“There’s still so much we can say through choral music, and a good portion of the music that gets put on the concert stage revolves around similar themes that are timeless, that humans are always wrestling with. At the same time, life moves on, and I think choral music in the last couple years has been a really important response to where we are as a society. An artist’s impetus is to respond to events, feelings, and all those sorts of things that get our heart racing.” - Timothy Takach

“I’ve realized over the years that if I want my music to live and be performed in a bigger way, I had to figure out how to refine those musical ideas to make them accessible to more musicians. That has been a big part of what we’ve been doing in our own personal work, but we’ve been helping our composers through Graphite do that as well, saying, ‘this is an amazing idea. I love this sound. Is there a way you can make it simpler so more people can be successful with it?’” - Jocelyn Hagen

Jocelyn Hagen composes music that has been described as “simply magical” (Fanfare Magazine) and “dramatic and deeply moving” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis/St. Paul). She is a pioneer in the field of composition, pushing the expectations of musicians and audiences with large-scale multimedia works, electro-acoustic music, dance, and opera. Her melodic music is rhythmically driven and texturally complex, rich in color and deeply heartfelt. A champion of the female spirit, many of her projects focus on the stories of women. She is a co-founder of Graphite Publishing and the band Nation, singing her heart out every chance she gets.

Inspired by narrative, magical realism, speculative fiction and making better humans through art, the music of Timothy C. Takach is a mainstay in the concert world. Applauded for his melodic lines, text choices and rich, intriguing harmonies, his compositions are performed worldwide. He is a co-founder of Cantus, Graphite Publishing and Nation, and he is a co-creator of the theatrical production All is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914. Takach has frequent work as a composer-in-residence, presenter, conductor, clinician and lecturer.

To get in touch with Jocelyn & Tim, you can find them both on Facebook (@JocelynHagenMus and @timothyctakach.composer). Jocelyn is also on Instagram (@jocelynhagenmus) and TikTok (@jocelynhagen). You can also subscribe to their YouTube channels (@JocelynHagenComposer & @TimothyCTakach) and visit their websites to subscribe to their newsletters: jocelynhagen.com and timothyctakach.com.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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“Nobody really teaches you how to write for the voice because every voice is different. We’re given these standard ranges, which is fine for harmony exercises that aren’t meant to be sung. The information we have guiding us is half-knowledge that’s more dangerous than nothing at all. It’s a question of ‘how can you empathize with the singer?’ As a composer, I work with them to create a composite work of art that incorporates their expressive agencies.”

Raphael Fusco is an Italian-American composer, keyboardist, and conductor praised as “a lively player and fine improviser” (Los Angeles Times), “one of the most outstanding composers of his generation” (El Mundo), and “a leader in the opera world today” (OperaWire). His compositions span opera, orchestral, choral, art song, and chamber works, that blend expressive lyricism and vibrant textures with structural clarity and dramatic depth. He has received commissions from the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Cecilia Chorus of New York, I Cantori NY, Hartford Chorale, and members of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestras, with premieres at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Casa Milà (Barcelona), the Oriental Art Center (Shanghai), and ÉgliseSaint-Séverin (Paris).

Fusco has won awards from the NATS Art Song Composition, Phoenix Boys Choir New Works Rising Competition, American Prize, Notre Dame University Liturgy Alive Composition Competition, Ruzickova Composition Competition, Fyfe Choral Composition, and Aliénor Harpsichord Competition.

As a pianist and harpsichordist, he has performed with the New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theatre, and Branford Marsalis. Fusco studied with David Loeb, Robert Cuckson, and Carl Schachter at the Mannes College of Music in New York, Giulio Castagnoli in the G. Verdi Conservatory of Turin, Philip Lasser and Narcis Bonet at the École Normale in Paris. He holds a doctorate from the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, where his artistic research explored empathy and expressive agency in vocal composition.

To get in touch with Raphael, you can find him on Facebook (@raphael.fusco.9), Instagram (@fuscoraphael), and YouTube (@RaphaelFusco) as well as visit his website: raphaelfusco.com.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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“If you give attention to the right behaviors, they will multiply. If they sing well and supported and you encourage that, that is going to multiply. If you give attention to the bad behaviors – and that doesn't just mean behavior things like talking out of turn – even though it's being criticized, because it gets attention it will multiply . This is true in life. Whatever you think is positive and you want to multiply, give it attention, give it love, nurture it, and it will multiply."

Sherry Blevins is a sought-after artist, award-winning composer, lyricist, as well as an award-winning music educator and conductor. She has over 40 published choral works with 7 different publishing houses including her own series with Hinshaw Music and has been honored to compose for and work with a variety of ensembles around the world including Vancouver, Canada, Lucca, Italy, Bejing, China, Western Alaska, and across the continental United States. She premiered her work “Awaken” at Carnegie Hall with National Concerts in 2024 and conducted her own choral suite, “Tipping Point” at Carnegie Hall in 2025. She was recently honored to be included in GIA's 2025 book, Choral Repertoire by Women Composers. She is also Founder and Artistic Director of the International Choral Composers Institute which hosted 40 composers and lyricists in its inaugural year.

According to Hinshaw Music, “Sherry Blevins, a luminary in the world of choral composition and education, orchestrates harmonies that resonate with the soul. Her musical expertise is surpassed only by her dedication to nurturing the next generation of voices, making her a revered figure in both composition and education.”

Ms. Blevins has a bachelor’s degree in music education with a principal in voice from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master’s degree in choral conducting from Appalachian State University. Her hope is that whether through composing or teaching, that the music she shares will bring hope, life, and light to others.

You can find Sherry Blevins’ work wherever music is sold and you may contact her at sherryblevinsmusic.com.

To get in touch with Sherry, you can email her at sherryblevinsmusic@gmail.com, find her on Facebook (@sherry.blevins.18), or visit her website.

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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