Dr. Chantae Pittman
Dr. Chantae D. Pittman is the Director of Choral Activities at Campbell High School in Smyrna, GA, part of the Cobb County School District. She also serves as 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 (B.S. in Music Education, 2010), VanderCook College of Music (M.M.E., 2013), and most recently, the University of Georgia, where she earned her Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Choral Music Education (May 2021).
A native of Hampton, GA, Dr. Pittman graduated from Lovejoy High School in 2006. She began her teaching career in 2010 at Eddie White K-8 Academy (now Eddie White Middle Academy) in Clayton County, where she built one of the largest choral programs in the district. In 2012, she transitioned to the high school level to revitalize the choral program at Alcovy High School (Newton County School System). In 2019, she took on a similar role at Campbell High School, where she now also serves as the Fine Arts Department Chair. Under her direction, choral programs have performed across the United States, with invitational appearances in Orlando, FL; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; and Los Angeles, CA. In June 2025, Dr. Pittman will make her conducting debut at Carnegie Hall with the Campbell High School "Singing Spartans" Chorus Program.
Dr. Pittman actively directs several extracurricular music groups, serves as music director for the school-wide musicals, coaches the Literary Team, and advises the Tri-M Music Honor Society. In 2017, she was honored as Alcovy High School’s "Teacher of the Year” and again for Campbell High School for 2024-25. Throughout her 15-year career, she has taught students at every level, from elementary to graduate-level college students. Her extensive experience and commitment to excellence have earned her respect as a choral clinician, mentor, music education consultant, instructor, grant writer, and performance adjudicator.
An accomplished flautist, soprano soloist, and choral musician, Dr. Pittman is a member of the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus (since 2011) and the Atlanta Women’s Chorus (since 2020). She continues to perform with bands, orchestras, choirs, and small vocal ensembles, always seeking opportunities to learn, grow, and develop as a musician, conductor, and educator.
Dr. Pittman is an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), National Education 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.
Rick Mckee
Richard E. McKee holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Shorter College, and a Master of Music Degree in Music Composition, and Educational Specialist Degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia. He has studied Composition with Peter Dewitt, John Corina, Lewis Nielson, and Michael Hennigan. Rick has completed the Level I, II, III, and master levels in Orff-Schulwerk, studying at Memphis State University. Additionally, he completed Levels I and II of Choral Music Experience training at Elon University and graduate classes in composition at Oklahoma University.
Rick has thirty years of experience as a public-school elementary school music specialist. In 2011, he was selected as Elementary Teacher of the Year for the Cobb County School District in Georgia. He has also received multiple Teacher of the Year accolades at schools in Cobb, Floyd, and Whitfield Counties. Early in his career, he taught general music classes in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Additionally, he taught class guitar class and handbells at Shorter College, and classes in music education at Kennesaw State University. Under his direction, the Garden Lakes Elementary School Chorus performed at the 1992 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. Rick has served as director of the Rome Children’s Choir and performed as a bassist with the Clocktower Jazz Ensemble in Rome, Georgia. Rick has served as a clinician for large choral events throughout the state of Georgia, including the Georgia Music Educators Association Statewide Elementary Honor Chorus in 2000 and 2012, and numerous district and regional honor choruses. He has an extensive background in church music, having directed children’s, youth, adult, and handbell choirs in churches in Georgia and Oklahoma.
An accomplished composer, Rick’s compositions have been performed throughout the country. His choral works have been featured at multiple ACDA state, regional, and national conference sessions. Rick lives in Cartersville, Georgia with his wife, Angee, who is also a lifelong music educator. He is also a singer-songwriter and hosts a monthly singer-songwriter showcase at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Cartersville, where he is a member of the Canterbury Choir. Rick is currently publishing his work through his own publishing company, Cosmic Possum Music. McKee is a member of the National Association for Music Education, and the American Choral Directors Association.