Dr. Michael J. Johnson serves as Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Music Education at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He directs the Univer...

Dr. Michael J. Johnson serves as Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Music Education at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He directs the University & Concert Choirs, teaches a range of choral and music education courses, while also supervising student teachers in the field. Previously, Dr. Johnson conducted choirs and taught conducting classes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting with a Composition minor. While at the University of Wisconsin, his doctoral research centered on the modern choral music of social justice. He also holds a Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Luther College. Dr. Johnson has taught K-12 music and choir in Minnesota and within an array of community, collegiate, and church choirs around the country. Dr. Johnson was the recipient of the 2020 Mullen Prize for composition and took first place in the 2018 ACDA conducting competition in Oklahoma City. He studied with Stefan Parkman as a 2019 Conducting Fellow for the International Choral Conducting Masterclass at Baylor University and was named a 2019 University of Wisconsin-Madison Honored Instructor by his students. He spends his free time biking, composing, and enjoying life with his wife Kelsey, son Shea, daughter Summer, and French bulldog Dot.

Christopher Underwood teaches K-5 grade music at Washington Elementary in Fargo, N.D., where he also directs the fourth-grade choir, fifth-grade choir...

Christopher Underwood teaches K-5 grade music at Washington Elementary in Fargo, N.D., where he also directs the fourth-grade choir, fifth-grade choir and hand chimes ensemble. He also serves as a middle school voice teacher at International Music Camp, teaching voice lessons, music theory and recorder classes. He continues to grow as a musician while performing in the Fargo-Moorhead Choral Artists. Chris received a bachelor’s degree in music education from North Dakota State University and an M.S. in curriculum and instruction with a Kodály emphasis from MSUM. He is a member of the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE), the Association of American Educators (AAE), and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).