- MacArthur High School
Degrees and Certifications:
Bachelor of Arts Music/History & Political Sciences (2008) Arkansas Tech University Master of Arts in Teaching-Curriculum & Instruction (2014) Arkansas Tech University
Christopher T. Cross
Chris Cross is currently in his 14th year of music education and 2nd year at Mac Arthur High School in San Antonio, TX. He has also led the vocal music education programs at Robinson Middle School, Beebe High, Searcy High School, eight years at Jacksonville High School and one year at Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School His choirs have consistently had students placed in the ArkCDA all-region and all-state choirs. They have also consistently received superior and excellent ratings at local Choral Performance Assessments, state and national festivals obtaining “6A Best in Class” large female chorus and “6A Best in Class” overall large chorus in 2016. His choirs have swept numerous 1st and 2nd place honors at Worlds of Fun National Festival of Music in Kansas City have had 100% of seniors seeking vocal scholarships receive awards.
His contemporary a cappella jazz/soul group, Natural State of Mind, became renowned after just four years in existence. The group has won superior division 1 ratings at regional assessments, state competitions, and national competitions. They have also performed live on KABF 88.3 public radio, Fox 16’s News Music Mondays morning show, Arkansas Gifted And Talented Educators State Conference and have been frequently requested to perform at local venues. His groups were the first Arkansas based and high school group to make the top 6 finalists of the Voicejam International A Cappella Music Festival where they tied second for the Voicejam Crowd Favorite (2017 & 2019) where they won the award for best musical arrangement in 2019, Sing Texas Vocal Arts Festival where they took home the best soloist award (2018) , International Championship of High School A Cappella Southwest Quarterfinalist winning best soloist (2018 & 2019), Briarcrest A Cappella Invitational, and were selected by the national A Cappella Education Association as one of the top 10 high school a cappella groups in the nation in 2019. This landed the group an invitation to perform in the National A Cappella Convention National Top 10 Showcase in Memphis, TN where they recorded and released their first professional music video. They were also the first to release a professional EP available on all digital streaming platforms. The groups have performed as a headlining act for Little Rock's Premier Men's Barbershop Chorus A Capella Rising Annual Showcase and as a featured headliner for the Port Washington, Wisconsin Acapocalypse 2020 Festival. The group was also nominated for a national Contemporary a Cappella Recording Award for best high school arrangement. Led MacArthur High School's varsity contemporary a cappella mixed group PFC to a top 6 finalist placement in the 2024 Voicejam International A Cappella Competition.
Chris is a proud native of Rixey, AR and a graduate of Jacksonville High School (2003). He is also a licensed and ordained minister through St. Luke Baptist Church in North Little Rock, AR. After high school, Chris went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Vocal Music and a minor in History/Political Sciences from Arkansas Tech University in December 2008, and Master of Arts in Teaching (vocal/instrumental curriculum) in 2014.
Chris has also served as director of the Arkansas Youth Chorale during in 2014-2015 season, ArkCDA Region 2 All-Region Clinic Chair, the Central Arkansas Community in Unity Chorus (Founder), received the Region 2 Senior High Director of the Year Award (2016), and served as an ArkCDA Region 3 Jr. High Treble & Region 4 Sr. High Treble all-region clinician. Chris is an active member of the Arkansas chapter of the American Choral Directors Association where he now serves on the board as the contemporary & commercial music resource and repertoire chair and of the national A Cappella Education Association where he serves as the Arkansas representative. He is also the visionary and Chief Artistic Director of the non-profit 4L Music Group INC that mentors and trains young musicians and serves as a bridge to the semi/professional music industry. Through this endeavor he has created a community based a Cappella ensemble known as Legacy Vocal Band. Chris has also been invited to serve as a guest conductor at Carnegie Hall in 2025 through MidAmerica Productions where he will premiere many of his original arrangements. Chris is also an active arranger, composer and gospel music clinician. His philosophy of music is best said through the quote, “Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest; heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.” – Author Unknown
Chris has also taught voice, piano, music theory, jazz theory and contemporary arranging with local rock bands.
Choir Room E827
1st period: Conference (by appointment)
2nd period: Concert Chorale (Varsity Mixed Choir)
3rd period: PFC & TIB (Varsity A Cappella)
4th period: Aperture (JV A Cappella)
5th period: Cantate (JV Treble)
6th period: Beginning Tenor/Bass
7th period: Beginning Treble
8th period: Lunch