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).

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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).

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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.

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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.

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You can email Dominique at petite@ohio.edu .

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"Whether you're looking to be a teacher or a vocal performer, to be marketable, you have to be able to do more than one thing. Healthy singing is healthy singing regardless of the genre."

Courtney Evans is in her third year as choir director at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona, where she directs four choral ensembles and serves as the faculty advisor for students in the Vocal Performance and Musical Theatre pathways in the Marcos Fine Arts Academy. In 2019, Courtney was recognized as Future Choral Educator of the Year by Arizona Choral Educators and the Arizona Music Educators Association. Courtney is passionate about providing students with opportunities for performance in various musical styles. Along with directing choirs, Courtney works as a freelance pianist and choreographer for choral programs throughout the Phoenix area. Outside of teaching, she performs as a professional singer with various choirs throughout Arizona. She also serves as a clinician and adjudicator for choral festivals and conferences in the Southwest, including the Acapalooza festival in Las Vegas and a cappella tournaments in Arizona. Courtney graduated summa cum laude from Northern Arizona University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education.

You can get in contact with Courtney via email: courtney.evans621@gmail.com or on Instagram: @courtneyevans2

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"People at all levels can be advocates for music education. It's telling stories. It's educating people that don't have the same experiences that we do." 

Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer is Professor of Music, Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University. During 2006-2008 she served as President for The National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC). Other past offices include: President for the Northwest Division of MENC, Music Educators Journal Editorial Board, and Washington Music Educators Association General Music Curriculum Chair. In addition to chairing the Eastern Washington University Music Department for six years and conducting the EWU Concert Choir, Dr. Brinckmeyer received the Washington Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, the MENC Northwest Division Distinguished Service Award and Eastern New Mexico University’s Outstanding Alumni Award.

Dr. Brinckmeyer’s research initiatives focus on developing young voices, music from across the globe and music advocacy. She recently published Wander the USA with Warm-Ups! Other books include: The Wonder of Music with John Jacobson, Rhythm Rescue!, Wander the World with Warm-ups with Hal Leonard Publishing and Advocate for Music with Oxford University Press. She founded the Eastern Washington University Girls’ Chorus while teaching at EWU. She also served as Artistic Director for the South Hill Children’s Chorus in Spokane, Washington. Dr. Brinckmeyer is a co-founder and Artistic Director for the Hill Country Youth Chorus in San Marcos, Texas.

Dr. Brinckmeyer’s degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Music Education from Eastern New Mexico University, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from The University of Kansas. In New Mexico she taught elementary music and middle school choir, then moved to higher education in the Pacific Northwest. At Texas State University Dr. Brinckmeyer teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in choral music education, and she directs the Texas State treble ensemble, Aurora Voce. Each summer Dr. Brinckmeyer serves as a long time staff member for the World Music Drumming workhsops. She has conducted all state choirs and honor choirs, lectured, presented master classes and performed in forty-nine states in the United States and 20+ countries, including China, Brazil, South Africa, Cuba, Peru and Australia.

To get in contact with Dr. Brinckmeyer, you can email her at lb44@txstate.edu or connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynn.brinckmeyer .

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"There was a line of places where doors just opened up, and I went through. I believe I'm meant to be here... The challenges you're provided will prepare you for what's to come in your future."

Dr. Dean Luethi serves as the Director of the School of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Associate Professor at Washington State University. He received his BM in Vocal Music Education from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, his MM in Choral Conducting from the University of South Florida in Tampa, and his DMA in Choral Music from the University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign. Before working at WSU, Dean was a high/middle school choir and musical theatre director in the Green Bay area. He also served as a visiting instructor at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Known for his work as a choral pedagogue, Dean has presented research, workshops, or conducted choirs at festivals, conferences, and competitions in the US, India, China, Cuba, Canada, Austria, Poland, and Germany. He is published in Choral Journal and Music Educator’s Journal. As part of his service to the National Choir Council of NAFME, Dean works with and has prepared a virtual choral conducting series for choral conductors in India. Dean’s book Aligning Voices: Exercises to Build Choral Musicianship is available through GIA Publications.

Dean lives with his wife, Ruth Boden, in Pullman, WA. In his free time Dean enjoys amateur photography and spending time with their two cats.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.
You can contact Dean at dean.luethi@wsu.edu or find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dean.luethi . 

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“Uniformity is a two-edged sword, isn't it? Within a choir you need uniformity or you're not going to get a good blend, but within that uniformity, I want as much individuality as possible. I do a lot of 16th-Century music, early 17th-Century music, which has very, very high, passionate stakes. The individual has to come through. That's what makes it interesting.”

Robert Hollingworth was a chorister at Hereford Cathedral, set up his first solo-voice ensemble at the age of 16 and read music at New College, Oxford, followed by a year at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In place of a conventional academic career he has spent 40 years directing vocal groups, notably I Fagiolini, which he founded at university in 1986.

Nearly 30 CDs and DVDs have included first recordings of works and collections by Byrd, Croce, Tomkins, Andrea Gabrieli and more. Recent releases include the multi-award winning Striggio 40-part mass, 'Amuse-Bouche' (French 20th century music including premiers of Francaix and Milhaud), and in 2017 'Monteverdi - The Other Vespers' which also featured the University of York’s music department's choir, The 24.

Winning the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Ensemble Award, Gramophone Awards and the Diapason D'Or de l'Annee, the group is 'In Association' at the University of York Music Department where, as well as teaching Undergraduate projects, Robert runs the MA in solo-voice ensemble singing.

As a freelancer conductor, Robert has directed the English Concert, Academy of Ancient Music and the BBC Concert Orchestra; among European choirs, Accentus (France), NDR Chor and RIAS Kammerchor (Germany), National Chamber Choir of Ireland, Voces8, BBC Singers and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. He writes and presents programmes for Radio 3 including The Early Music Show and Discovering Music. During lockdown, he created and presented a new youtube series for choral music enthusiasts called 'SingTheScore'.

He is the newly appointed director of Stour Music, taking over after 65 years from Alfred and Mark Deller.

He founded and presents the UK's top choral music podcast 'Choral Chihuahua' with Eamonn Dougan and Nicholas Mulroy.

To get in touch with Robert, look for I Fagiolini on YouTube (@ifagiolini), Facebook (@ifagiolini), Instagram (@i_fagiolini), or their website, ifagiolini.com.

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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"I will always be able to pivot from now on. There will always be Plan B and C in my head… I learned a lot of flexibility in that COVID year of teaching."

Dr. Matthew Myers serves as assistant professor of choral music education at WSU. He conducts the University Singers and Treble Choir and teaches courses in music education methods, conducting, and voice. He earned his DMA in choral conducting at Louisiana State University, his master’s degree in choral conducting from Northern Arizona University, and his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and music education from Luther College. After completing his degree at Luther, he taught grades 6-12 choir at The American International School of Muscat in Oman. For the following five years, he worked as director of choirs and musical theatre at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, Illinois. In addition to conducting five choirs, he taught AP music theory, class piano, and critical thinking and coordinated a middle school choral program at four of Boylan’s constituent grade schools. He has served as conductor of the NAU Men’s Chorale and Chamber Singers, the LSU Chamber Singers, the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, and the Flagstaff Youth Chorale and has held church music positions in Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, and Alabama. Prior to his time at WSU, Dr. Myers taught at the University of Alabama, where he conducted two choirs and taught courses in music appreciation, choral literature, vocal pedagogy, and diction.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to get in contact with our hosts.
You can find Matthew on Instagram at @myerma01 and @wsuchoralmusic.

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“The folks who I think are really doing incredible work around the world, not just for one festival or for one tour, but for decades, are the folks who are trying to literally make the world a better place through choral music. How many opportunities can we provide for them so they can feel like they're part of that bigger family to help legitimize the hard work and the experiences that they're having in their corner of the world?”

T. J. HARPER is Associate Professor of Music and Specialist in Choral Music Performance, Choral Pedagogy, Conducting, and Vocal Performance at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Choirs under the direction of Dr. Harper have performed at Carnegie Hall in 2022, NAfME division and national conferences, ACDA conferences, and International performances by invitation including Costa Rica, Austria, Czech Republic, Spain, and Italy.

Dr. Harper maintains an active schedule in the US and abroad as a guest conductor, clinician, and jury member. Recent engagements include headlining the China National Choral Conference and conducting the Beijing Harmonia Choir; Master classes for El Sistema and conducting the Venezuela National Choir.

He has been engaged as a lecturer, presenter, and guest speaker at the 2015 Yale University International Choral Music Symposium; the 2015 European Choir Games in Magdeburg, Germany; Harvard University, Hofstra University, and the New England ACDA Collegiate Choral Conference.

Dr. Harper is the Associate Director for the Jeju International Choral Festival in Jeju, South Korea, Associate Director for the Icheon World Choral Festival in Icheon, South Korea, the Associate Director for the San Juan Canta Choral Festival and Competition in San Juan, Argentina, the Associate Director for the World Youth Choir Festival and Competition in Jeju, South Korea.

Dr. Harper recently held positions as Board Member for the International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM), the past Chair of the ACDA Standing Committee on International Activities, and the Director of the ACDA International Conductors Exchange Program (ICEP). 

