“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 .

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’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).

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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"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 .

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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Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson