"When I was in my undergraduate program for music education, there seemed to be the idea in education that as long as you were able to 'reach at least one student,' you were making a difference. This is but a conservative notion of which I can’t entirely agree. The goal of educators, and specifically music educators, should be to reach as many students as possible in order to guide, support and teach students throughout their years. Through music performance we teach higher order thinking, teaching students to think beyond the notation on the page. We teach the process by which we reach a level of excellence, and further, instill the concept of long-term goals. How does a society educate within a time of instant gratification, short-term thinking, and easily accessible information stored on a device rather than in our brain."

Christopher Schletter is an educator, conductor, and clinician who has conducted and performed internationally, most notably with the American Chamber Winds and the original Broadway Cast of Blast!. Christopher is currently in his fourth year at Marshall University and is the Director of Athletic Bands and Assistant Professor of Music. He currently oversees the Symphonic Band, the Marching Thunder, the 6th Man Pep Band, and teaches courses in music education. He has been a music educator for 20 years, teaching at the high school and collegiate levels. He has been an active adjudicator and clinician throughout his career and has also provided high school band programs with student leadership training. In addition, he has arranged music for high school and collegiate marching bands.

Christopher received his Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of Florida in Gainesville with an emphasis in instrumental conducting under Dr. David Waybright while practicing research in Music Performance Anxiety under Dr. William Bauer. Christopher received his Master in Music degree in Instrumental Conducting from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida under the teachings and guidance of Dr. Kyle Prescott.

Christopher received his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of South Florida in Tampa, after which he performed with the Broadway show Blast! for two years. He traveled and performed with the company in various cities throughout the U.S. and Europe including Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Washington DC, on Broadway in New York, Disney Land in California, as well as London and Zurich. Eventually, Christopher left the cast to pursue his career in music education and was appointed his first position as Director of Bands at Charles W. Flanagan High School. After growing as a director for 3 years Christopher made his move to Cooper City High School where the band program elevated to levels of excellence not yet experienced at Cooper City. During his time at CCHS, the band receiving many awards and recognitions including Florida State Marching Band Class 4A Champions, multiple year recipient of the FBA Otto J. Kraushaur award, and performed at the Band of America/Music for All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis.

Christopher is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, West Virginia Music Education Association, Ohio Music Educators Association, Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, and the National Band Association. He is also an honorary member of the Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity.