"I have always been very intentional about my programming. My students sit in front of me, they're 18 to 22 years old, but I would have programmed for their 35-, 40-year-old self, for when the hard times come. What are we singing? What is this choir mama feeding them that eventually, when the hard times come, bubbles up in their spirit to help them get through the harder times?"

Dr. Pearl Shangkuan is a highly sought-after conductor, lecturer and clinician who has led performances and workshops on six continents. She is the National President-elect of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), having previously served on the Board of Directors of Chorus America, as well as ACDA central division president and ACDA Michigan state president. She is the chorus director of the Grand Rapids Symphony, a Grammy-nominated professional orchestra and Professor Emerita of Music at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Appointed in 2022 as the Editor of Hinshaw Music, a major choral music publisher in North America, she also has a signature choral series with earthsongs and is the music editor of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Choral series published by GIA. She was an invited guest lecturer at the World Symposium for Choral Music held in Seoul, South Korea and her guest conducting engagements regularly take her to Europe, Asia, and across North America.

Dr. Shangkuan has served on the jury of several international choral competitions in Europe and Asia. She has conducted numerous All State choirs and has headlined several ACDA state and other professional conferences. She has commissioned and premiered numerous choral works and her choirs have performed at ACDA national, division and state conferences.

In 2023, the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) gave her its Honorary Life Member Award for “distinguished leadership and extraordinary service to the choral community, both nationally and internationally.”

To get in touch with Pearl, you can find her on Facebook (@pearl.shangkuan) or email her at pshangkuan@hinshawmusic.com or pearl.shangkuan@calvin.edu.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

“I don't have a sound that I'm trying to make the choir fit into. I'm trying to understand and uncover the palette of sounds that are in front of me and then expand our sense of what we can sound like. This happens through the community building process, because the more we honor each individual and allow them to bring themselves into that rehearsal space, then the fuller and richer we are.”

Dr. Joel Tranquilla (he/him/his) is a conductor and music educator noted for his versatile musicianship and creative programming. Originally from Fredericton, Joel is thrilled to have returned home to assume the position of Artistic Director of the Halifax Camerata Singers and Chorus Master of Symphony Nova Scotia. Formative choral experiences include touring with the American Boychoir as a boy soprano and singing as a member of the Nova Scotia and National Youth Choirs. He holds degrees from Mount Allison University, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University where his doctoral research was in the area of Canadian choral-orchestral works.

Joel relocated to Nova Scotia in 2023 after spending nine years as the Director of Choral Activities at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC, where he oversaw a program of six choirs and taught various courses within the School of the Arts, Media and Culture. Joel led the TWU Chamber Choir on tours to Ottawa, New York City, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. In addition to his work at TWU, Joel served as the Artistic Director of the Valley Festival Singers in Abbotsford and was the conductor of the award-winning Coastal Sound Youth Choir in Coquitlam. A singing member of the Canadian Chamber Choir since 2007, he was named the ensemble’s Associate Conductor in 2013. As such, he contributes to the programming and long-term artistic visioning of that organization. Prior to his time on the West Coast, Joel lived and worked in Windsor, Ontario, serving as the conductor of several local ensembles including the Windsor Symphony Orchestra Chorus. In high demand as an adjudicator and clinician across the country, Joel is a past Guest Conductor of the New Brunswick Youth Choir and the Manitoba Provincial Honour Choir, and was the Assistant Conductor of the 2012 National Youth Choir.

Major works conducted include Poulenc’s Gloria, Vaughan Williams’ Hodie, Ramirez’s Navidad nuestra, Mendelssohn’s St. Paul, Handel’s Alexander’s Feast, Requiems by Fauré and Duruflé, Bach’s St. John Passion, and Allan Bevan’s oratorio Nou Goth Sonne Under Wode. In spring 2023, Joel conducted the premiere of a new oratorio by David Squires and made his Carnegie Hall debut in a program featuring Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs.

Joel believes in the power of choral music to build and strengthen community. His wife, Meghan is an audiologist, and they have three precocious children: Everett, Penelope, and Felix.

To get in touch with Joel, you can visit the Halifax Camerata Singers website at halifaxcamerata.org or find them on Facebook (@HalifaxCamerataSingers) or Instagram (@halifaxcameratasingers). You can also find the Canadian Chamber Choir at their website canadianchamberchoir.ca, on Facebook (@CanadianChamberChoir) or Instagram (@canadianchamberchoir).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

“Historically, in higher education and in music in general, it was a male-dominated podium expectation. When we step on the podium as women-identifying conductors, we're breaking that image. There's a long way to go, and WiCHEd is working on bringing a supportive community together, helping the next generation figure out how to navigate this complicated web.”

Coreen Duffy is associate professor of conducting and director of choral activities at the University of Colorado Boulder where she conducts the CU Boulder Chamber Singers and oversees the choral program. Her duties at the College of Music include leading the graduate program in choral conducting at both the master’s and doctoral levels.

Duffy is also artistic director of the Seicento Baroque Ensemble, a Boulder-based semi-professional choral ensemble committed to working with period instruments and historically-informed performance practice.

Prior to her appointment at CU Boulder, Duffy served on the faculties of the University of Montana and the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Under her direction, the University of Montana Chamber Chorale performed at the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition, the 75th Anniversary Festival of Music at the Hochschule für Musik Saar, Cadogan Hall and Southwark Cathedral, Carnegie Hall, the Northwest Conference of the American Choral Directors Association, and the Montana International Choral Festival.

Duffy is an active clinician and composer: Her works are published by ECS Publishing, Hinshaw Music, Pavane Publishing and Walton Music. She specializes in Jewish choral music and has presented sessions on the subject internationally including the international conference of the European Center for Jewish Music (EZJM) in Hannover, Germany, and national conferences of the College Music Society, National Association for Music Education, National Collegiate Choral Organization, North American Jewish Choral Festival and ACDA.

Duffy is vice president of the National Collegiate Choral Organization and recently served as president-elect of the Northwestern ACDA and Northwest representative of the NAfME National Choral Council.

Duffy earned her DMA in choral music from the USC Thornton School of Music, Her MM in conducting from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, Juris Doctor at the University of Michigan Law School and her BMA and BA with honors in English from the University of Michigan.

To get in touch with Coreen, you can email her at coreen.duffy@colorado.edu. You can also find her on Facebook or Instagram (@coreenduffy).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

“When people talk about what skills kids are lacking in America these days, two of the skills that come up a lot are the ability to listen to each other and have some empathy for each other. Some people would say it’s not just kids that are lacking those skills; it might be what is really missing from our society. I think choir is the best subject to teach those skills.”

Hailed by The Oregonian for providing “the finest choral concerts in Portland in recent memory,” Ethan Sperry is the Director of Choral Activities at Portland State University, where he conducts the world-renowned Chamber Choir and leads undergraduate and graduate programs in conducting. He is also the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Oregon Repertory Singers, one of America’s most distinguished adult choruses. Choirs under his direction have performed at over a dozen ACDA and NAfME Conferences, won over thirty awards and medals at international choir competitions on four continents, and sung at The Hollywood Bowl, The Kennedy Center, and the United Nations. Under his direction in 2013 The Portland State Chamber Choir became the first American Choir ever to win the Grand Prix at the Seghizzi International Choral Contest in Italy, and in 2017 they became the first American choir to win the Grand Prix at the Bali International Choral Festival, the largest choral gathering in Asia. Sperry has recorded albums for the Naxos and Gothic labels.

A prolific arranger of World Music for choirs, Dr. Sperry is the editor of the Global Rhythms series for Earthsongs Music, one of the best-selling choral series in the world, and is also published by Hal Leonard. Sperry is also a frequent collaborator with film composer AR Rahman and has appeared as a guest conductor for him numerous times including at Bollywood Night at the Hollywood Bowl and the 2008 Filmfare Awards, the Indian equivalent of the Oscars. He also serves as a consultant for the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, the first classical music school in India, which opened in 2009.

He has earned a bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Harvard College and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Choral Conducting from the University of Southern California. Prior to moving to Oregon, Sperry served for 10 years on the faculty of Miami University in Ohio where he conducted the Men’s Glee Club, Collegiate Chorale, and Global Rhythms Ensemble. He has also served as Artistic Administrator of the Arad Philharmonic Chorus in Romania and Conductor of the Coeur Regional de Guadeloupe, the only Symphonic Chorus in the French West Indies.

To get in touch with Ethan, you can email him at ethansperry@gmail.com. You can find the Portland State University Chamber Choir on Facebook (@psuchamberchoir), Instagram (@psuchamberchoir), or Tiktok (@psuchamberchoir), and you can find the Oregon Repertory Singers on Facebook (@OregonRepertorySingers) or Instagram (@orsingers).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

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

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson from Pexels

“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.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Host: Clint McNear and Tyler Owen discussing topics, issues, and stories within the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

“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)

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.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Host: Clint McNear and Tyler Owen discussing topics, issues, and stories within the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

“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.

Podcast music from Podcast.co
Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

Host: Clint McNear and Tyler Owen discussing topics, issues, and stories within the...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify