Board of Directors
President
Josh and his wife currently reside in the awesome state of Utah. Josh grew up doing many things that included fine arts such as music, theatre and even dance. His love for those things never waned but he went on to study Psychology at BYU-Idaho. While participating in Choir leisurely he was introduced to David Torres. From that point Josh has thoroughly enjoyed being able to pursue his career at the same time participating in this wonderful choir.
David Torres brings eleven years’ experience to the podium. His vocal and instrumental ensembles have appeared in California, Idaho, and Utah and been heard worldwide (Brigham Young University, Idaho productions for PBS and internationally televised events for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). David currently conducts the elite Vocal Affinity in Rexburg, Idaho which will be featured as one of the performing choirs at the American Choral Directors Association Northwest Regional Conference of March 2020 in Spokane, WA. He also conducts the Los Angeles-based Echo Luminos. David serves as Assistant Conductor to the Azusa Pacific University Choir and Conducting Associate to Southern California’s Angeles Chorale.
David has a BA in music with a conducting emphasis from Brigham Young University – Idaho, where he also served as adjunct faculty, and is currently pursuing his MM at Azusa Pacific University. His conducting teachers include Dr. Rebecca Lord & Diane Soelberg (BYUI), Dr. Donald Neuen (UCLA), and Dr. John Sutton (APU).
Vice President
LeVan is a professional software engineer, focusing in Android development. He has been musically trained throughout his life and has consistently participated in various musical events and performances. Some of which include invitations to sing with the 2010 Idaho State Mixed Choir, the 2010 ACDA All-Northwest Men’s Choir (Timothy Peter), the 2011 MENC All-Northwest Mixed Choir (Richard Bjella), the BYU-Idaho Concert Choir (Eda Ashby) which sang and recorded The Redeemer by Robert Cundick in the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. He was invited to sing as a soloist, performing “John” in a performance of Rob Gardner’s, Lamb of God. In addition to his choral experience, he also composes and arranges music for private events. He currently sings with Vocal Affinity as a Tenor.
Kelsey De Pree grew up in Michigan and now calls the State of Washington home. Music has played a significant role in her life. Kelsey began singing at the age of two. Throughout her life, she has participated in private music lessons and many different musical groups including musical theatre, pit orchestra, symphonic band, jazz band, and around twenty different choirs.
Kelsey earned a bachelor’s degree in Multi-Age Choral Music Education from Cedarville University and is currently earning a master’s degree in Music Education at Azusa Pacific University while teaching music part time in school. One day, Kelsey hopes to teach children’s choirs and music for students with special learning needs.
Music has provided the opportunity for Kelsey to be a part of a couple small recording sessions as well as singing in choirs for concerts of artists Emmett Cahill, Sandi Patty, and Travis Cottrell. When Kelsey is not doing music, she enjoys writing, reading, drawing, dancing, and composing. Kelsey loves music because it helps people build bridges where society and culture have put up walls.
She has sung with Cedarville University Jazz Band, Cedarville Women’s Choir, Concert Chorale, played percussion in Cedarville University Symphonic Band, Azusa Pacific Choral Scholars, Azusa Pacific University Choir, and Azusa Pacific Chamber Singers as well as been the Assistant conductor for the Azusa Pacific Masterworks Chorale. She has also sung with Echo Luminous, Credo, and is now singing with Vocal Affinity.
Secretary
A native of Wichita, Kansas, Erin and is number eight of the twelve Jossie kids. She loves her siblings and especially adores her eighteen nieces and nephews. Erin studied organ with Dr. Daniel Kerr at Brigham Young University-Idaho, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance. She served as organist and choir director at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Idaho Falls, Idaho from 2018-2019.
Erin is currently pursuing a master’s degree in organ performance at the University of Kansas under the tutelage of Michael Bauer. She sings in the Bales Chorale and plays the harpsichord in the university’s early music ensemble, Collegium Musicum. When she is not in a rehearsal or practicing the organ, she loves spending time with family and friends, making cookies, playing with her chickens, snuggling her cat, and eating ice cream.
