Choir Fam Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Thank you for listening to our show this season!!

Here are the favorite choral pieces from our guests in the fourth season:
St. John Passion, Johann Sebastian Bach
St. Matthew Passion, Johann Sebastian Bach
Ave Maria, Franz Biebl
Requiem, Johannes Brahms
“Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen” from Requiem, Johannes Brahms
No Time, Susan Brumfield
I Sing Because I’m Happy, Rollo Dilworth
Requiem,Gabriel Fauré
African American Requiem, Damien Geter
Gloucester Service, Herbert Howells
La Guerre, Clément Janequin
Sweet Rivers, Shawn Kirchner
O Magnum Mysterium, Morten Lauridsen (x2)
Le Cantique des cantiques, Daniel-Lesur
Coenantibus autem illis, Juan de Lienas
I Am Harvey Milk, Andrew Lippa
Miserere, James MacMillan
Mass for Double Choir, Frank Martin
Terza Messa, Marianna Martines
Light of the East, Byung-Hee Oh
Sicut Cervus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Tu Es Petrus, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
The Road Home, Stephen Paulus
Let My Love Be Heard, Jake Runestad
Abendfeier in Venedig, Clara Schumann
And the Swallow, Caroline Shaw
Fiddler’s Hymn, Pete Sutherland
Alleluia, Randall Thompson
Earth Song, Frank Ticheli
The Sacred Veil, Eric Whitacre
Serenade to Music, Ralph Vaughan Williams

Here are the composers that our guests suggested you check out:
Johann Sebastian Bach
Michael Barrett, see Choir Fam Episode 97
Amy Bernon
Sherry Blevins
Margaret Bonds
Johannes Brahms
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Chiara Margarita Cozzolani
Maurice Duruflé
Gabriel Fauré
Dan Forrest
J.D. Frizzell, see Choir Fam Episode 91
Katerina Gimon
Laura Hawley
Franz Joseph Haydn
Darius Lim
Andrew Lippa
Cecilia MacDowall
Joanna Marsh
Frank Martin
Selga Mence
Kyle Pederson
Florence Price
Zanaida Robles (x2)
Marie-Claire Saindon
Caroline Shaw
Ken Steven (x2), see Choir Fam Episode 98
Peteris Vasks
Tracy Wong (x3), see Choir FamEpisode 58

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“For me, choral music is all about the people. I write for the choristers. I've gone through that phase in my life where I've written only for myself, where I had a lot of things I needed to express and every note that went on a page was for me. Now I'm in a phase where I want to adore every note that's on the page. I want every note that's on the page to represent me well and to reflect who I am -- somebody who sees herself in partnership with conductors, in partnership with choristers, making music together.”

Canadian composer and educator Sarah Quartel is known for her fresh and exciting approach to choral music. Deeply inspired by the life-changing relationships that can occur while making choral music, Sarah writes in a way that connects singer to singer, ensemble to conductor, and performer to audience. Her works are performed by choirs across the world, and she has been commissioned by groups including the American Choral Directors Association, the National Children's Chorus of the United States of America, and New Dublin Voices. Since 2018 she has been exclusively published by Oxford University Press, and she continues to work as a clinician and conductor at music education and choral events at home and abroad.

To get in touch with Sarah, you can visit sarahquartel.com
or email her at sarah.k.quartel@gmail.com. You can listen to her music on Spotify or SoundCloud (@sarahquartel) or find her on Facebook (@sarah.quartel).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 3 episode from February 16, 2024, to hear how to share your story with us.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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“At the end of that first year, I did a pops concert. I developed the formula that I use now, which is to make it sound a lot like the actual songs. You give a lot of soloists opportunities to sing solos, especially in the verses which are harder because of the syncopation. We had a band that we hired: some horns, a rhythm section. The kids loved it, and we had 750 people come watch it.”

J.D. Frizzell is the Director of Fine Arts and Director of Vocal Music at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, TN. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Choral Conducting from The University of Kentucky. Dr. Frizzell earned the double Master's in Music Theory/Composition and Conducting from The University of Southern Mississippi, where he also earned the bachelor's degree in Music History and Literature.

