Conrad holds a Bachelors of Arts in Commercial Music/Recording Technology (1996) from the University of Denver Lamont School of Music, a Master of Music (2000) in Composition from the Lamont School of Music, and an MBA (2010) from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business.

Conrad maintains an active schedule of speaking engagements and master classes, sharing his experience in musical entrepreneurship, chamber ensemble management, and creativity in the K–12 music curriculums. He has also served as a consultant for schools districts and teachers on music lab design and music technology curriculum development.

Conrad is also the founding director of The Playground Ensemble, a chamber music group dedicated to modern music. An award-winning composer, Conrad’s genre-crossing output includes contemporary and traditional chamber music, multi-media works, and popular music. His work lives comfortably in the concert hall, academe, gallery, club, and underground DIY warehouse. As a vocalist, Conrad specializes in electronic music, improvisation, and contemporary chamber music.

An advocate for arts education, Conrad is lead teaching artist and administrator for Very Young Composers, a program created by Jon Deak of the New York Philharmonic. Conrad brought this program to Denver under the name Young Composers Playground.

Conrad has two beautiful daughters, Brianna and Eris, who have a considerable influence on his creative output. Their artwork is featured on the covers of his scores and they often appear visually and aurally in his electronic music and video work.

CJ holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Composition from the University of Denver Lamont School of Music.  

CJ has taught private and group lessons in the Denver-metro area for a decade, and is a Colorado-based composer who writes progressive chamber and vocal music. He works as a SmartMusic Engraver at MakeMusic where he uses Finale to create choral, orchestral, band, jazz, and solo content for the SmartMusic library.

He served as Drum Major for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps from 2012–2014.

CJ also enjoys writing folk and rock music on his primary instruments: guitar, drums, bass, and piano. Inspired by the literary and visual arts, CJ often uses theatrical qualities within his works.

Samuel holds a Bachelors of Arts in Music Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Samuel teaches K–6 general music to approximately 450 students at Thomson Elementary School in Arvada, Colorado. He has implemented the Young Composers Playground program with his fifth-grade students. In his classroom, students are also engaged in a variety of activities that incorporate music technology.

By implementing the Young Composers Playground program and using technology in his classroom, Samuel seeks to elevate music instruction to new levels of creativity and artistry. With access to programs such as GarageBand and Ableton Live, students are not only able to study and evaluate music, but create their own music in ways meaningful to them.

Dean holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition and Percussion Performance from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

He is a Denver-based music educator. Dean was percussion instructor with the D’Evelyn High School marching band when the group was the 2A Colorado state champions for 3 years in a row.

Dean teaches private percussion lessons and maintains an active performing schedule as a freelance percussionist performing across the United States in more than 25 Canadian cities from coast to coast and as far abroad as Singapore.

Dean has been sharing his belief that all people young or old and from every socioeconomic background have something valuable to contribute to the world artistically.

Karissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Music Education from St. Olaf College and an MS in Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction from Walden University. She is certified in Orff-Schulwerk and attended all three levels at the San Francisco International Orff Course.

Karissa teaches K–5 general music in the Denver Public Schools. She is in her twelfth year of teaching with an emphasis on the Orff-Schulwerk approach. She is currently serving as a Regional Team Specialist for Denver Public Schools music teachers. Karissa has also mentored student teachers and she has lead teacher work groups to implement technology in the music classroom.

Karissa has been singing with Denver-based St. Martin’s Chamber Choir for five seasons and is also a pianist and accompanist. She loves to play West African polyrhythmic drum music.

Luke received Bachelor degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Education from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

He is a drummer, percussionist, and K–12 music educator in Denver, Colorado. He developed the instrumental music program at Denver Public Schools’ Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy to focus on comprehensive musicianship for secondary students. This program emphasizes arts integration, cultural understanding of music, music theory, and composition, as well as performance. The program includes courses under the umbrella of the State of Colorado’s Career and Technical Education program.

Luke’s work with the Young Composers Playground program has supported more than thirty 8th- to 12-grade students who created and performed original compositions.