Leadership
Arnold Lee
Founder & Music Director
Arnold Lee is an active choral conductor and clinician in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is well-known for his fun, upbeat approach to rehearsals while working with musicians across many music genres. He is also a committed volunteer for 13 for 13 (a movement focused on challenging systemic racism in Corporate America). Previous music leadership positions in the San Francisco Bay Area include the Oakland Symphony Chorus as well as numerous other musical organizations.
Mr. Lee was also the Founder & Artistic Director of the Boston Chamber Ensemble (a professional chamber orchestra and chamber choir), Founder & Music Director of the Oberlin Bach Society, Assistant Conductor of the renowned Oberlin College Choir, as well as the Founder & Music Director of The Oberlin Obertones (Oberlin's first-ever a cappella group). He holds degrees from Oberlin College and Stanford University.
Swen Ervin
Creative Director
Swen Ervin is an incredibly versatile and accomplished singer. Swen has enjoyed working in many musical styles here and in his native Indiana where he was a soloist in the Indianapolis Arts Chorale, PMO Express, Clave Caribe and Almost Accidental, a vocal jazz quintet. He also sings with Oakland Symphony Chorus (often as a soloist). Swen is a founding singer in AfterGlow.
HIs excellence in music is equalled by his leadership skills in his HR career. In his own words: "My passion lies in ensuring equity is at the center of the work I do. While Human Resources has historically had very little focus on humanity, I see my role as one that is necessarily human-centered. Regulatory requirements will never disappear but the application of those regulations, applied in a way that honors the diversity and humanity of all stakeholders, is a must to bring the profession into the 21st century."
Max Addae
Artistic Advisor
Max Addae is a multi-faceted researcher, vocalist, composer/arranger, and creative technologist developing interactive voice technologies for musical and creative contexts. Max is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Opera of the Future group at the MIT Media Lab, advised by Tod Machover. Drawing from experiences in vocal performance, computation, and electroacoustic composition, Max's research aims to augment vocal expression and enhance the relationship between voice, technology, and embodiment.
Max is a graduate of Oberlin College & Conservatory (Double Degree in Computer Science and Technology in Music and Related Arts TIMARA), studying with Dr. Eli Stine. Max's works have been programmed and recognized internationally by organizations such as the International Society of Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR) and the Society of Composers (SCI) Inc., as well as in music festivals such as the Indiana State University Music Now Festival, the Oberlin Danenberg Honors Recital, and the Kansas City (KC) Vitas Chamber Choir concert series.
Outside of research work, Max sings and arranges a cappella music in various styles, and I am one of the Music Directors of Berklee's esteemed pop/R&B a cappella group, Upper Structure. Max also is a founding singer in AfterGlow Chorus.