Dr. Harper received the Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) from the University of Southern California, his Master of Arts in Choral Conducting from California State University, Northridge and his B.A. in Choral Conducting from California State University, Fresno. 

To get in touch with T. J., you can find him on Instagram (@conductortj) or Facebook (@harper.tj).

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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“I haven’t moved exclusively to doing multicultural music in our classroom, but I have done a lot of music that has a positive message that they can relate to. If this song has nothing to do with them, no matter how much I love it, no matter how epic or famous this is, the students will have a hard time connecting to it. I’m not saying that everything needs to be in English or be immediately accessible or understandable, but I do think there needs to be something in there that connects to their lives.”

Matthew Chi Lee is in his 9th year as director of choirs at John P. Stevens (JPS) High School in Edison, New Jersey. He is a native of Edison and holds degrees in music education from Northwestern University and Florida State University. Recently, the John P. Stevens High School Chamber Choir has performed at the 2024 ACDA National Conference as well as the 2023 ACDA Eastern Conference. He serves on the New Jersey ACDA Board as High School Youth Choirs R&R Chair and the NJMEA Choral Procedures Board. Matt also serves as the assistant conductor at Christ Church in Summit, NJ. He has been invited to be a guest conductor and clinician in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. As a chorister he has performed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the South of France. His Independent Study Project at FSU focused on Multicultural Choral Music and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in the high school choir program, and he is interested in selecting repertoire that highlights living composers as well as the diverse musical traditions of the world.

To get in touch with Matt, you can find him on Instagram (@matthewchileemusic) or Facebook (@matthewchileemusic). You can also visit his school choir's website, jpschoir.org.

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“From my first ACDA in 1991 to ACDA now: complete reversal. People are not afraid to perform something that moves the soul, and in 1991 nobody did it. Now people are digging in and not being afraid. I applaud all of my fellow choral conductors for being fearless and not being afraid to tell the stories that mean something.”

Tim Seelig is a conductor, singer, speaker and educator. He continues a busy schedule of appearances across the U.S. He conducted LGBTQ+ choruses for 35 years and is Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and Conductor Emeritus of the Turtle Creek Chorale.

Dr. Seelig holds four degrees, including the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas and the Diploma from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He has written 6 books on choral technique, several of which are best-sellers, and his memoir, Tale of Two Tims: Big Ol’ Baptist, Big Ol’ Gay.

Dr. Seelig has conducted at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center for 25 years. He conducted the Guinness Book Of World Record's Longest Choral Concert and carried the Olympic torch in 1996 as a community Hero. 

He has conducted over 50 recordings which have been on Billboard Top Ten and iTunes Top Ten classical charts. His choruses have been the topic of three documentaries. The PBS documentary, After Goodbye: An AIDS Story was awarded the national Emmy for best documentary.

He is the proud grandfather of the amazing Clara Skye, Eden Mae, Cora Rose, Ivy Hope.

To get in touch with Tim, you can find him on Facebook (@tim.seelig) or email him at tgseelig@gmail.com.

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“I have fallen deeply in love with looking at a piece, seeing what it is, and realizing that there are no real absolutes in music. There are no rules. You have to look at each piece of music for what it is and consider it in its historical and cultural context and then find out enough about the composer. It feels like a journey, a rabbit hole that go down.”

Dr. Elizabeth Schauer serves as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Arizona, where she is in her twentieth year of teaching. An award-winning educator, Dr. Schauer directs the Symphonic Choir and teaches graduate courses in conducting and choral literature. In addition, she served as Chancel Choir director at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. She came to the University of Arizona following ten years as Director of Choral Activities at Adams State College in Colorado. 

Dr. Schauer is in demand as an adjudicator, clinician, presenter and guest conductor throughout the United States, including recently for performances at Carnegie Hall and with Georgia, Connecticut and New Mexico All-State Choirs.  Choirs under her direction have been selected by audition and invited to perform on local, state and regional conferences of American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, College Music Society, and American Guild of Organists.  In addition her choirs have been featured on the ACDA National YouTube Channel and the Community Concert Series of KUAT-FM Classical Radio, and are regularly invited to collaborate, notably with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Arizona Symphony and the UA Wind Ensemble.

She has presented sessions at the national conventions of American Choral Directors Association, Presbyterian Association of Musicians, and College Music Society; regional conferences of ACDA, and state conferences of ACDA and National Association for Music Education. Dr. Schauer holds degrees from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Westminster Choir College, and University of Michigan.

To get in touch with Betsy, you can find her on Facebook: @betsy.schauer.9. You can find more about the University of Arizona choral program on Facebook (@uarizonachoirs) or Instagram (@uarizonachoirs) or visit their website: choral.music.arizona.edu, where you can find their Distinguished Speakers Series and discover more information about the DEI Choral Literature Intensive.

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“I grew up thinking that we should sound like the music we're singing. There was never one right way for me. There are those great choral traditions where they sing everything a certain way. I never wanted to be that way. We can do seven different pieces in seven entirely different styles. You would think, 'is that the same choir?' That's something that my choirs take seriously.”

Recipient of the President’s Award from the California Music Educators Association honoring "extraordinary accomplishments in music education," Dr. Jonathan Talberg serves as Director of Choral Activities at the Bob Cole Conservatory, where he is conductor of the international award-winning Bob Cole Conservatory Chamber Choir and the CSULB University Choir. Recent career highlights include leading the Chamber Choir to first place at the Austrian Spittal International Choir Festival and the "Choir of the World" competition in Wales. Additionally, he and the choir have performed with groups as diverse as the Kronos Quartet, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Pacific Symphony and the Rolling Stones.

A passionate advocate for choral music education, Dr. Talberg is regularly engaged to conduct honor choirs across the US, including numerous all-state choruses, and Music Education conference choirs. His choirs have performed in venues throughout Europe and Asia.

A past-president of the California Choral Directors Association, he serves as an editor at Pavane Music Publishing, where a choral series dedicated to outstanding quality, collegiate-level music is published under his name.

Of the many hats he wears each day, the one he is most proud of is mentor to the next generation of choral musicians. Alumni of the Bob Cole Conservatory Choral Studies program are teaching at elementary, middle and high schools, churches, community colleges and four-year universities throughout the country. Scores of alumni are professional singers and/or currently earning—or have finished—their doctorates at some of the finest institutions in the country.

Dr. Talberg received his BM from Chapman University, his MM and DMA from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, and the May Festival Chorus.

To get in touch with Jonathan, you can email him at jonathan.talberg@csulb.edu or find him on Instagram: @jonathantalberg .

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“I’ve really enjoyed getting into classrooms to affirm my colleagues. I seek whenever I do a visit to say something that is both positive and true. I could just be positive, but if it’s not truthful, students can sense that. I’ve really enjoyed getting to bop in, see great teaching in action, and affirm my colleagues in front of their students.”

Dr. Brett D. Epperson is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Hastings College. He directs the Hastings College Choir and teaches courses in conducting, vocal pedagogy, diction and studio voice. Brett also serves as director of the adult Chancel Choir at First Presbyterian Church of Hastings.

Prior to his career in higher education, Brett was a public school music educator for nearly a decade. Epperson led choral programs at Yutan Public Schools (Nebraska), Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and East High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. Under his leadership at Lincoln East, the choral program tripled in enrollment, East Singers was selected as a featured concert choir at the Nebraska Music Educators Association Conference and Epperson was the recipient of a Lincoln Public Schools Inspire Award for implementing an Adaptive Music program. Epperson has also served as a graduate assistant within the College of Music at Florida State University, was an adjunct instructor of voice at Doane University (Nebraska), and is a previous Artistic Director-Conductor of the Lincoln Lutheran Choir.

Dr. Epperson is active as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator and collaborative keyboardist, with appearances across the United States, the Caribbean and Europe. In June 2023, Epperson traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, where he was a featured conductor as part of AVoice4Peace choral festival. As a vocalist, he has sung with Grammy-nominated choral ensembles and has been a featured soloist in choral-orchestral performances across the Midwest and South. Galaxy Music Corporation released his first published composition in 2022.

Brett earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music Education-Choral Conducting from Florida State University.

To get in touch with Brett, you can find him on Facebook (@brettdepperson) or Instagram (@brettdepperson).

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"Choral programs don't exist in a vacuum. They exist in a place, and they exist in a place that serves a people. That people group is always bigger than choir. The first thing that you've gotta do is answer the question, 'how are my people, how is my place going to be served by choral music?' and then build that. You've gotta build that one step at a time."

Joshua Cheney, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is the Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. He is responsible for the leadership and administration of GWU Choirs, to include the direction of Concert Choir, Men’s Chorale, Handbell Ensemble, and the Worship Ensemble. Joshua also teaches courses in conducting, voice, and guitar.

