InChoir: Conversations about Choral Music, The Arts, and Life

Matt Falker is a jazz and gospel pianist, vocalist, arranger, and founder and Director of the Oceanside Jazz Festival at MiraCosta College, where he also serves as a Professor. Matt is a champion for creating and advocating for accessible vocal jazz charts which can be seen in his publisher role with Anchor Music Publications (many thanks to Anchor Music for financially supporting InChoir). Today we feature two of Matt Falker’s vocal jazz arrangements, “Give me that Smile” and “Easy Love” that illustrate his creative versatility and multi-faceted artistry.

Dale Trumbore is a Los Angeles-based composer whose music has been praised by The New York Times for its “soaring melodies and beguiling harmonies”. Listeners will be impressed with her compositional versatility and breadth of vocal writing, from simple two-part to accessible and advanced settings for all types of choirs. Join us as we feature the charming “Lullaby for the Newly- Hatched” and the captivating and creative “Part of Me Hurtling Toward”.

The American Choral Directors Association has awarded the Raymond W. Brock award for Student Composers since 1998 to recognize choral compositions of high quality. In this episode of InChoir, we talk to two composers who were Brock award recipients--Troy University’s own Michael Mills (2010, “Crossing the Bar”) and Patrick Vu (2023, “On the Hillside”). Each composer has gone on to also play important roles as conductors, music educators, and advocates for all things choral!

Nadia Tarnawsky masterfully weaves Ukrainian cultural and musical traditions throughout her compositions as we will hear throughout A Ukrainian Wedding. In this conversation, we learn about her Ukrainian heritage and hear the rich musical contributions of this talented composer.

Frank Ticheli is best known for his works for wind ensemble and concert band, many of which have become standards in the repertoire. On this episode of InChoir, we feature how his choral compositions explore text through shifting color palettes and timbres. Join us as we trace how these evocative techniques can be heard in his two featured pieces - “Listen to the Silence” and “Earth Song”.