In addition to his duties at Youngstown State, Dr. Hicken was the director of the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra and was a clarinetist in the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. Earlier, Dr. Hicken was employed as an instrumental music teacher in the Durham (NC) County School system for five years. In addition, he was a member of the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, NY, where he served as a clarinetist.

Dr. Hicken is very active in the public school system, appearing as a guest conductor and adjudicator throughout Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Dr. Hicken is a member of the South Carolina Music Educators National Conference, the College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, The International Clarinet Association, and the South Carolina Band Directors Association. He belongs to Phi Kappa Lambda, Phi Beta Mu, and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Doctorate in Music Education from Indiana University. He has studied clarinet with D. Stanley Hasty, Leon Russianoff, and Bernard Portnoy and conducting with Dr. J. Marion Magill, Dr. Robert Klotman, and Ray Cramer.

James F. Kilgus, conductor of the Concert Orchestra, received his Bachelor's of Music Education degree from Furman University. He received a dual degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in Conducting and Music Education. A teacher in the Greenville County School District for 19 years, Mr. Kilgus currently serves as Co-Director of Bands at Mauldin Middle School, one of the largest and most successful band programs in the state of South Carolina. His program is comprised of five individual bands, a drumline, and various chamber ensembles. He has also served as Minister of Music at Eastlan Baptist Church, Greenville, SC.

Mr. Kilgus has worked with the Carolina Youth Symphony as conductor of the Repertory Orchestra since 1991, and conductor of the newly formed Concert Orchestra since 2007. He is involved as a judge in numerous festivals throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. His professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, the National Bandmaster's Fraternity, Music Educator's National Convention (MENC), and the South Carolina Band Director's Association (SCBDA).

Mr. Kilgus resides in Mauldin, SC with his wife Tammie and daughter Rebekah. His son, Taylor Massey, a graduate of Cincinnati and Northwestern University, is principal clarinet of the Augusta Symphony.

Ginger Greer is a violinist and conductor from Greenville, South Carolina. She is a National Board Certified Instrumental Music teacher; teaches at Eastside and Riverside High schools and Riverside Middle as the Orchestra Director. She served as the lead string teacher for Greenville County for the last several years. Within the Greenville County Orchestra system, she is staff member with the Junior Sinfonia String Orchestra, the first orchestra in the All County Orchestra System that rehearses more than 200 young string players weekly during the school year.

Mrs. Greer is a graduate of Boston University, where she earned a Master of Music Education Degree and the University of South Carolina where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education.   During her studies at USC, she performed with the University Symphony and Chamber Orchestra and was trained in string pedagogy through the nationally acclaimed String Project, a training program for rising string educators.

As a violinist, Mrs. Greer has performed with the Asheville Symphony, Brevard Chamber Orchestra, Hendersonville Symphony, Charlotte Philharmonic, and the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium.   She has served as guest conductor/clinician for All Region Orchestras in Charleston and Spartanburg.