In addition to his work in teaching, Joshua currently serves as the Interim Music Minister for the First Baptist Church of Asheville, North Carolina. In this role he participates in worship planning and leads the Adult Choir in rehearsal and worship. Joshua is an active performer and has sung professionally with the North Carolina Master Chorale Chamber Choir, Bel Canto Company, the Red Shift Choir, and Coro Vocati. Joshua is a regular clinician, adjudicator, and presenter, having directed honor choirs, adjudicated choral festivals, and given lectures at professional conferences throughout the South. Previous appointments include service as the Assistant Professor of Choral Music at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, the Assistant Director of Music and Worship at the First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Choral Music Educator at John M. Morehead High School in Eden, North Carolina, and the Choral Music Educator at Harnett Central Middle School in Angier, North Carolina.

Joshua holds the B.A. in Music Education from Campbell University, the M.M. in Choral Conducting and Church Music from Mercer University, and the D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from Louisiana State University. Joshua is married to Rebekah Cheney, who serves as the Director of Annual Giving at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Joshua and Rebekah reside in Asheville, North Carolina.

To get in touch with Joshua, you can find him on Instagram (@jcheneyconductor or @gardnerwebbchoirs) or email him at jcheney1@gardner-webb.edu .

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“Octave displacement is a really big thing with adolescent singers. Make a game out of it - I’ll have them match me, match me up an octave, match me down an octave - versus scolding when you’re in the middle of rep and someone is singing too low and you just point and say ‘that’s too low.’ That’s a little ambiguous for the average 13-year-old. To give them the strength to identify it themselves is practicing the skill we want to see played out in the repertoire.”

Since 2006, Mr. Oakes has served as Director of Choral Music and Music Instructor at The Baylor School, a grade 6-12 independent day and boarding school in Chattanooga. Under his direction, the choral program has grown to include over 200 participants in four student choirs and a faculty choir. In 2015, he was awarded Baylor's Glenn Ireland Chair for Distinguished Teaching and starts his service as Chair of Baylor’s Fine Arts Department beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.

Mr. Oakes also serves as Artistic Director of the Chattanooga Boys Choir, a music education and performance organization founded in 1954 which now includes over 120 choristers ages 8-18 in five ensembles. Including innovative performance opportunities and collaborative community initiatives, the CBC maintains a performance calendar of thirty appearances annually. The choir has performed and toured extensively, including performance tours to Europe, Canada, and Cuba. Recording opportunities for the CBC have included commercially-released recordings with Stephen Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, and the grammy-nominated NAXOS recording of Maurice Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

He is the former President of the ACDA’s Southern Region and in 2012, he was selected as one of seven conductors chosen to represent the United States at the inaugural ACDA International Conductor Exchange Program in Cuba.

As a conductor/clinician, he has conducted numerous honor choirs and festivals throughout the United States, including ACDA regional honor choirs. A lifelong advocate for music in worship, he has served churches in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee and as a clinician/conductor for children and youth choirs at Lake Junaluska, Massanetta Springs, and Montreat church music conferences.

Mr. Oakes earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Florida and the Master of Sacred Music degree in Choral Conducting from Emory University. He has contributed articles to Choral Journal and a chapter in the textbook Choral Pedagogy (3rd edition) by Robert Sataloff and Brenda Smith. 

To get in touch with Vic, you can visit chattanoogaboyschoir.org or baylorschool.org.

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“No one cared about my accolades coming in as a freshman. It’s not enough just to be good, because everyone is good. It forced me not to ride on my natural ability and to buckle down to figure out things like theory, music history, and performance practice. It made me realize that being an individual is paramount, and you have to prove why you are different from everyone else. What about your ability to emote a song or interpret a piece is going to set you apart?”

Trey McLaughlin was born in Augusta, GA, where he graduated from John S. Davidson Magnet School in 2002. While in high school, Trey was a member of the non-profit performing arts organization, Creative Impressions, serving as both President and Student Director.

Trey is a 2008 graduate of Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music in Columbus, GA. During his time at CSU, Trey was a member of its University Singers and Chorale. Trey is a member and past president of the professional music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and he is a former director of G.E.N.E.S.I.S. -- the Columbus State University Gospel Choir. In May of 2008, Mr. McLaughlin obtained a Bachelor of Science in Music Performance with an emphasis in Vocal Pedagogy. 

In 2014, Mr. McLaughlin began his international career, conducting a Master Class and performing at the L’Opéra de Massy in Massy, France. In October of 2015, Trey conducted a 300-voice choir in Krakow, Poland, as the guest clinician of the annual 7x Festival. At home, Trey has been extended the honor of serving as the guest clinician for Honor Choruses throughout the state of Georgia.

Trey is a passionate solo vocalist -- recognizing the beauty of and fusing together an eclectic mix of musical genres for all those who encounter his artistry. He composes and performs original works and prolifically arranged covers with his own recording and touring ensemble, The Sounds of Zamar.

Trey currently serves as Director of Worship and Arts at Tabernacle Baptist Church of Augusta, Georgia, where he stewards and oversees 12 ministries and approximately 250 volunteers. Mr. McLaughlin has taught as adjunct faculty at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, teaching graduate level courses where he continues his passion for writing and arranging music, teaching piano, and conducting classes in vocal technique. Trey was recognized by the Augusta Arts Council as its 2018 Artist of the Year. His international, national and local work in the arts continues to provide rich cultural, artistic experiences for all who encounter his programming.

To get in touch with Trey, you can visit treymclaughlin.com or find him on Facebook (@trey.mclaughlin.503) or Instagram (@treymclaughlin)

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“I started to see the possibilities of what a youth community choir could be. Seeing that profound impact on a young woman was very transformative for me. After two or three years, everything that I did had more layers. There was a new potential of enhancement and community impact. The things that make me go like a volcano are about community, access to programs, and how to break barriers for participation.”

Dr. Marcela Molina has been leading the Tucson Girls Chorus since 2006, first serving as Artistic Director and taking the helm as Executive Director in 2011. Under Dr. Molina’s guidance, the Tucson Girls Chorus has grown significantly in programming and community engagement. With her leadership, the TGC has transformed into a vibrant and collaborative organization that creates access to inclusive programming for youth, and provides resources to music educators and support to their classrooms all year-round. Dr. Molina is also the Director of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

Dr. Molina was an honoree in Tucson's 40 under 40 for her significant achievements and contributions in her profession and community and was one of eight in the state of Arizona chosen for Cox Hispanic Heritage Month. She was selected as a finalist for the Woman of Influence Awards in the category Arts and Culture Champion and under Molina’s leadership, the Tucson Girls Chorus was awarded the 2017 Copper Cactus award for Charitable Business sponsored by the Tucson Metro Chamber.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Dr. Marcela Molina holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and the University of Arizona. She has contributed articles to Antiphon, and the books Teaching through Performance in Choir, Volume 2 and Choral Reflections: Insights from American Choral Conductor-Teachers. She was named 2019 Choral Director of the Year by Arizona American Choral Directors Association (AzACDA), and she often serves as a clinician and guest conductor for choral festivals. Dr. Molina has served on the board of the AzACDA as well as standing committees for ACDA Western Division. She currently serves on the board of Chorus America.

To get in touch with Marcela, you can email her at mmolina@tucsongirlschorus.org or visit tucsongirlschorus.org. She's also on Facebook (@marcela.molina.1612147) and Instagram (@molinamarch).

Marcela recommends checking out the following composers: Colombian arranger Jorge Alejandro Salazar, Puerto Rican composer Diana Saez, and Melanie DeMore. About DeMore, Marcela writes, "I love unison singing to build tone and use it as a canvas of creative added writing from the singers, if composer allows."

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“If a student has been unsuccessful at elementary and middle school, by the time they get to high school, it’s really hard to shift and course correct. But if they haven’t been successful at elementary and you get them at the middle school level, you really do have the potential to shift that course in a monumental way, to reshape their views about whether they are indeed successful and worthwhile. You really have such a big role to play.”

Jessica Nápoles is Professor of Choral Music Education at the University of North Texas. She teaches undergraduate coursework in choral methods, conducts the Concert Choir, and mentors graduate students in research. Dr. Nápoles served as Interim division chair for Conducting & Ensembles in 2019-2020 and Interim division chair for Music Education in Fall of 2020. A native of Florida with a Cuban-American background, Dr. Napoles taught middle school chorus in the public schools of Miami and Orlando, FL. She received her bachelor of music education, master of music education, and PhD in music education from the Florida State University. Prior to her appointment at UNT, she taught at the University of Utah for 11 years.

Dr. Nápoles is an active choral conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, frequently engaging in guest conducting opportunities locally, regionally, and nationally. She has conducted All State and honor choirs in 20 states across the United States. She has conducted the Southern, North Central/Central, Eastern, and Western division honor choirs for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). In 2019, Dr. Nápoles made her Carnegie Hall debut as choral conductor for the WorldStrides OnStage Honors Performance Series. She was asked to return every year since.

In addition to her choral conducting invitations, Dr. Nápoles is a well known researcher, with numerous publications in journals such as the Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, and the International Journal of Music Education. She served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Research in Music Education, the premier research journal in music education, the International Journal of Research in Choral Singing, and the Journal of Music Teacher Education. Her research interests center on testing practitioner practices empirically, expressive conducting, burnout, and teacher talk. She has presented at conferences on these topics nationally and internationally. She is presently serving on NAfME’s Executive board of the Society for Research in Music Education.