Erin serves on Vocal Affinity’s Board of Directors as the secretary. In the choir, she serves as assistant organist. Working with this choir brings her joy and fulfillment, as she feels the ensemble gives musicians the opportunity to help people feel the love of Jesus Christ and draw closer to Him. In the future, she plans to open an organ studio for youth and teach them to realize their full potential for success in both music and life. Erin believes music has the power to change lives for the better and influence people to do good.
Treasurer
Morgan, originally from Huntington Beach, California, has been heavily involved with music his entire life, participating in many choirs from his high school choir in Fountain Valley, to Millennial Choirs and Orchestras. Morgan enjoys musical theater and has been featured in the roles of Marius and Jean Val Jean (Les Misérables), Lumiere (Beauty and the Beast), and most recently as Joseph (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). He was also featured as Thomas in a production of Rob Gardner’s Lamb of God. In his free time, he loves to do anything outdoors, including hiking, rock climbing, swimming, and more.
Morgan is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education at Brigham Young University – Idaho, where he has been an active student and served as an assistant conductor under Dr. Rebecca Lord and Atina Coates. Morgan hopes to pursue a master’s and doctoral degree, to teach at the collegiate level. Morgan is currently a tenor in the choir, an assistant conductor, as well as the Treasurer of the organization. Having transitioned from being an accounting major, Morgan has experience with basic accounting skills.
Kelsey De Pree grew up in Michigan and now calls the State of Washington home. Music has played a significant role in her life. Kelsey began singing at the age of two. Throughout her life, she has participated in private music lessons and many different musical groups including musical theatre, pit orchestra, symphonic band, jazz band, and around twenty different choirs.
Kelsey earned a bachelor’s degree in Multi-Age Choral Music Education from Cedarville University and is currently earning a master’s degree in Music Education at Azusa Pacific University while teaching music part time in school. One day, Kelsey hopes to teach children’s choirs and music for students with special learning needs.
Music has provided the opportunity for Kelsey to be a part of a couple small recording sessions as well as singing in choirs for concerts of artists Emmett Cahill, Sandi Patty, and Travis Cottrell. When Kelsey is not doing music, she enjoys writing, reading, drawing, dancing, and composing. Kelsey loves music because it helps people build bridges where society and culture have put up walls.
She has sung with Cedarville University Jazz Band, Cedarville Women’s Choir, Concert Chorale, played percussion in Cedarville University Symphonic Band, Azusa Pacific Choral Scholars, Azusa Pacific University Choir, and Azusa Pacific Chamber Singers as well as been the Assistant conductor for the Azusa Pacific Masterworks Chorale. She has also sung with Echo Luminous, Credo, and is now singing with Vocal Affinity.
Our Story
Vocal Affinity officially became a nonprofit organization in October 2019. Since then, its Board of Directors has advocated its mission to promote, encourage, and foster the educational and cultural enrichment of its members and the community through recruiting and training members, arranging and sponsoring singing engagements for the choir and the community, and creating professional and nuanced music.
Prior to its official inception, Vocal Affinity has existed in various forms since 2016 when David Torres formed the “BYU-Idaho Chamber Singers”. This group performed at a few events, which included the weekly “Devotional”, where religious talks were given and sacred music was performed by on-campus groups. This group evolved into Echo Luminos, which rebranded itself to be an off-campus choir, meant for students as well as community members. This group continued to sing in the Rexburg area.
Finally, Vocal Affinity as an official group was formed from Echo Luminos, initially to record and perform early music, including Gregorian Chant and Renaissance music. However, the group continued to flourish, despite members relocating to various places across the nation.
Vocal Affinity plans to continue advocating its mission, and hopes to share their professional, artistic music to various audiences in many venues throughout the world.
