 2024; semifinalist, 2025). Morris is a host at All The Ohio State University, and was a public school
Classical Radio and the International Children’s Arts choral director in Ohio for fifteen years. As a vocal-
Network. She also serves as chorus master and artistic ist, Schnipke has sung professionally with Cincinnati’s
collaborator with Portland Center Stage, the Oregon Vocal Arts Ensemble, the Cincinnati Fusion Ensemble,
Symphony Orchestra, and Choirs of America. She is Collegium Cincinnati, Cincinnati Opera, and Opera
the founder of Being Human Together, a community Columbus. Schnipke also presents frequently on the
focused on conversations around mental health, diver- incorporation on Dalcroze Eurhythmics in the choral
sity, and inclusivity in music education. rehearsal.

7th-9th Grade Junior High SATB 10th-12th Grade Senior High SSAA

Jessica Nápoles is professor of choral Nicole C. Lamartine is the director of
music education at the University of choirs at Central Washington University.
North Texas, where she teaches under- She conducts the flagship CWU Cham-
graduate choral methods, supervises ber Choir, integrates twenty-first-cen-
graduate research, and conducts the tury relevancy into MM choral studies,
UNT Concert Choir. A native of Florida with a Cu- and teaches conducting, voice, and music education.
ban American background, Nápoles taught in Miami She has conducted over twenty all-state, internation-
and Orlando, FL. She received three degrees in music al, and ACDA honor choirs; her own ensembles have
education from The Florida State University. Prior to appeared on ACDA, MEA, NCCO, and CMS region-
her appointment at UNT, she taught at the University al and national conferences. She has headlined choral
of Utah for eleven years. Nápoles frequently engages conferences in Hong Kong and Costa Rica and seven
in guest conducting opportunities locally, regionally, US states. Lamartine conducts Chor Anno, comprising
and nationally. She has conducted all-state and honor choral music educators, and she is the founder of the
choirs in over twenty states. In addition to her work as Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus. She is a past pres-
a conductor, Nápoles is a well-known researcher, with ident of Northwest ACDA Region. The Nicole Lamar-
numerous publications. Nápoles serves as National tine Choral Series is published with Santa Barbara Music
ACDA president-elect. Press.

CHORAL JOURNAL January 2026 Volume 66 Number 5 127