Dr. Nápoles is meaningfully engaged with the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) at the national level. She is currently the Chair of the Research Standing Committee. Additionally, she served as Assistant Conference Chair for the 2019 and 2021 conferences, the Honor Choir Coordinator for the 2015 and 2017 conferences, and she is currently the co-chair of the 2025 Dallas national conference. Dr. Nápoles led the writing team of the ACDA COVID-19 task force that drafted a document to assist choral directors at all levels during the pandemic.

To get in touch with Jessica, you can email her at jessica.napoles@unt.edu or find her on Facebook (@jessica.napoles.1).

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“Contemporary commercial music is closer to the students’ everyday musical culture. There’s that component of culturally relevant pedagogy that both show choir and vocal jazz meet. They are a bit more naturally motivating to a majority of students, and we honor the musical culture of the United States and our popular styles from the last 100 years when we teach these things."

Ryan Deignan is Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he leads the flagship University Singers and the award-winning vocal jazz ensemble Lake Effect and teaches voice lessons, ear training, and vocal pedagogy. Deignan is the Artistic Director of the Twin Ports Choral Project and was a fellow at the 2022 Baylor International Choral Conducting Masterclass.

In addition to teaching and conducting, Deignan performs as a professional vocalist. He performed with the Madison Choral Project in 2023 and sang with the new Baton Rouge choir Red Shift in their 2020 Southern ACDA performance, where he also served as tenor soloist. Deignan sang with Dallas’ Orpheus Chamber Singers and Dallas Bach Society, and community choir Denton Bach Society as tenor soloist for their performance of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle.

At the high school level, Deignan was Director of Choirs for the West Des Moines Valley High School choral program of 350 students, seven traditional choirs, two show choirs, and four jazz choirs. Under his direction, Valley Singers performed at the 2016 North Central ACDA Convention in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Prior to West Des Moines, Deignan was Associate Director of Vocal Music at Cedar Rapids Washington High School where he led a Slice of Jazz to the 2012 Iowa Vocal Jazz Championship.

Deignan holds a BA in Vocal Performance from Luther College, an MA in Music Education from the University of Iowa and DMA in Choral Studies with a cognate field in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of North Texas.

To get in touch with Ryan, you can email him at rpdeignan@gmail.com or find him on Facebook (@rdeignan) or Instagram (@rpdeignan).

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.

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"I didn’t want to do any middle level teaching because of behavior, but I ended up teaching eight years at Patrick Henry Junior High. I loved every moment of it. I learned that if the kids loved and trusted you, they would do anything for you. It was just so much fun to take what they were willing to give and do some good work with them. It all translated into how they behaved in choir."

Cathleen Britton has been making music her entire life. She grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and then studied music at The University of South Dakota, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master’s Degree in Music Education. Britton has spent her career largely in Sioux Falls directing middle and high school vocal music programs. Her concert choirs have been selected repeatedly to perform at regional conventions, college music festivals and even at Carnegie Hall. Show choirs directed by Britton have received top awards at competitions in a multi‐state area. Outside school, Britton directed the Asbury Methodist Adult Choir for 15 years and was vocal conductor at the Augustana Summer Music Camp. She has served as Clinician and Festival Conductor at numerous conventions and competitions throughout the state and region. She traveled to Muscat, Oman as a festival conductor for the TAISM Festival of Choirs.

Britton has fostered the growth of vocal music programs through her work in the American Choral Directors’ Association where she has served as Repertory and Standards Chairperson for Vocal Jazz and Show Choir, Publicity Chair, and Convention Clinician for the North Central Division of the ACDA. She also held the office of State President of the South Dakota Chapter of ACDA. In 1996, Britton received the Encore Award for excellence and achievement in choral music and in 2008 was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by her peers in the American Choral Directors’ Association‐South Dakota Chapter. Britton was honored as the South Dakota recipient of the National Federation of High Schools 2011 Outstanding Music Educator Award. She was their North Central regional recipient for the same award in 2017, and in 2020, she received a national citation from NFHS.

To get in touch with Cathy, you can find her on Facebook (@cathy.clark.britton) or Instagram (@catbritton).

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"The greatest lesson that I learned as a gig singer is that your career and reputation are built one chance at a time. You get one chance and one chance only. If I want people to go out on a limb for me and recommend me for a gig, then I have to make sure that I'm protecting their reputation as well as my own. That starts with never being late, always being prepared, and almost never missing a note."

Dr. Stephen Caldwell is Associate Professor and Outgoing Chair of the Faculty Senate at the University of Arkansas. He is a nationally recognized conducting pedagogue and scholar, in demand as a clinician, conductor, and composer. At Arkansas, he conducts the nationally renowned Schola Cantorum, teaches the undergraduate sequence in conducting technique, graduate conducting lessons, and the graduate sequence in Choral History and Literature.

Since his arrival in 2012, he has twice been awarded the Associated Student Government's “Top 10 Most Outstanding Faculty Award," he has received “The Golden Tusk” from the Division of Student affairs, he is a 4-time Outstanding Mentor, the inaugural recipient of the Paul Cronan Award for Excellence in Teaching with Technology and was named one of the “Top 10 Artistic People to Watch” in Northwest Arkansas.

Under his direction and leadership, the Schola Cantorum has become one of the leading collegiate choirs in America, appearing at numerous conferences of NCCO, SWACDA, and ArkCDA, while touring internationally to the Republic of Serbia, Belgium, Germany, and Puerto Rico, and collecting more than half a million views on YouTube.

He has conducted more than 40 works with orchestra and has prepared choirs for performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Delaware Symphony, Arkansas Philharmonic, and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. He has presented interest sessions at multiple regional and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Collegiate Choral Organization and was an ACDA International Conducting Exchange Fellow in Kenya.

He has conducted District, Region and All-State choirs across the country and his original, multi award-winning compositions and arrangements are performed throughout the world.

Dr. Caldwell holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado, two Master of Music Degrees from Temple University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University.

To get in touch with Stephen, you can email him at stephenc@uark.edu. You can find him on X (@DrC_UArk) or Instagram (@stephen_caldwell). Visit the University of Arkansas Choirs YouTube page for more information about the UArk Choirs: @uofascholacantorum .

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Recording: "Weathers" performed by University of Arkansas Schola Cantorum from the album Wander-Thirst: The Choral Music of Florence Price

Thank you for listening to our show this season!!

Here are the favorite choral pieces from our guests in the third season:
Sommerpsalm, Waldemar Åhlén
Christmas Oratorio, Johann Sebastian Bach
Komm, Jesu, Komm; Johann Sebastian Bach
Agnus Dei, Samuel Barber
Bluegrass Mass, Carol Barnett
Afternoon on a Hill, Eric Barnum
Missa Solemnis, Ludwig van Beethoven
The Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee, Jean Berger
Chichester Psalms, Leonard Bernstein(x2)
Ave Maria, Franz Biebl
Ballad of the Brown King, Margaret Bonds
Credo, Margaret Bonds
Schicksalslied, Johannes Brahms
The New Colossus, Saunder Choi
Underneath My Foot, Jennifer Lucy Cook
Prayer of St. Francis, Robert Delgado
Requiem, Maurice Duruflé (x2)
When the Violin, Reena Esmail
Imagine Me, Kirk Franklin
Done Made My Vow, Adolphus Hailstork
I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, Adolphus Hailstork
Messiah, George Frideric Handel
Zadok the Priest, George Frideric Handel
Song of Democracy, Howard Hanson
Bring Us, O Lord God; William Harris
Lux Aeterna, Morten Lauridsen (x3)
Sure on This Shining Night, Morten Lauridsen
Fire Dance of Luna, Darius Lim
Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection," Gustav Mahler (x2)
The Awakening, Joseph M. Martin
Stabat Mater, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
And So I Go On, Jake Runestad
Selig Sind die Toten, Heinrich Schütz
Curse Upon Iron, Veljo Tormis
Eternity, Alvin Trotman
In the Middle, Dale Trumbore(x2)
Requiem, Giuseppe Verdi
O Quam Gloriosum, Tomás Luís de Victoria

Here are the composers that our guests suggested you check out:
Amy Beach
Brittney Benton
Arron Bratt
Stephen Chatman
Samuel Coleridge Taylor
Eleanor Daley
William Dawson
R. Nathaniel Dett
Melissa Dunphy (see Choir Fam Episode 72)
Maurice Duruflé
Leon Firšt
José Maurício Nunes Garcia
Carlo Gesualdo
Edie Hill
Shabaka Hutchings
Juliette Lai
Guillaume de Machaut
Joanne Metcalf
Rosephanye Powell
Florence Price
Marie-Claire Saindon
Valerie Showers Crescenz
Heather Sorenson
Billy Strayhorn
Gerald Thompson
Alvin Trotman
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Brandon Waddles
Ruth Watson Henderson
Mary Lou Williams

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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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.