In 2024, Frizzell was named a national finalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Frizzell was chosen by the Tennessee Music Educators Association as the 2011 Outstanding Young Music Educator. Additionally, he was awarded the Dr. Clair E. Cox Award for Teaching Excellence in both 2011 and again in 2023.

As the Director of Fine Arts at Briarcrest, Dr. Frizzell leads a faculty of twelve full time faculty-artists and is responsible for coordinating curriculum, instruction, and budgets for all of the fine arts programs (K2-12th grade). He also serves as an advocate and school liaison for all of the visual art, instrumental music, vocal music, dance, theatre, and technical production programs. As the Director of Vocal Music, he teaches the Men’s Choir, Advanced Women’s Choir, and OneVoice.

A leader in the contemporary a cappella movement, he is the co-founder and President of The A Cappella Education Association, a nonprofit dedicated to helping groups around the world. He also founded the National A Cappella and Choral Convention. His high school a cappella group, OneVoice, is a SONY Recording Artist. They were the winners of the Macy’s A Cappella Challenge judged by Pentatonix, contestants on America’s Got Talent, performers at The Emmys, and collaborators with Foreigner and The Swingles. Their music has been streamed, downloaded, and viewed over 120 million times. Dr. Frizzell co-authored the books “A Cappella Warm Ups for Pop and Jazz Choirs” and “Teaching Music Through Performance in Contemporary A Cappella”.

Dr. Frizzell is active as a presenter, adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor. As an active member of TNMEA, NATS, ACDA, and WTVMEA, he has served in multiple volunteer capacities. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation named him one of “Memphis’ Finest” for his philanthropic efforts. He is also a professional member of the Recording Academy. He lives in Memphis, TN with his wife, Emily and sons Henry and Elliott.

For commission, conducting, workshop, or other booking information, please visit www.jdfrizzell.net.

To get in touch with J.D., you can visit his website or find him on Facebook (@jdfrizzellmusic) or Instagram (@jdfrizzell1983).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 3 episode from February 16, 2024, to hear how to share your story with us.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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"Let's celebrate the choral art form in all of its varieties. What you do does not have to look like everyone else. Your choir and your community are going to look and feel and sound very different than other communities."

Amanda Hanzlik is the Director of Choral Activities at Edwin O. Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut. She currently serves as Immediate Past-President of the Connecticut Chapter of The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and was a Semifinalist for the 2021 GRAMMY Music Educator Award.  Mrs. Hanzlik is co-chair of the Connecticut CMEA High School All-State Choirs and is a member of the Interest Sessions & Insight Choirs subcommittee for the 2023 ACDA National Conference. Mrs. Hanzlik frequently appears as a clinician and ensemble conductor for regional and all-state music festivals. Under her direction, The E.O. Smith Chamber Singers performed as a Selected Choir at the 2020 ACDA Eastern Regional Conference in Rochester, NY - and in 2016 and 2019, were featured as the Connecticut CMEA Conference High School Showcase Choral Ensemble. 2021-2022 marks Mrs. Hanzlik’s 23rd year as a music educator, teaching in K-12, early childhood, college, community and senior-citizen ensembles, in both urban and rural settings. Amanda Hanzlik is a graduate of the University of Iowa and Teachers College, Columbia University. She resides in Storrs, CT, with her husband, Louis Hanzlik, and their children, Ethan and Grace. 

To get in touch with Amanda, you can find her on Instagram (@amandahanzlik) or on Facebook (@amanda.hanzlik).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.

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"A retreat sets the tone, sets the table, but throughout the year, whether it's a little sprinkle of a community-building activity, an exercise that is reflective, or a revisit to something that they did at the retreat, that's even more important. The retreat is just the first step... then we maintain that culture in our ensembles."

Melanie Brink grew up and began her career in South Dakota, U.S.A. prior to teaching abroad. Her undergraduate degree in vocal music is from Augustana University and she holds a Master's in Educational Leadership from Southwest Minnesota University.

