Dr. Susanne Reid received her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Oklahoma, along with a Master’s and Bachelor's degrees of music from California State University, Fullerton.  Since coming to VU in the fall of 2004, her teaching areas include music history, art appreciation, introduction to the arts and teaching voice.  She also serves as the coordinator of the Worship Leadership Concentration.   In the year 2015, the music department achieved accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and granted the Single Subject Waiver for Music by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) – both spear-headed and written by Dr. Reid.

Dr. Reid has served as a vocal evaluator and choral clinician throughout her career. She was inducted as a Distinguished Member of Sigma Alpha Iota a national organization which promotes a commitment to music and campus life. She has enjoyed teaching remotely for the Bangalore Conservatory in Bangalore, India, working with master’s students in achieving the London College of Music Diploma.

Dr. Reid is an active member at her local church, serving on the worship team.  Her husband, Phillip, teaches as an adjunct in the VU department of physical sciences. Their daughter, Jane, is a nurse at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, who also serves VU as an adjunct in kinesiology and clinical instructor for VU nursing.  Needless to say, her family loves the students at VU and are thrilled to be a part of each student’s journey who walk with them along their paths. 

Dr. Jae Hyeok Jang is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities and Music Education. He received music degrees from Manhattan School of Music (MM) and Boston University (DMA). Dr. Jang brings rich experiences as a conductor, composer, music educator, and church music minister to Vanguard University. He has trained choirs and orchestras in a broad range of settings from college to secondary school to community music organizations to churches to professional ensembles. 

Prior to Vanguard, Dr. Jang taught at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago as Professor of Music for 12 years and served as the music director for the Candlelight Carols production, a major cultural event in Chicago. He guest conducted Jönköpings Orkesterförening and Jönköpings Kammarkör in Sweden and Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania and has served as the artistic director for GEMA Missions Choir and Orchestra for Guatemala, Exeter Symphonia, Boston Korean Chorus, Little OL Korea Arts Foundation of Chicago and churches in Boston and New York City.  

As a published composer Dr. Jang has been active in performing his compositions including commissions and giving lectures at national and international organizations. His book (co-authored with his wife, Dr. Yoojin Choi) about educating the whole person was published in Korea (2014) and Vietnam (2023).  Before Moody, he taught at Phillips Exeter Academy, a private high school in Exeter, NH.

As a Christian educator, Dr. Jang aims to be efficient, effective, and influential for educating the whole person with Christian faith through personal care for his students.

Kenneth R. Foerch, DMA, is Director of the instrumental field of Vanguard University. He earned a DMA degree from University of Southern California, MM from Eastman School of Music, and a BM from Michigan State University. 

He performs as an on-call saxophonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Pacific Symphony. He has performed with the L.A. Opera, L.A. Chamber Orchestra, and Long Beach Symphony.  Dr. Foerch has appeared with leading artists Herbie Hancock, Elvis Costello, and John Legend,. He performs as chamber musician for the “Green Umbrella” series of the L.A. Philharmonic, Orion and Encore Saxophone Quartets, and has worked with international composers Andrew Morricone and Thomas Alves.

In 2008, he took Vanguard’s Jazz Ensemble to New York City to perform with legendary jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis and returned in 2019 with the VU Jazz Combo to perform at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Foerch resides in La Verne with his wife Michele and daughters Sophia and Lauren.

Kieun Steve Kim serves as Associate Professor of Music and Music Liaison for Community Partnerships. He also serves as Director of Worship and Music at Trinity United Presbyterian Church, where he provides leadership for worship ministries, including nine vibrant ensembles. Prior to this role, he served as Chair of the Music Department, Director of Choral Activities, and Vice Chancellor of International Affairs at Simpson University. He has prepared choirs for performances with major orchestras, including the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. His choral and instrumental works, spanning genres including classical, jazz, gospel, and K-pop, have been performed by Grammy Award-winning ensembles including Chanticleer and Westminster Choir. His scholarly work focuses on the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, with analyses published by GIA Publications. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland (DMA), Westminster Choir College (MM), and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (BM), and currently serves on the board of the California Choral Directors Association as Director of Community and Worship Programs.