We want to hear from you! We'd love all our listeners to answer our Season 3 lightning-round questions for us to share with our audience. We are looking forward to getting to know you better.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com with the following info:

1. Subject Line: Choir Fam Minisode
2. First and last name, pronouns optional
3. City and state you live in
4. School where you teach or study, choral organization you work with, etc.
5. Answer any and all of our lightning round questions:
   a. Beach or Mountain vacation?
   b. What was your favorite subject in HS that was NOT music?
   c. If you could go to a concert to hear any performer (living or dead), who would you pick?
   d. What is the best kind of sandwich?
   e. If you had to pick one favorite choral piece, what would it be?
   f. What is one composer that you feel needs more attention?
   g. What is your favorite memory associated with choral music?
   h. What projects are you working on right now that you’re excited about?

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Choir Fam Minisode 3 includes Lightning Round answers from two of our Choir Fam listeners:

Stephen Salamunovich
Renton, Washington

Anneliese Zook
Garfield, Washington

We want to hear from you! We'd love all our listeners to answer our Season 1 lightning-round questions for us to share with our audience. We are looking forward to getting to know you better.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com with the following info:

1. Subject Line: Choir Fam Minisode
2. First and last name, pronouns optional
3. City and state you live in
4. School where you teach or study, choral organization you work with, etc.
5. Answer any and all of our lightning round questions:
       a. When you were in high school, who was your favorite musical artist?
       b. If you could pick any career, other than music, what would it be?
       c. Dogs or cats?
       d. If you could be an extra in any movie you’ve seen, what movie would be?
       e. If you had to pick one favorite choral piece, what would it be?
       f. What is one composer that you feel needs more attention?
       g. What is your favorite memory associated with choral music?
       h. What projects are you working on right now that you’re excited about?

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“The number one thing that I look for when I meet a younger conductor is imagination, someone who comes with ideas but also has a story to tell with the music. Often younger conductors are really worried about technique, the way they look, the way they rehearse, but it starts with imagination. What do you want to communicate? People are so worried about technique that they hide themselves. We want to see the person. Who are you and what do you have to say?”

Prof. Jean-Sébastien Vallée is a renowned Canadian-American conductor, scholar, and pedagogue known for his expertise in vocal, choral, and orchestral repertoires. With an illustrious career spanning over several decades, Dr. Vallée has conducted numerous ensembles across North America, Europe, and Asia, and has prepared choruses for some of the world's most prestigious orchestras including the Toronto Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Currently serving as Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, and Coordinator of the Ensembles & Conducting Area at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, and as Artistic Director of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Dr. Vallée is a sought-after conductor and pedagogue. He has previously served as the Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and was on the choral faculty of the University of Redlands. Dr. Vallée holds degrees from Laval University, Sherbrooke University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a doctorate in conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Maestro Vallée's passion for contemporary music is evident in his work, as he makes it a priority to premiere and commission works by young composers and program rarely performed repertoire. Dr. Vallée has presented his research at several national and international conferences, including the American Choral Directors Association Conventions, Festival 500 in Newfoundland, the National Collegiate Choral Organization conference, Podium—the national convention of Choral Canada, the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, and the World Symposium on Choral Music in Spain (2017), New Zealand (2020), and Portugal (2022).

Maestro Vallée's recordings have been broadcast internationally and include Lux (ATMA, 2017), Requiem (ATMA, 2018 – requiems by Fauré and Duruflé), and Distance (ATMA, 2021). His recent engagements include concerts at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, a tour with the National Choir of Canada, and concerts with l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. 

To get in touch with Jean-Sébastien, you can visit his website jsvallee.com or find him on Facebook (@sebastien.vallee) or Instagram (@jsvallee). 

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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“We are there to be servants of our community. A lot of amateur choirs can become bowling leagues; they show up on Wednesday night, they have a great time, and that’s the reason they do it. I think the trick is to satisfy the needs of our singers, develop them as artists and people, but also make the focus constantly about reaching out to our audience: how do I find pieces that are going to meet my singers where they are, challenge them pedagogically, and bring people to my concert and make it impactful?”

Erick Lichte enjoys a diverse career as a conductor, composer, and record producer.

As a founding member, singer, and Artistic Director of the male vocal ensemble Cantus, Lichte created and sustained one of only two full-time vocal ensembles in the United States. From 2000-2009, Lichte’s programming and artistic direction were heard in over 60 concerts a year and he has collaborated with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, the Boston Pops, and Minnesota Orchestra.

In January 2013, he began his tenure as Artistic Director of Vancouver, Canada’s Chor Leoni Men’s Choir. Since that time, he has grown the choir into one of the most active and popular amateur choirs in North America, performing over 35 concerts a year. His first recording with Chor Leoni, Wandering Heart, received a perfect five-star review from the UK’s prestigious Choir and Organ Magazine.  In the summer of 2018, he led Chor Leoni to multiple awards and Grand Prix appearances at both the Singapore and Bali International Choral Competitions. In 2020, his world premiere recording of When There Is Peace: an Armistice Oratorio was nominated for a JUNO Award.

His work with Cantus and Chor Leoni garnered him both the 2009 and 2019 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, the highest honour from the professional choral organization Chorus America. He is only the second conductor to have ever won this award with two ensembles.

Lichte is an active proponent of new music and has commissioned over 300 new works from composers such as Lee Hoiby, Eriks Esenvalds, Gavin Bryars, Jocelyn Morlock, Steven Sametz, Edie Hill, Mary Ellen Childs, and Zachary Wadsworth among many others.

As a record producer, Lichte has made over 30 albums. His recent release for Naxos of the choral music of Eriks Esenvalds spent multiple weeks as the number one classical album on the Billboard charts.

He is also an active composer and arranger, especially known for co-creating All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 which has toured North America annually and been performed on three continents. The work’s 2018 off-Broadway run in Greenwich Village garnered Lichte a Drama Desk Award for both his composing and his musical direction. In November 2020, a filmed version of this production will air across the United States distributed through PBS.

To get in touch with Erick, you can reach out on Instagram (@ericklichte) or on Facebook (@erick.lichte). You can also check out Chor Leoni's YouTube page (@chorleoni).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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Audio clip: "Will Ye Go to Flanders" from All Is Calm

“In Indonesia, choral singing has just been really popular recently, maybe around ten years. It has become a lifestyle. Everyone wants to be part of a choir because choir is very interesting - you can go on tour, you can do concerts... What drives the choir most is joining a competition: they will have a goal they want to achieve, an opportunity to go abroad, building connection and building the ecosystem better to support each other.”

Hailing from Medan, composer Ken Steven (b. 1993) is known for his fusion of Indonesian colours and elements with modern techniques and harmonies. He received his undergraduate degree in church music from The Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, Philippines, and completed his Master of Music degree from California Baptist University, USA.

Since returning to Indonesia, his creative activity and work have made important contributions to the development of choral music in Indonesia. His music is picking up and starting to make an impact on the international choral music scene. His music is available through several publishers including Pavane, Hal Leonard, Earthsongs, and Walton. 

Currently, he serves as the Director of Studies at SMK Methodist Charles Wesley Music Vocational School in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. He is also the conductor of Medan Community Male Choir, founded in 2015, and has led the choir to achieve many international awards in choral festivals and competitions.

To get in touch with Ken, you can email him at st.25_ken@hotmail.com or find him on Facebook (@ken.steven) or Instagram (@st.25ken).

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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“So many people view conducting as a reflection of the music, and if that works for them, that's great. I view conducting as a reflection of the movement. Undergrads aren't always predisposed to musical language, but they are already predisposed to the language that Laban uses: time, space, weight, flow. Instead of saying 'that's not marcato enough,' you could instead say 'that's not heavy enough’ or ‘direct enough.’ That's language that we're already familiar with as people.”

Dr. Eric Rubinstein is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Nazareth University, where he directs the Chamber Singers and Treble Choir and teaches additional coursework in conducting and music education. Prior to his appointment at Nazareth, Dr. Rubinstein served as Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College (CUNY).

Ensembles under his direction have been recognized across New York and New England for performances of the highest artistic caliber. Program highlights with the Nazareth Chamber Singers include a performance tour of Poland, a year-long partnership with Nazareth’s Department of Theatre and Dance, and an invited performance at the 2023 NYSSMA Winter Conference. Dr. Rubinstein led the Queens College Treble Choir to invited performances at the 2022 ACDA Eastern Division Conference in Boston, MA and as the demonstration choir for the 2019 NYSSMA Winter Conference conducting masterclass. The Treble Choir was also honored in 2022 by The American Prize.

As a secondary school choral director, Dr. Rubinstein amassed a decade of high school teaching in Monticello and Westhampton Beach, NY, where he concurrently served on the music education faculty at CUNY Brooklyn College. Under his direction, the choirs were honored to perform at Carnegie Hall, Chautauqua Institute, and abroad, and were featured at the 2015 NY-ACDA Conference at the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Rubinstein has also served on the artistic faculty for the New York State Summer School of the Arts, and remains active as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for various choral festivals and conferences.

Dr. Rubinstein is a member of NAfME and ACDA, where he also serves as a New York- ACDA Repertoire & Resources co-chair for LGBTQIA+ Choral Music. He holds Choral Conducting and Music Education degrees from Louisiana State University (D.M.A), Michigan State University (M.M.), and SUNY Fredonia (B.M.).

To get in touch with Eric, you can email him at erubins6@naz.edu or find him on Facebook: https://facebook.com/erubinstein .