She moved to the Sultanate of Oman 20 years ago to begin a choral music program at The American International School of Muscat (TAISM). There she teaches about 200 choral students in grades 6-12.  She prioritizes developing heart within her ensembles through retreats and inclusion activities that help her students learn how to be adaptive collaborators and leaders. Melanie designs activities and themes that promote a sense of belonging; promoting community, healthy singing and a meaningful experience. The selection of repertoire and telling a story through connection and design in the performance is a process she deeply enjoys.

Melanie applies her training of the Mindfulness in Education Institute, a practice of centering - paying attention to the present in her rehearsals. She has also completed the Thinking Collaborative (Adaptive Schools) Seminar which presents a productive, practical set of strategies for developing collaborative groups in becoming effective and better equipped to resolve complex issues around student learning. She has presented workshops for both AMIS and ACDA music educator conferences. Melanie has been a guest conductor for the AMIS Middle School Mixed Honor Choir, the ASIAC Choir Festival in Chennai, and the MESAC Senior Fine Arts Chorus in Abu Dhabi.

Since March 2004, she has served as the founder and Artistic Director of TAISM’s annual Festival of Choirs. She oversees the coordination of the event and works closely with each year’s guest conductor from the United States. Over 2,500 students have participated in the TAISM festival. Melanie is also a member of American Choral Directors Association and serves the South Dakota chapter as the R&R Chair for Global Music.

To get in touch with Melanie, you can email her at brinkm@taism.com or find her on Facebook (@MelanieReneeBrink) or Instagram (@melanie.brink28).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.

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"I'm really into using music to teach culture and life lessons... It's like cuisine. With different tastes come different etiquettes. It's the same thing with music. You want to show respect for how the music was written and try to have it sound that way."

John Stafford II is the Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Co-Coordinator of the Music Department at Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC). Professor Stafford was a 2015 recipient of the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award for outstanding teaching and leadership at the community college level. Also, Stafford was the recipient of the Henry Louis Award for Teaching Excellence at KCKCC in 2020 (our Faculty of the Year award). He has also received two other teaching awards from KCKCC for Recruitment and Teaching Excellence.

Previously, he was appointed at Millikin University, Eastern Illinois University, and Danville Area Community College teaching composition, theory, orchestration, history, and vocal jazz. He holds degrees from Millikin University (music business), Bowling Green State University (composition), and has done additional doctoral studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (choral conducting).

To get in touch with John, you can email him at jstafford@kckcc.edu .

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"In the context of talking about the value of choral music, are you acknowledging the identity of the person in front of you? Does the beauty of what we do require components of strict uniformity in which that person has to forget themselves, or does it speak to an amplification of self?"

Dr. Jace Kaholokula Saplan serves as the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Dr. Saplan teaches courses in undergraduate and graduate choral conducting and pedagogy, conducts the Concert Choir and the University of Hawai'i Chamber Singers, and oversees the graduate choral conducting program. 

Dr. Saplan received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University-Portland,  Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Oregon, and Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting with cognates in Music Education and Ethnomusicology from the University of Miami Frost School of Music.

Known for work in celebrating the intersection between Hawaiian music and choral performance, Dr. Saplan is the artistic director of Nā Wai Chamber Choir, a professional vocal ensemble based in Hawaiʻi dedicated to the preservation and propagation of Hawaiian choral music. Under Dr. Saplan's direction, Nā Wai has commissioned and mentored emerging Native Hawaiian composers and conductors, toured throughout rural Hawaiian communities, and led workshops on the performance of Hawaiian choral music at schools and universities throughout the country.​

Prior to this appointment to the University of Hawai’i, Dr. Saplan served as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Hamilton College and the Artistic Director of the Syracuse Vocal Ensemble. Dr. Saplan also was the chorus master for the Frost Opera Program at the University of Miami and prepared a number of contemporary works such as Golijov’s Ainadamar, Kuster’s Old Presque Isle (done in collaboration with the John Duffy Composer’s Institute and the Virginia Arts Festival), and a premiere work by Grammy-nominated composer Shawn Crouch. 

