The Staff
Jakob Swetland – Assistant Choir Director 
Jakob Swetland is currently attending California State University Fullerton, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education and a Minor in African American Studies. He earned his AA degree in music at Orange Coast College, and was the student director of the acclaimed Orange Coast College Chamber Singers for one semester, and the Orange Coast College Chorale for one year. Interested in more than just the “western aspect” of choral music, Jakob hopes to earn a Masters in Ethnomusicology and Choral Conducting to provide his future students with a well rounded choral education. Some of his music interests include African American Spirituals, Middle Eastern Choral Music, and traditional choral music from the Philippines among others. In the future, he wants to earn a Doctorate Degree to inspire the next generation of Choral Educators while teaching at the collegiate level. Just recently, Jakob formed The Cantate Community Chorus of University Hills (Irvine) in the spring of 2019, where membership went from just 17 singers at the start to over 40 singers this past fall.
When not in the practice room or at school, Jakob can be found at Philz Coffee or Starbucks, traveling or spending time with his dog, Penny. He is the proud recipient of the 2017 Walt Gleckler Memorial Scholarship (Orange Coast College) for his excellence in musicianship and choral conducting.
Elizabeth Queen – Voice Studio Director, Voice Teacher, Administrative Assistant
A graduate of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, Elizabeth Queen is a coloratura soprano who performs throughout the United States and Europe. Her previous roles include Die Erste Zofe in Der Zwerg (2019), Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte (2018), Frasquita in Carmen (2017), Le Feu in L’enfant et les sortilèges (2016), Gianetta in L’elisir d’amore (2015), Woman One in Songs for A New World (2013), Jester in Once Upon A Mattress (2010), and Marta von Trapp in The Sound of Music (2009). She has received several awards in her career thus far, such as the Emerging Artist Award with Long Beach Camerata Singers, and the 1st place winner of the California Women’s Chorus Voice Competition. Elizabeth is a recent participant of the Prague Summer Nights Young Artist Festival, and past participant of the Berlin Opera Academy, OperaWorks Emerging Artist Program, and Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. When Elizabeth is not singing opera, she currently performs with two professional choirs, Long Beach Camerata Singers, and Los Angeles Master Chorale. In 2020, Elizabeth debuted as Vocal Director for Marina High School’s Mamma Mia! production. Elizabeth will be pursuing a Masters of Music in Voice at Jacobs School of Music (Indiana University) Fall 2021.
Elizabeth’s students are featured as leads in musicals, soloists in choral concerts, competitors in voice competitions (with a former student winning 1st place in the Musical Theatre Division of the SCVA Voice Competition), and attend prestigious college of the arts programs, such as Bob Cole Conservatory of Music and Fullerton School of Music. Ms. Queen teaches Classical, Musical Theatre, Choral singing, as well as ear training and music theory.
Erin Miller – Voice Teacher
Erin Miller specializes in Musical Theater, Classical, and Choral singing, and also provides coaching in audition and solo preparation. She has taught in the Orange County area since 2009, and also performs professionally with musical theater companies and choirs. Erin graduated from FUHS Academy of the Arts in 2004, where she studied privately with Timothy MacDougall and participated in choir, opera workshop, and drama. She has earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Master of Arts in Musicology at CSU, Long Beach, where she studied under Shigemi Matsumoto, was a featured member of the CSULB Opera Institute performing the roles of Despina (Cosi fan tutte), Cunegonde (Candide), La Musica (L’Orfeo), and Vitellia (La Clemenza di Tito), and performed nationally and internationally with the award-winning University Choir and Chamber Choir.
As a teacher, Erin believes in celebrating the individual vocal qualities of her students while promoting healthy, versatile, and safe singing techniques. Her students are often featured in choral program performances and musicals, and compete in solo vocal competitions. Many past and present students have gone on to attend top college music and arts programs, including the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU Long Beach, AMDA New York, CSU Fullerton, University of Chicago, Northwestern, and Fullerton College, and perform professional throughout the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.
Jennifer Paz – Jazz Director, Voice Teacher 
Patrick Tsoi-A-Sue – Voice Teacher
He was born Trinidad, and found his passion in music at a very young age. After high school he performed with different junior colleges, companies, and his university, in musical theatre, Opera, and in oratorio settings. In Musical theatre, Patrick appeared in Fiddler on the roof (Glendale Community College); Hairspray, Young Frankenstein (Pasadena City College); Pippin, Cabaret (Doma Theatres); and The Music Man (Taylor Performing Arts Center). In Opera, Patrick was featured as Barigoule in Cendrillon by Viardot (Mount San Antonio College), and Monostatos in Die Zauber Flöte by Mozart (California State University, Long Beach). In oratorio works, Patrick sang as the Tenor Soloist in the Messiah by Handel (Pasadena City College); and was a featured Tenor Soloist in Elijah by Mendelssohn (California State University, Long Beach). He has since graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor in Music in both Vocal Performance, and Music Education, as well as achieved his credential in music.
Paul McGraith – Pianist
Paul began learning the piano at age 10. Before this, he played trumpet and grew a curiosity to use the knowledge he received at the piano. He took up lessons shortly after at Concert Music School, studying with several teachers along the way. He performed in multiple recitals alongside his brother, as seen as two of the most musically educated of the school. In 2011, Paul auditioned for the Orange County School of The Arts, but was turned down due to the overwhelming number of applicants. Paul is an alumni of Marina High School (Class of 2015) and has been in Mr. Graham’s Concert and Viking Choirs since his junior year. He has also performed in the pit orchestra for Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the school’s productions of Crazy for You and Thoroughly Modern Millie for which he was a student accompanist. He has recently also performed as a pianist for West Arts Little Woman production at Stacey Middle School (Class of 2011). Paul is currently a music major at Orange Coast College where he plans to get his Associate of The Arts degree and transfer to CSULB for a degree in Music Education.
James McGraith – Pianist
James has been playing piano since he was 10 years old. He comes from a musical family, where his late grandfather was the band director of the Torrance Area Youth Band in the 60’s and 70’s. He received lessons at Concert Music School in Huntington Beach for 9 years, and he now takes private lessons in Fountain Valley. His main repertoire consists of Baroque to Jazz music. He is a Marina alumni and has participated in the choir program there for 3 years. Although he was not a talented vocalist, he helped fellow choir members with his expanded knowledge of musicality. He also took AP Music Theory during his last year of high school. Before graduating, he and his brother, Paul were offered to be the accompanists for the following year. He played his first professional performance as a member of the pit orchestra in Marina’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2012. Because of his sight reading skills, he was able to learn the entire score in a short amount of time. He currently resides in Westminster and studies Music at Orange Coast College, and plans to transfer to California State University of Long Beach to further expand his Music career, possibly to become a composer or professional performer.
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