“I think the hardest thing in the world is to write easy music that still is eloquent. A piece relies on strength of idea and not strength of technique or difficulty. That underlying idea is so rich with potential and can be developed in so many beautiful ways within a 3-minute work or a 70-minute work. The pieces I'm the most proud of are the pieces where I've gotten down to the simplest necessary means to say something rich and full and profound.”

Dan Forrest (b. 1978) has been described as having “an undoubted gift for writing beautiful music….that is truly magical” (NY Concert Review), with works hailed as “magnificent, very cleverly constructed sound sculpture” (Classical Voice), and “superb writing…full of spine-tingling moments” (Salt Lake Tribune). His music has sold millions of copies, has received numerous awards and distinctions, and has become well established in the repertoire of choirs around the world via festivals, recordings, radio/TV broadcasts, and premieres in prominent international venues.

Dan’s work ranges from small choral works to instrumental solo works, wind ensemble works, and extended multi-movement works for chorus and orchestra. His Requiem for the Living (2013) and Jubilate Deo (2016) have become standard choral/orchestral repertoire for ensembles around the world, with LUX (2018), the breath of life (2020), and his new CREATION oratorio (2023) also receiving critical acclaim.

Dan holds a doctorate in composition and a master’s degree in piano performance, and served for several years as a professor and department head (music theory and composition) in higher education. He currently serves as Editor at Beckenhorst Press, Chair of the American Choral Director’s Association Composition Initiatives Committee, adjunct Faculty at Furman University, and Artist-In-Residence at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church (Greenville, SC). Details about Dan and his work can be found at www.danforrest.com.

To get in touch with Dan, you can visit his website or find him on Facebook (@danforrestcomposer) or Instagram (@danforrestmusic).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

“I want students to function in a studio recording session and a live performance, which are very, very different worlds. I want them to be able to do not just jazz, not just classical, not just gospel, but everything so that they can be hired to sing backgrounds for Beyoncé one day and the next day be singing with Andrea Bocelli on tour. I try to give them the most well-rounded experience I can.”

A native of Holguín, Cuba, Cindy Ellis immigrated to the United States in 2005. She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and Jazz Voice from Florida International University and her Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri. Mrs. Ellis is a full time choral director at Miami Arts Studio, a 6th-12th grade public performing arts magnet school in Miami, FL. Her middle school and high school ensembles have been featured at numerous venues throughout the country. These include Carnegie Hall (2018 and 2024), and the Florida, Southern, and National Conferences of the American Choral Directors Association. In 2022, Mrs. Ellis’ students performed in Los Angeles for the Summit of the Americas, a meeting hosted by President Joe Biden that brought together 40 Presidents and leaders from the Americas and Caribbean. Additionally, in the last 7 years, the students have recorded and performed background vocals for Gloria and Emilio Estefan and several music award shows including the AMAs, Latin American Music Awards and the Latin GRAMMY Awards. In 2024 Mrs. Ellis conducted her students at the Miami show of Jacob Collier’s DJESSE Volume 4 World Tour.

Beyond her school responsibilities, she frequently performs, conducts honor choirs and teaches masterclasses for music directors and students from elementary to college throughout North America. As a jazz vocal soloist and alto with the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, she collaborated with Jacob Collier for performances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and recording projects including a performance alongside Coldplay for NBC’s Saturday Night Live and the 2024 BBC Proms Music Festival in London, UK.

In 2020, Mrs. Ellis was published by GIA Publications as a contributing author on “Teaching with Heart,” and in 2022, she served as instructional design editor and contributing author of “Teaching Beyond the Music,” the second edition in the series. Ellis is Miami Arts Studio’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, a 2025 Grammy Music Educator Semi-Finalist, and currently serves as the World Musics & Cultures Coordinator for the American Choral Directors Association Southern Region.

To get in touch with Cindy, you can find her on Instagram (@cindycellis) or Facebook (@ccellis) or email her at cindycellis@icloud.com. You can follow MAS Vocal on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Spotify (@masvocal) or on YouTube (@masvocal2765).

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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Photo in episode artwork by Trace Hudson

“Students will often refer to voice lessons, to choir rehearsal, as therapy. I felt that there was something to that. I wanted to make the connection between individual therapy and voice lessons and group therapy and the choral rehearsal. What is it about the choral organism that becomes a space that can be therapeutic? I found a lot of commonalities in group and individual counseling and what we do.”

Dr. Sarah J. Graham was just promoted to Professor of Music at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, where she teaches courses in music, humanities, ethics, and conducts the Concert Choir. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Whitworth University, a Master of Arts in Classroom Teaching and English from Pacific Lutheran University, and both a Masters and Doctorate in Music Conducting from Michigan State University. She is currently finishing a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through Capella University in Minneapolis. Dr. Graham has been teaching for over thirty years, twenty of which have been in higher education. Much of her current work has to do with mental health and teaching pedagogy. She recently spent her sabbatical working on an internship in counseling and compiling a 15-week guide for incorporating “Mental Health Moments” into the classroom. At LC State, Graham is a co-founder of the Black History Experience, and a member of the President’s Campus and Community Commission. She lives in Lewiston with her daughter and their Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Henry.

To get in touch with Sarah, you can find her on Facebook (@drsjg) or Instagram (@drbooncha) or email her at sjgraham@lcsc.edu .

Email choirfampodcast@gmail.com to contact our hosts.

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