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.

Visit Jace's website at www.jacesaplan.com if you'd like to get more info or get in contact.

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"Working with different people on the podium has given me a lot of skills I can take back to my classroom. It's just a matter of reaching out. If you have one connection, you have 25. If you have 25, you have 1000."

Katherine Rosenfeld graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2019 with a degree in choral music education. Her time at NAU was marked by leadership roles including serving as the President for both the NAU chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and the Shrine of the Ages Choir. Rosenfeld grew up in Arizona and is an alumna of the Phoenix Children’s Chorus and Horizon High School in Scottsdale. She has sung with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers, Quartz Ensemble, Canto Vivo, was the soprano soloist for the Pinnacle Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir, and has sung backup for touring acts including Roger Waters and the Eagles. Rosenfeld loves sharing her passion for music through education. She currently teaches choir and guitar at Rhodes Junior High in Mesa, runs a private voice studio in North Phoenix, and serves on the Arizona state board of the American Choral Directors Association. She currently sings soprano with the Grammy Award-winning professional choir, the Phoenix Chorale.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.

You can find Katherine on TikTok and Instagram: @ms.rosenfeld. You can also email her at ms.rosenfeld23@gmail.com. 

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"One of the real benefits from being away from music is that you really appreciate it more. I understand what it's like to live without that opportunity to make music. Now I'm immersed in what I always wanted to do."

Coreen Duffy is director of choral activities at the University of Montana School of Music, where she conducts Chamber Chorale and University Choir, teaches conducting, choral methods, and supervises student teachers. Under her direction, the UM Chamber Chorale has earned invitations to perform at the NW American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Conference in 2022, as well as from Vox Anima to perform at Cadogan Hall and Southwark Cathedral in London (2022), and the Montana International Choral Festival (2019, 2022). Duffy is an active clinician and composer; her works are published by Walton Music, ECS, and Pavane Publishing. A specialist in Jewish choral music, Duffy has presented sessions at national conferences for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and at the international conference of the European Center for Jewish Music in Hannover, Germany. Duffy serves several national choral organizations, including as Co-Chair for World Musics and Cultures for Northwest ACDA, as well as Northwest Division Representative on the NAfME Council for Choral Education, and on the Editorial Board for The Choral Scholar, a publication by the National Collegiate Choral Organization. In Missoula, Duffy is the Artistic Director of the Missoula Community Chorus, and serves on the board and the Artistic Committee for the Montana International Choral Festival.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.
You can email Coreen at coreen.duffy@umontana.edu or find her on Facebook or on Instagram: @coreenduffy .

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"I have a strong connection with treble ensembles because of our shared experiences. It feels safer to make a mistake. I feel I can take more risks with them."

Dr. Dominique Petite serves the faculty of Ohio University as Visiting Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education. Prior to her appointment at Ohio, while pursuing her doctorate at Louisiana State University, she directed choirs (both mixed and treble ensembles), coached undergraduate conducting, and taught Music Theory for Non-Majors. Her research interests include rehearsal pedagogy, fostering musicianship in ensemble settings, mentorship across the teaching continuum, and utilizing energetics in choral rehearsals.

Before beginning her doctoral work, Petite taught middle and high school music for fourteen years, specializing in Women’s Choir and AP Music Theory. Her ensembles consistently received superior ratings for performance and sight-singing at district choral adjudications, and her students had high participation in Southern Division and National ACDA Honor Choirs, GMEA Sight-Reading Choir, and Georgia All-State Chorus.

Dr. Petite has maintained an active performance schedule, including singing in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and ASO Chamber Chorus and solo work as a blues and acoustic rock artist in the Atlanta area. She is currently performing with Red Shift Choir. Dr. Petite is a member of ACDA, NCCO, NAfME, and CMS.

Petite has a doctorate in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University, where she studied with John Dickson, Ann Marie Stanley, and James Byo. She earned a BME and MME in Choral Music Education from Florida State University under Judy Bowers, Kevin Fenton, and André Thomas.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.
You can email Dominique at petite@ohio.edu .

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