Carl J. Christensen holds B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. degrees from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. He teaches instrumental music and music theory at Hartnell College in Salinas, California. Prior to accepting the position at Hartnell, he was principal trombonist of the Mexico City Philharmonic. He is conductor of the Monterey Bay Symphony and Monterey Opera and is a frequent guest conductor of orchestras in Guatemala and Argentina.