VITTER, Cherissa Legendre

Cherissa Legendre Vitter is an associate professor of International Baccalaureate (IB) Education at Southeastern Louisiana University, with over 25 years of experience in IB teacher preparation and educational leadership. She holds degrees in music education and educational leadership, and her research focuses on empowering teachers through coaching, evaluation, and experiential learning. She is also active as an instructional coach and has presented at national and international conferences on cognitive coaching and teacher support.

In addition to her academic work, Vitter is recognized as a composer of mallet solos. One of her notable works is “Childsplay”, a mallet solos arrangement published by Marimba Productions. This piece includes multiple short, playful movements such as A Vertical Waltz, Independent Turkeys, Moving Around, Mary Had a Little Interval, A Dixie Combo, Jumping Frogs, and Simply Single. The work is designed for intermediate to advanced mallet players and reflects her creative approach to percussion composition.

Vitter’s career blends music education with educational leadership, making her a respected figure in both academic and performance music communities. Her compositions, like Childsplay, showcase her ability to create engaging, accessible, and musically rich works for percussionists.