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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"The question I had to ask myself was, 'Do you want to change who you are as a composer just so can match a particular sound that is in fashion or is expected of you in the concert hall world or do you want to say true to yourself as an artist?'" Time and time again, whenever this question pops up, it's always you turn towards yourself and ask yourself who you are and you stay true to who you are. You don't change your sound based on what is in vogue in the music world. Be true to yourself. Be the best version of yourself and don't try to be a second-rate version of anyone else."

Christopher Tin is a two-time Grammy-winning composer of concert and media music. His music has been performed and premiered in many of the world's most prestigious venues: Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, the United Nations, and Carnegie Hall, where he had an entire concert devoted to his music. He has also been performed by ensembles diverse as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Metropole Orkest, and US Air Force Band.

His song "Baba Yetu", originally written for the video game Civilization IV, is a modern choral standard, and the first piece of music written for a video game ever to win a Grammy Award. His debut album, the multi-lingual song cycle Calling All Dawns, won him a second Grammy in 2011 for Best Classical Crossover Album, and his follow-up release The Drop That Contained the Sea debuted at #1 on Billboard's classical charts, and premiered to a sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium. His third album To Shiver the Sky also debuted at #1, and was funded by a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign that raised $221,415, smashing all previous classical music crowdfunding records. His fourth album, The Lost Birds, is a collaboration with acclaimed British vocal ensemble VOCES8 and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2023.

Tin is signed to an exclusive record deal with Universal under their legendary Decca label, published by Concord and Boosey & Hawkes, and is a Yamaha artist. He works out of his own custom-built studio in Santa Monica, CA.

To get in touch with Chris, you can visit his website, christophertin.com, or find him on Instagram (@christophertinmusic) or Facebook (@christophertinmusic).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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“The music that I fell in love with that made me want to be a musician when I was a young teenager was not loved because it’s super difficult. That’s not the reason you love music. You love music that makes you feel and makes you think. If something is challenging, that feeling of reaching the finish line and being able to create a performance that you’re proud of is super rewarding. If something is impossible, that doesn’t excite me.”

Born in Australia and raised in an immigrant family, Melissa Dunphy herself immigrated to the United States in 2003 and has since become an award-winning and acclaimed composer specializing in vocal, political, and theatrical music. She first came to national attention when her large-scale work the Gonzales Cantata was featured in The The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, National Review, and on Fox News and The Rachel Maddow Show, where host Rachel Maddow described it as “the coolest thing you’ve ever seen on this show.”. Other notable works include the song cycle Tesla's Pigeon, which won first place in the NATS Art Song Composition Award, and choral work What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach? which won the Simon Carrington Chamber Singers Competition and has been performed nationally by ensembles including Chanticleer and Cantus.

Dunphy is the recipient of a 2020 Opera America Discovery Grant for Alice Tierney, an opera commissioned by Oberlin Conservatory which premiered in 2023 at Oberlin and Opera Columbus. She has been composer-in-residence for the Immaculata Symphony Orchestra, Volti, and the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, and her commissions include works for the BBC Singers, VOCES8, Mendelssohn Chorus, and the Kennett Symphony. Dunphy is also a Barrymore Award-nominated theater composer and is Director of Music Composition for the O'Neill National Puppetry Conference.

Dunphy has a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.M. from West Chester University and is on faculty at Rutgers University. She is president of the board of directors for Wildflower Composers and serves on the board of Lyric Fest. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Matt; the Dunphys are currently the owners and developers of the Hannah Callowhill Stage, a new performance venue in Old City Philadelphia which they hope to open in 2026 for the 250th anniversary of the birth of America, and co-hosts of the popular podcast The Boghouse about their adventures in Philadelphia colonial archaeology.

To get in touch with Melissa, you can visit her website, melissadunphy.com or find her on Instagram (@mormolyke) or Facebook (@mormolyke).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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“You can’t be a good teacher, you can’t be a good conductor, without being a good human being... I’m grateful that I have stuck with so many of the things that felt true to me. I’m honest and vulnerable but also still open to learning from other people, because everything that I do is not right. If I realize it’s not right, I need to ‘fess up to it really quickly.”

A Virginia native, Marques L. A. Garrett is Associate Professor of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas. He earned his PhD in Music Education (Choral Conducting) at Florida State University.
An active conductor, Dr. Garrett is the founding conductor of the Nebraska Festival Singers. He has served as a guest conductor or clinician with several school, church, community, and festival/honor choirs throughout the country. In addition to his conducting classes at UNT, he leads conducting workshops at other universities and conferences.
A versatile voice that performs both as a baritone and countertenor, Dr. Garrett has sung with several community, church, and university groups as both a chorister and soloist. He was the countertenor soloist in the European premiere of Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo in Limerick, Ireland. Currently, he sings with the Festival Singers of Florida and Jason Max Ferdinand Singers.
Dr. Garrett is an avid composer of choral and solo-vocal music whose compositions have been performed to acclaim by high school all-state, collegiate, and professional choirs including Seraphic Fire and the Oakwood University Aeolians. His compositions are available through several publishers.

To get in touch with Marques, you can visit his website, mlagmusic.com or find him on Facebook (@marques.l.a.garrett) or Snapchat/Instagram/X (@mlagmusic).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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“My professional career comes from something that I did not study. I think it’s called the hidden curriculum - things that you learn that are not on your schedule that are many times equally or more important as things on the schedule. Now, don’ t tell your students not to study and only spend time doing whatever they do. The combination is the secret - the inspiration you get from your fellow students and teachers.”

Born in Stockholm, Anders Edenroth started playing piano and singing in choirs at an early age. From ages 10 to 20 studying at Adolf Fredrik’s School of Music in Stockholm he experienced a strong focus on choir singing. Continuing with five years of studies at The Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm, he and his fellow-students formed an a cappella quintet – The Real Group. In the two years following their Masters qualifications, all five group members studied together on a specially-designed postgraduate course resulting in a diploma of the highest standing.

For The Real Group Anders Edenroth has written and published many original songs, and arrangements of well-known standards, constantly exploring the development of new vocal textures and the integration of vocal percussion and rhythmic effects. He has been awarded several grants from The Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs and Swedish Performing Rights Society (STIM). He has also worked as a keyboard player within the jazz and pop domain and as a writer of television scores and music for commercials. Over the years he has engineered and produced albums for many artists as well as arranging music for other vocal groups, for big bands, symphony orchestras and stage shows. Since 1989 he has been a full-time singer performing with The Real Group in more than 40 countries and has recorded 20 albums, many of which he also produced. Anders is also much appreciated for his many masterclass workshops, both at the two major TRG Festivals, and at venues on their international tours.

His off-stage interests include cooking (which leaks into some of his compositional ideas) and environmental conservation. One of his favourite influences is Stevie Wonder although he listens to all kinds of music. He thinks that if not a musician, his creative instincts might have manifested as an inventor and he plans to one day publish a book entitled ‘Incredible Inventions’ or ‘Totally Ingenius’.

To get in touch with Anders, you can visit his website, www.andersedenroth.com, or find him on Facebook (@anders.edenroth) or Instagram (@andersedenroth).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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"When you're singing choral music, you can't be thinking about all those other things that are going on in your life. It takes incredible mental focus. People would say to me, 'how do you have time to sing in a choir when you're working on a doctorate?' and I would tell them that for me, it's like getting a mental holiday. It revives me. It refreshes me. It fills a different part of my soul and my brain and actually helps in all the other things that I was able to accomplish."

Dr. Elizabeth Chilton was named the inaugural Chancellor of the WSU Pullman campus in the fall of 2021. Chilton joined WSU as provost and executive vice president in July of 2020 and began serving in her dual role in January 2022.

A first-generation college student, Chilton earned her PhD at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, after earning her BA at the University at Albany, State University of New York at Albany.

From 2017 to 2020 she served as dean of the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences at Binghamton University, one of the largest universities in the SUNY system. Prior to her tenure at Binghamton, Chilton spent nearly 16 years as a professor and leader at the University of Massachusetts. She served as a professor, anthropology department chair and associate vice chancellor for research and engagement, among other roles. She worked toward making the institutions she’s served more accessible, diverse, and inclusive.

After earning her PhD, Chilton got her start in academia at Harvard University, where she was a tenure track assistant professor and served as the Associate Curator for the Archeology of Northeastern North America at the institution’s Peabody Museum.

In addition to her administrative roles, Chilton is a respected author, teacher, and scholar of New England archeology and Native American studies.

Chilton serves as president of the Archaeology Division of the American Anthropological Association, and has served as a faculty fellow for the Higher Education Leadership Programs for Women, or HERS, which aims to create and sustain a diverse network of bold women leaders. She’s been involved in more than a dozen conferences since 1999, serving as an organizer as well as a moderator and panelist, and is the author of dozens of peer-reviewed book chapters and journal articles.

To get in touch with Elizabeth, you can find her on Twitter (@EChiltonWSU) or Instagram (@echiltonwsu). You can also email her at pullman@wsu.edu. 

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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“Being text-focused has been really beneficial and a change from the way I’ve seen concerts programmed in the past: ‘Do the keys align? What is the soundscape?’ Those things are important, but for these concerts, the message that we’re putting out there has to be priority. We are choral musicians, and we have words and stories to share, and those have to take precedent.”

Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake works as a conductor, composer/arranger, vocal contractor, singer, and music activist. Blake is the Founding Artistic Director of Tonality, an award-winning choral ensemble focused on spreading a message of unity, peace, and social justice through a culturally diverse choral setting. He also serves as Principal Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus.

As an arranger, Blake’s “Wade in the Water” was a featured arrangement at the 2013 North Carolina Music Educators Association convention and is published with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. His choral arrangements are published by Alliance Music Publishing and Walton Music Publishing. Other musical activities include an opera conducting premiere at the 2019 Prototype Festival in New York City, preparing choirs for live performances with UCLA Center for the Art of Performance, and vocally arranging for a nationally televised performance during the 2022 MLB All-Star Game.

Recent film and TV credits include singing on the soundtrack of Jordan Peele’s “Us,” Disney’s “Lion King,” and Pixar’s “Spies in Disguise,” and leading sessions for Warner Bros "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and Netflix film "Escape from Spiderhead." Blake also worked as the choral contractor and vocal arranger for Andy Grammer’s performance at the 2019 ARDYs (Radio Disney Awards). Blake recently prepared singers for the 2020 Grammy Awards and performed at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Blake completed the Doctorate in Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California in 2019, the Master of Music degree at the University of California Los Angeles in 2014, and the Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude) in Vocal Performance at Wake Forest University in 2010.

To get in touch with Alex, you can find him on Instagram: @alexanderlblake. To learn more about Tonality, look for @ourtonality on Instagram or Facebook.

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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Ryan W. Holder is currently in his eighteenth year as the Associate Director of Choral Studies at Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ), where he directs Vox Astra and the Northern Voices and High Altitude vocal jazz ensembles, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting and choral methods, supervises choral student teachers, and serves as the adviser for the NAU student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and the three contemporary a cappella groups.  In addition, he is the coordinator of the annual Jazz/Madrigal festival, which brings in over 85 high schools and 145 choirs every year.

Dr. Holder has given lectures and presentations at local, state, and regional ACDA and NAfME conventions, including a lecture on “Making the Transition from Classical to Vocal Jazz”.  His vocal jazz ensembles have also been invited to perform throughout the Southwest, including performances at state and regional ACDA conferences, and was one of only three vocal jazz ensembles selected to perform at the 2012 Jazz Educators Network Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ryan has served as the Arizona State ACDA President as well as on the ACDA National Committee on Educational Technology.  He also serves as the director of music at The Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona, Arizona where he is the founding artistic director of the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers.

Dr. Holder received his DMA degree from the University of Miami in addition to bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Oregon University and University of Northern Colorado, respectively.

To get in touch with Ryan, you can email him at Ryan.Holder@nau.edu or find him on Instagram (@the_ryan_holder).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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“I really thought I wanted to be a high school teacher, but the first job I got was in elementary. That turned out to be the best ‘teaching-me’ experience I could have had, because I learned that if one could get music across to people without much background, you can get it across to anybody.”

Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt is Professor Emerita of Choral Studies at the University of Toronto where she held the Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting and received the inaugural Teaching Excellence Award in 2013. Previously she taught at the Ohio State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, after receiving her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Her teaching experiences range from teaching public school to directing community ensembles and church choirs. From 2013 – 2018, she was Artistic Director of Exultate Chamber Singers in Toronto.

A native Canadian, she has performed with her university choirs at conferences of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and at Podium, the national conference of Choral Canada. She has conducted honors choruses throughout Canada and the U.S., including almost 40 all-state high school choirs. She has directed choral festivals at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and throughout Europe.

Dr. Apfelstadt has published numerous articles and book chapters, including contributions to Wisdom, Wit and Will: Women Choral Conductors on their Art (GIA Publications, 2009) and Conducting Successful Women’s Choirs (GIA, 2012).  She is co-editor of Teaching Music through Performance in Choir, v. 5, published by GIA (2019), and a contributing author to Volume 4 of the same series.  Her book on the life and work of Canadian composer Ruth Watson Henderson, I Didn’t Want It To be Boring (Toronto: Prism Publishers) won Choral Canada’s award for the Outstanding Choral Publication in 2018.  She is Feature Articles Editor for Anacrusis (Choral Canada) and an Editorial Mentor for The Choral Scholar (NCCO). She also serves on the Board of Chorus America.

A Life Member of ACDA, Dr. Apfelstadt served as National President from 2007 – 2009 and as Interim Executive Director from 2020 – 2021. She has received leadership awards from NC-ACDA, Ohio CDA, ACDA Central Region, ACDA Midwestern Region, and Choirs Ontario.

To get in touch with Hilary, you can email her at hilary.apfelstadt@utoronto.ca or find her on Facebook (@HilaryJApfelstadt).

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“We were doing some Anglican chant, and we went on to the Hogan ‘Ride On, King Jesus.’ It was as if it was the first time we had ever seen light. It was a revelation for me and for the singers and led to a lot of rebranding of who we are, our values, whose music is important, and the right balance we should be striving for. I felt like I had finally found a place where I could express my full musical identity because it had been fragmented in every other professional setting.”

Arreon A. Harley-Emerson graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, with bachelor’s degrees in Music Theory & Composition and Vocal Performance (opera). He received master’s of music degrees in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance from the University of Delaware School of Music and is a doctoral candidate and University Fellow at the Boyer School of Music and Dance at Temple University in Philadelphia. He has had the opportunity to conduct in venues such as St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, The Kimmel Center for the Arts in Philadelphia, and the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore.

Mr. Harley-Emerson has held a number of teaching and artistic director positions. He served as Director of Music and Operations of the Choir School of Delaware from June 2013 through December 2022. In this position, he was responsible for the musical components of the renowned Choir School program as well as serving as Executive Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the organization.

An avid researcher and presenter, Mr. Harley-Emerson has contributed a chapter to The Oxford Handbook for Choral Pedagogy entitled “The Gang Mentality of Choirs: How Choirs Have the Capacity to Change Lives.” He also has a TEDx Talk with the same title and contributed to the research literature regarding culturally responsive choral and classroom practice.

Committed to the principles of Access, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Restorative Practice (ADEIBR), Mr. Harley-Emerson has established a thriving consultancy to assist arts and culture nonprofit organizations in remaining relevant in the 21st century. His work includes longitudinal studies, strategic planning, Board Excellence training, resource and asset development, and board diversification. Mr. Harley-Emerson currently serves as the National Chair of the American Choral Directors Association’s Diversity Initiatives Committee. An active member of the Wilmington, Delaware community, Mr. Harley-Emerson is on the Delaware Arts Alliance’s Board of Directors, where he serves as President of the Board and chairs the Advancement Committee, which is tasked with fundraising, membership development, and DEIB.

To get in touch with Arreon, you can visit his website, equitysings.com. You can also find him on Facebook (@EquitySings) or Instagram (@equitysings). Learn more about Arreon's pro choir, Elevation, at elevatevocalarts.org.

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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“As choral conductors, we're first and foremost educators, and we have to realize that we have to come with compassion in everything that we do when we listen to choirs. All too often we sit there thinking, ‘the intonation wasn't so great, or maybe their phrase endings could be better,’ but we don't understand what people are working with. No two choirs are the same. No choir operates in the same context.”

Dr. Michael Joseph Barrett is the conductor of the University of Pretoria (Tuks) Camerata and a senior lecturer in Choral Conducting in the Department of Music. He obtained the degrees BMus in Performing Arts and MMus (Performing Arts), specializing in choral conducting, in 2008, both from the University of Pretoria. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and a Performance Licentiate in Singing, both received in 2008, from Unisa. In 2017, Michael was awarded a Doctorate of Music degree (Performing Arts) in Choral Performance by the University of Pretoria.

Michael’s choirs have won numerous national and international awards, as well as choral competitions all over the world, including the Grand Prix of Nations; the 8th World Choir Games; the St Petersburg Choral Competition; the Llangollen (Shlangoshlen) International Musical Eisteddfod (ICEtedfud); and the International Youth Music Festival. In 2017, Tuks Camerata was invited to perform at the World Choral Symposium in Barcelona, Spain.

The choir has released three CDs, which were all nominated for South African Music Awards. In March, the Tuks Camerata will perform as an invited choir to the National ACDA Conference in Dallas.

Michael is an active composer and arranger whose music is published internationally by Santa Barbara Music Publishers and Walton Music. He is regularly invited to present workshops and adjudicate choral competitions both locally and abroad. He is also the executive director and co-producer of Capital Singers, South Africa’s largest community choir project.

To get in touch with Michael, you can email him or find him on Instagram (@mbarrett1310) or Facebook (@michael.j.barrett.54). You can also visit the Tuks Camerata website or follow them on Instagram (@tuks_camerata), Facebook (@UPCamerata), or YouTube (@universityofpretoriacamera357). To support the Tuks Camerata's travel to National ACDA 2025, visit their funding website.

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.

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“If people think you value them, they will do anything in the world to make the music for you."

André J. Thomas is an Associate Artist with the London Symphony Orchestra.

