Richard Freeman-Toole (b.1951) studied music in Los Angeles from 1972-79 at Cal State University Dominguez Hills, and UCLA, with Richard Bunger, Paul Reale, Roy Travis, and David Raksin. From 1979-1987 he lived in Santa Cruz California, where he co-founded a number of professional and amateur groups including The Santa Cruz New Music Works, The Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra, The Eternal Youth Orchestra, Musikids, and The Westside Community Choir. From California he moved to the Northwest where he wandered into college teaching. At Lewis-Clark State College he founded the LCSC Community Orchestra, the LCSC Electronic Music Studio, the Clarkston Soloists, and the Counterpoint Jazz Company. In 1995 he attended graduate school at the University of Illinois and received his DMA in music composition in 1998.

Freeman-Toole now lives in Alaska. Composer, conductor, performer, and teacher, Freeman-Toole now heads the Freemantle Music Conservatory, an organization consisting, at the moment, of some 40-50 musicians involved in private study with Freeman-Toole, and in various ensembles founded by him. Freeman-Toole has created an enormous number of compositions for chamber ensembles, orchestral ensembles, concert bands, choral ensembles, jazz ensembles, and acoustic instruments with electronics. In addition to his concert hall output, he has a formidable library of instructional pieces for young musicians.