Filipe Leitão is an award-winning Brazilian-born composer, music producer, sound designer, and orchestrator with 10+ years of music creation experience. He was born and raised in Belém, a metropolis rich in culture and natural beauty, situated at the gateway to the Amazon River in northern Brazil. Since Filipe was 10 years old, when he began his musical studies, he knew he could make a difference, using music as a powerful and passionate tool. 

During his career, beyond teaching, Filipe has produced indie albums of varied styles, arranged and orchestrated works, as well as scored visual media projects, and composed art pieces for varied ensembles. Filipe’s works reflect his unique voice originated from a mix of classical music, popular music, Brazilian music, and film music. His music has been used in a variety of films, video games, and animation pieces, and has also been recognized at both national and international levels, and obtained prizes and performances on renowned film and music festivals.

Jeremey McMillan is a pianist who currently serves as a visiting professor of music at Stillman College (Tuscaloosa, Alabama). Before working in higher education, Dr. McMillan was a music teacher at Alabama School for the Blind (Talladega) where he taught piano and general music to children ages 3-21. Dr. McMillan, while classically trained, has extensive experience in diverse styles of music including jazz, gospel, and pop music. His background in special education and music ministry influences his research interests in areas such as theory pedagogy and contemplative art education with the aim of creating methods that make the fine arts accessible and appealing to a wide range of tastes and preferences.

Dr. McMillan holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music from the University of Alabama, the Master of Arts in Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Montevallo (Alabama).