Richard James Canter

Music Director of the Cincinnati Junior Youth Wind Ensemble, Richard Canter also serves as band director for Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he directs beginning band, junior high bands, the Marching Band and the Wind Ensemble. Prior to his appointment at Walnut Hills, Mr. Canter served as Director of Bands for the Finneytown and Mariemont School Districts.

Throughout his career as an educator, Mr. Canter has been an advocate for music education, serving four years as District 14 President of the Ohio Music Education Association.  He has a passion for helping students reach their highest goals in music.  This passion led to creating the Scale & Rhythm Chunks program, a beginning and developing band teaching tool that is used by bands throughout the United States and internationally.  Scale & Rhythm Chunks is endorsed by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser as “exactly what is wanted and needed….an idea whose time has come.“ 

Richard is sought after as a guest conductor and clinician.  He has presented sessions on band pedagogy at conferences throughout the United States, including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, the University of Oregon Band Director Academy, the Georgia Music Educators Association, Indiana Music Educators Association, Kentucky Music Educators Association, Missouri Music Educators Association, New York State Schools Music Association and the Ohio Music Education.  Mr. Canter’s awards and honors include being named Educator of the Year for the Finneytown Local School District and winner of the Music Educator’s National Conference Music Composition Competition.

Mr. Canter holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Bowling Green State University and a Masters Degree in Music Education from Miami University.