Rise Up Chorus Presents "Meet the Musicians"

In this 15th episode of "Meet the Musicians", guest host Helen Kernizan (Rise Up Chorus's Youth Chorus Director) interviews Brittney Boykin. Composer and Concert Pianist Brittney Boykin (B.E. Boykin) is a native of Alexandria, Virginia. After graduating from Spelman College in 2011 with a B.A. in Music, Ms. Boykin continued her studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. She continued to compose music during her time at Westminster and was awarded the R ...

In this episode, Helen Kernizan, the Youth Chorus Director of Rise Up Chorus, guest hosts "Meet the Musicians". This is the 14th episode of "Meet the Musicians" and the fourth episode in our series that delves into issues surrounding race with professional, classical musicians and music educators of color. In this episode, Helen interviews the Brandon Waddles, a vibrant musician who is a respected singer, conductor, and composer.Brandon’s choral compositions and arrangements have been publish...

In this 13th episode of "Meet the Musicians" Podcast, host Matthew LaPine has an energetic conversation with musician, Diane Bruce. Violinist Diane Bruce performs regularly at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center with the American Symphony, American Composers Orchestra and American Ballet Theater, among others. She spends her summers playing with the Chautauqua Symphony where she is Principal Second Violin. She has played for many Broadway shows, including Les Mis, An American in Paris and The Ki...

We again welcome our guest host Helen Kernizan, the Youth Chorus Director of Rise Up Chorus, to "Meet the Musicians". This is the 12th episode of "Meet the Musicians" and the third episode in our series that delves into issues surrounding race with professional, classical musicians and music educators of color. In this episode, Helen interviews the incredible Elisabeth (Lis) Stevens, a classically-trained singer and educator. Elisabeth “Lis” Stevens @iamlisastefani, founder and Principal...

In this eleventh episode of "Meet the Musicians" Podcast, host Matthew LaPine has an energetic conversation with musician, Markos Kandilis. Markos is a multi-faceted performer, native Jersey Boy, and proud Greek-Italian American. The endless support of his family and community led him to an early entrance into the world of professional performance as a chorus member of the Metropolitan Opera House of New York City at the age of ten.His love and skill in performing were developed by participat...

In this tenth episode of "Meet the Musicians" Podcast, our host Matthew LaPine again welcomes our guest host, Helen Kernizan, who continues our series of conversations discussing the issues of race with professional, classical musicians and music educators of color. Helen is Rise Up Chorus’s Youth Chorus Director, and she teaches music at the Township of Ocean Intermediate School in Ocean Township, NJ.Born in Southern California and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, Carrie Compere attended Trent...

In this ninth episode of "Meet the Musicians" Podcast, our host Matthew LaPine welcomes a guest host, Helen Kernizan, who begins a series of conversations discussing the issues of race with professional, classical musicians and music educators of color. Helen is the director of Rise Up Chorus’s Youth Chorus, and she teaches music at the Township of Ocean Intermediate School in Ocean Township, NJ.Educator, musician, and public speaker, Wayne Mallette is the Supervisor of Fine and Performing Ar...

In this eighth episode of "Meet the Musicians" Podcast, host Matthew LaPine sits down with Jerry Blackstone. Grammy® Award winner Jerry Blackstone is a leading conductor and highly respected conducting pedagogue. Prof. Blackstone was a member of the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance for thirty years where, as Director of Choirs, he led the graduate program in choral conducting, oversaw the University’s eleven choirs, and upon retirement was named...

In this seventh episode of "Meet the Musicians" Podcast, host Matthew LaPine sits down with one of the world’s leading composers whose music has changed the face of choral music, Eric Whitacre. Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, is among today’s most popular musicians. His works are programmed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united singers from more than 145 countries over the last decade. Born in Nevada in 1970, Eric is a graduate of the pr...

In our sixth episode, host Matthew LaPine has a conversation with Kirk Geritano, a professional actor and member of Actor's Equity Association. He started performing at a young age in his home state of New Jersey, and has since performed all across the United States. Kirk was last seen Off-Broadway as an original cast member in the Drama Desk-winning Yiddish version of Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Joel Grey.

In this fifth episode, Matt has a conversation with Jeriel Johnson, the Executive Director of the Recording Academy™ Washington, D.C. Chapter, responsible for overseeing Membership & Industry Relations for D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Jeriel is also Executive Sponsor of the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective, an advisory group of esteemed artists and industry executives dedicated to the inclusion, recognition and advancement of Black Music and its creators and profe...

In this fourth episode of "Meet the Musicians" Podcast, host Matthew LaPine has a conversation with the superb JoAnn Falletta. Grammy-winning conductor JoAnn Falletta serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center and Artistic Adviser to the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra. She is hailed for...

In this episode of the Meet the Musicians Podcast, host Matthew LaPine interviews Dr. Gillian Velmer, a licensed speech-language pathologist working in public schools in central New Jersey. She enjoys using music with her young students to facilitate language.learning and growth. She is the founder and director of Sing Aphasia, a community-based choir for adults with aphasia, which is a language disorder that may occur after a stroke or other brain injury. Her latest project is a collaboratio...

In this episode of the Meet the Musicians Podcast, host Matthew LaPine interviews special guest, Dr. Gerald "Jerry" Custer. Jerry is a multi-faceted choral musician, active as conductor, composer, author, and teacher. A graduate of Westminster Choir College, where he studied with Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt and later with Robert Shaw, he is Minister of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Farmington, MI and on the music faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.Grant funding has been provi...

In our inaugural episode of the Meet the Musicians Podcast, host Matthew LaPine interviews Rise Up Chorus's Events Manager, Angela Dohl. Angela is an amateur musician whose love for music has made music an important part of her everyday life!

Join host Matthew LaPine (Founder and Artistic Director of Rise Up Chorus) as he takes a journey through the life stories of incredible musicians, both professional and amateur!