“I shortlisted it to about 10 or 11 poems. I printed them all out on big pieces of paper, and I did visual sketches of what the piece might look like. I would lay them out on the ground, mix them around, and play with what kind of arc it would look like. I’d decide which texts would be the big, climactic moments in the piece, and once I have those two or three big moments, I look at what kind of vibe or style fits between those, and I take my best stab at making that transition."

Dylan Trần (1994—) is an artist based between Vietnam and the U.S. He views music as a form of world-building, poignantly evoking nuanced atmospheres in a way that is both intimately expressive and boldly energetic. His compositional practice strikes a balance between welcoming and challenging, having curated a unique musical language that is equally rewarding to performers and audiences.

Born in a rural parish hospital, one of eleven children, and raised in a double-wide trailer in central Louisiana, Dylan’s first dream was to be a rockstar / actor / tennis pro / and Pokémon-trainer. At 14 years old, he put those dreams on hold and joined his high school choir. Since then, he has been commissioned by HULU, the Oxford American Journal, TAAF, and more. He has conducted and coached ensembles throughout the U.S. and in Europe and has volunteered for music programs across the country and in Vietnam. His pieces have been performed all over the U.S. and his arrangements have been performed in Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, India, and the U.K.

Prioritizing ethical, equitable community engagement and well-being, Dylan insists on leaving a positive, tangible impact wherever he works. He has developed and is constantly refining an artistic practice that involves the ongoing redistribution of funds, resources, and recognition.

To get in touch with Dylan, you can find him on Instagram (@dylantranmusic) or visit his website (dylantranmusic.com)

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

“There’s three things we have in music: the choir, the rehearsals, and the concerts. We put the people first, not the product. There’s a lot of coaches who have this collateral damage thing about winning, and we choral directors have this collateral damage thing about getting a superior rating. It just doesn’t work that way. I put the kids first, and it’s amazing how my rehearsals changed.”

Dr. J. Edmund Hughes [b.1947] retired from the Music Faculty of Chandler-Gilbert Community College in August, 2011 after a teaching career which began in 1971. While at CGCC, he taught choir, music theory, conducting, and organized two on-campus choral festivals per year. From 1990 - 2011, he was the Director of Music at Velda Rose United Methodist Church in Mesa. Prior to his appointment at CGCC, he taught at Tucson High School, California State University-Fresno and Phoenix College. Most recently he was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA), where he directed the Chorale.

His choirs have had the distinction of performing at ACDA, NAfME, and Arizona MEA conventions. In April, 2017 he directed “Requiem” by John Rutter, in his Carnegie Hall debut.

He has also presented lectures and demonstrations on special interest sessions at ACDA and AMEA conventions. In 2002 he received the Arizona Outstanding Choral Educator Award by ACDA, and in 2005 he was honored as the Arizona Music Educator of the Year by AMEA. He received the first Lifetime Achievement Award granted by the University of Arizona Choral Music Department (December, 2011) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from AMEA (February 2012). Most recently (2024) he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Arizona School of Music, and in 2026 the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Choral Educators.

Dr. Hughes is a past President of Arizona ACDA, has served AMEA in numerous capacities. Dr. Hughes has over 40 choral compositions in print, which are published with Santa Barbara Music Publishing Co., Walton Music, Pavane Publishing, and Colla Voce Music, Inc. He received his Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate Degrees from the University of Arizona with doctoral studies at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Hughes now lives in Eugene, OR with his wife, Carole, and their rescue dog, Bailey. He has 3 children. His hobbies are weight lifting, biking and jogging. He remains quite active in the choral field by adjudicating, directing honor choirs, presenting workshops, clinics and composing.

To get in touch with Ed, you can email him at jedmundhughes@gmail.com or find him on Facebook (@jedmund.hughes5).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

“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.

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