2025 Summer Convention!

Dr. Dustin S. Cates (he/him/his) is a teacher, conductor, presenter, researcher and proud native of Kansas City, Missouri. He is passionate about building meaningful relationships with people through music. Dr. Cates is Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at Boyer College of Music and Dance, part of the Center for Performing and Cinematic Arts at Temple University. At Temple he conducts the University Chorale, supervises graduate students, and teaches courses in music education, choral/vocal pedagogy, and choral methods. His research focuses on issues of equity, inclusion, belonging, and social justice in choral music. Cates is an active conductor/clinician for honor choirs and music festivals throughout the United States and a frequent presenter of workshops for music educators. He earned undergraduate and doctoral degrees in choral music education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and a master’s degree from Baker University. Prior to his work at Temple, Cates was Artistic Director and Conductor of Heartland Men’s Chorus, Associate Director of Worship Arts at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection and taught high school choral music in the Kansas City metropolitan area. He currently serves as the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Repertoire and Resources Chair for Tenor/Bass Choirs, ACDA Eastern Region Diversity Initiatives and Conference Chair, and is Past President of the Kansas Choral Directors Association. Dr. Cates considers his most important roles to be husband to Dr. Raymond Cattaneo, and father to their son Emmaus. 

Dr. Whitney Covalle is a singer, researcher, and choral music educator. Her research focuses on urban music education, the aural-oral tradition, and the intersection of race and teaching choral music. She is Assistant Professor of Music Education at Montclair State University where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in choral music education. Her research on the aural-oral tradition is published in the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education (2022). She is the conductor of T-VOCE, a free youth choir in Philadelphia. Previously she was a choir director in public schools & community settings for 17 years, primarily in Chicago at Jones College Prep High School (Chicago Public Schools) and Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir.) She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two children.