Thomas is Professor Emeritus of Music at Florida State University. He was visiting Professor of Choral Conducting at Yale University from 2020-2022. He also served as faculty member at the University of Texas, Austin.

Dr. Thomas received his degrees from Friends University (B.A.), Northwestern University (M. M.), and The University of Illinois (D.M.A). He is in demand as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and director of Honor/All-State Choirs throughout North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, and Africa Dr. Thomas has conducted choirs at the state, division, and national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference (NAFME) and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). His international conducting credits are extensive. They include conductor/clinician for the International Federation of Choral Musicians' summer residency of the World Youth Choir in the Republic of China and the Philippines. He was also the conductor of the World Youth Choir's winter residency in Europe and a premier performance by an American choir (Florida State University Singers) in Vietnam.

He is a highly respected guest conductor who has led numerous prestigious orchestras and choirs around the world, including the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in England, the Berlin Radio Choir and the North German Radio Choir in Germany, the Netherlands Radio Choir, The Bulgarian Radio Choir and Orchestra, the Seoul Metropolitan Chorus, Ansan City Choir, Jeju Provincial Seogwipo Chorale in South Korea, the Charlotte Symphony, China's People's Liberation Orchestra, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony. He also served as the Artistic Director of the Tallahassee Community Chorus for 31 seasons.

Thomas has also distinguished himself as a composer/arranger. Hinshaw Music Company, Mark Foster Music Company, Fitzsimons Music Company, Lawson Gould, Earthsongs, Choristers Guild, and Heritage Music Company publish his compositions and arrangements. Dr. Thomas has produced two instructional videos—What They See Is What You Get on choral conducting, with Rodney Eichenberger, and Body, Mind, Spirit, Voice on adolescent voices, with Anton Armstrong. His recent book, Way Over in Beulah Lan': Understanding and Performing the Negro Spiritual, has quickly become a significant source in this area of study.

Various musical organizations have recognized Thomas. The African Diaspora Sacred Music honored Dr. Thomas as a Living Legend. In 2011, Chorus America recognized Thomas' dedication to and accomplishments in the choral arts, presenting him with its Distinguished Service Award. In March 2017, ACDA presented Thomas with its highest honor, the Robert Shaw Award, and in November of 2017, NCCO (National Collegiate Choral Organization) presented Thomas with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In January 2019, he was inducted into the Florida Music Educator's Hall of Fame. In 2022 he was presented with the Award of Excellence from the Southern Region of ACDA. Yale University School of Music presented Thomas with the Samuel Simons Sanford Medal, the most prestigious honor conferred by the Yale School of Music.

He is a past president of the Florida ACDA, a past president of the Southern Division of ACDA, and the current  Past President of the National ACDA.

To get in touch with André, you can email him at athomas@acda.org or find him on Facebook (@andre.thomas.52). 

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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“Let your passion guide you. That has been such a huge help to me in this journey because I know that I’m doing it because I love to do it. Don’t get caught up in going through the motions. It’s easy to be on autopilot and push things to the back of your mind so you can keep putting out work, good performances, or good rehearsals, but always try to be in tune with yourself and listen to what your body needs.”

B.E. (Brittney Elizabeth) Boykin is a native of Alexandria, Virginia, and comes from a musical family. At the age of 7, she began piano lessons and continued her studies through high school under the tutelage of Mrs. Alma Sanford. Mrs. Sanford guided her through various competitions, such as the NAACP’s ACT-SO competition where she garnered 1st place for 3 consecutive years in the local competition, as well as being awarded The Washington Post “Music and Dance Award” in the spring of 2007.

Boykin then pursued her classical piano studies at Spelman College under the leadership of Dr. Rachel Chung. After graduating Spelman College in 2011 with a B.A. in Music, Boykin continued her studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. During her time at Westminster, she was awarded the R and R Young Composition Prize just a few months shy of graduating with her M.M. in Sacred Music with a concentration in choral studies in May, 2013.

Boykin’s choral piece, “We Sing as One,” was commissioned to celebrate Spelman College’s 133rd Anniversary of its founding at the 2014 Founders Day Convocation. She has also been featured as the conductor/composer-in-residence for the 2017 Harry T. Burleigh Commemorative Spiritual Festival at Tennessee State University. Boykin has been commissioned and collaborated with several organizations, including a number of ACDA divisions, the Minnesota Opera and the Kennedy Center. She obtained her Ph.D. from Georgia State University with an emphasis in Music Education and is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

To get in touch with Brittney, you can find her on Instagram (@_klavia) or Facebook (@klaviapress). You can also visit her websites, klaviapress.com and beboykin.com.

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us.

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Excerpt from "Stardust" by B.E. Boykin, performed by the WSU Treble Choir, Matthew Myers, conductor. Available from Graphite Publishing: https://graphitepublishing.com/product/stardust/

“It’s people first. You need to address the humans that are there in front of you and help them be where they are. There are some kids who are hungry, who haven’t had anything since their last meal at school the day before or the week before. The human part of them has to feel safe before they can care about whether that’s a late sixteenth note.”

Dr. Lynn M. Brinckmeyer recently retired as Professor of Music, Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication and Director of Choral Music Education at Texas State University. During 2006-2008 she served as President for The National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC). Other past offices include: President for the Northwest Division of MENC, Music Educators Journal Editorial Board, and Washington Music Educators Association General Music Curriculum Chair. In addition to chairing the Eastern Washington University Music Department for six years and conducting the EWU Concert Choir, Dr. Brinckmeyer received the Washington Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, the MENC Northwest Division Distinguished Service Award and she was designated a Lowell Mason Fellow for outstanding contributions to the field of music education.

Dr. Brinckmeyer’s research initiatives continue to focus on developing young voices, music from across the globe and music advocacy. She published five books: Wander the USA with Warm-Ups!, The Wonder of Music with John Jacobson, Rhythm Rescue!, Wander the World with Warm-ups with Hal Leonard Publishing and Advocate for Music with Oxford University Press. In Washington she conducted the Eastern Washington University Girls’ Chorus and the South Hill Children’s Chorus. During her time at Texas State University Dr. Brinckmeyer was a co-founder/Artistic Director of the Hill Country Youth Chorus.

Dr. Brinckmeyer’s degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Music Education from Eastern New Mexico University, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from The University of Kansas. In New Mexico she taught elementary music and middle school choir, then moved to higher education in the Pacific Northwest. At Texas State University Dr. Brinckmeyer teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in choral music education, and she directed the Texas State treble ensemble, Aurora Voce. Each summer Dr. Brinckmeyer serves as a long time staff member for the World Music Drumming workshops. She has conducted all state choirs and honor choirs, lectured, presented master classes and performed in forty-nine states in the United States and 20+ countries, including China, Brazil, South Africa, Cuba, Peru and Australia. In addition to serving music teachers and students across the globe Dr. Brinckmeyer mentors teachers and other professionals as a Life Mastery Certified Coach/Consultant.

To get in touch with Lynn, you can email her at lynnbrinckmeyer@gmail.com or lbrinckmeyer@txstate.edu.  You can get more information about her program Love Teaching Even More by reaching out to her.

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us. 

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“Social practice is the ability to let peer groups problem-solve together and work things through. This is what I try to practice a lot of in the learning stages of music making. The phrase I use is ‘You learn music with us so that someday you can go learn music and make it without us.’ If they’re not identifying how to problem-solve and correct on their own, they are less likely to go out and be able to do that independently.”

Joseph Svendsen is the Director of Choral Studies and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he conducts the UNLV Singers and Collegium and teaches graduate coursework in conducting and choral literature, working with students seeking the MM in Choral Conducting. During his tenure at UNLV the choirs have toured internationally and regionally and performed at professional conferences and festivals in the southwestern United States. The choirs host the Desert Rose Choral Festival, a one-day festival chorus of high school students drawn from across the southwest.

Svendsen is the artistic director of the Las Vegas Master Singers, a 90-voice volunteer ensemble that serves as the symphony chorus for the Las Vegas Philharmonic and provides the choruses for Opera Las Vegas’s main stage productions. The chorus regularly collaborates with Las Vegas and regional orchestras, choirs, and solo artists and commissions works about life in Nevada through its New Voices outreach program. Svendsen is also music minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Summerlin, Nevada, where the church’s choral scholars recently completed a residency at St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire, England. An active clinician, he has served as an invited conductor in eight countries and seven states, with choirs ranging from middle school through adulthood.

Svendsen is an advocate of critical pedagogy and agency building in the choral rehearsal, developing student musicianship, independence, and engagement through the teaching of diverse repertoire. He has presented on this subject for conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education, as well as several university and school district guest lectures and residencies. He is the 2023 recipient of the UNLV College of Fine Arts Outstanding Teaching Award.

Svendsen is a proud alumnus of Luther College, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Texas Tech University, from which he earned his DMA in Choral Conducting. From 2007-2013 he taught high school vocal music in Fort Dodge, Iowa. His choral mentors and teachers include Richard Bjella, Chester Alwes, Craig Arnold, and Timothy Peter.

To get in touch with Joe, you can email him at joseph.svendsen@unlv.edu or find him on Instagram (@joseph.svendsen) or Twitter (@josephsvendsen).

Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us. 

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