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About the Authors
Joseph M. Martin grew up in North Carolina and pursued advanced training in piano performance, earning his bachelor's degree from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and his master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He spent five years on the faculty of the Piano Pedagogy Department at UT Austin, where he shaped the next generation of piano teachers while maintaining an active performance schedule.
His career as a concert pianist has taken him across the United States and into Mexico, where he won the Nina Plant Wideman Competition and performed as a guest soloist with the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra. A solo recital he gave at Ex-convento del Carman received national broadcast coverage. His recordings now reach audiences in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to regional theaters and, most importantly, in hundreds of church services throughout the United States and Canada.
Today, Martin divides his energy between performing in worship settings and writing music for church musicians and ensembles. His catalog reflects the breadth of his musical interests, and his arrangements and original compositions continue to surprise performers with their inventiveness and accessibility. He makes his home in Austin, Texas with his wife Sue and their children Jonathan and Aubrey.
His career as a concert pianist has taken him across the United States and into Mexico, where he won the Nina Plant Wideman Competition and performed as a guest soloist with the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra. A solo recital he gave at Ex-convento del Carman received national broadcast coverage. His recordings now reach audiences in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to regional theaters and, most importantly, in hundreds of church services throughout the United States and Canada.
Today, Martin divides his energy between performing in worship settings and writing music for church musicians and ensembles. His catalog reflects the breadth of his musical interests, and his arrangements and original compositions continue to surprise performers with their inventiveness and accessibility. He makes his home in Austin, Texas with his wife Sue and their children Jonathan and Aubrey.
Heather Sorenson is a Dallas-based composer, arranger, and orchestrator whose music reaches audiences across churches, schools, universities, and concert halls worldwide. Though she first gained recognition as a pianist, her reputation now rests on her distinctive choral, piano, and orchestral works. She moves fluidly between traditional and contemporary Christian music, blending both idioms into a signature style that sets her apart in the field.
Her commissions span prestigious institutions including Texas A&M University, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation, and Carnegie Hall, where her oratorio EXODUS premiered. Beyond composition, Sorenson has shaped the next generation of musicians through four years teaching elementary music at Grace Academy of Dallas, adjunct faculty work at Baylor University, and regular master class instruction in piano and songwriting.
Currently, Sorenson balances an active composing schedule with frequent appearances as a guest conductor and speaker at churches, worship conferences, and universities across the country. She regularly leads sessions at educational institutions and dedicates additional time to benefit concerts supporting causes important to her. Based in the Dallas area, she continues to expand her reach as both a creator and educator.
Her commissions span prestigious institutions including Texas A&M University, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation, and Carnegie Hall, where her oratorio EXODUS premiered. Beyond composition, Sorenson has shaped the next generation of musicians through four years teaching elementary music at Grace Academy of Dallas, adjunct faculty work at Baylor University, and regular master class instruction in piano and songwriting.
Currently, Sorenson balances an active composing schedule with frequent appearances as a guest conductor and speaker at churches, worship conferences, and universities across the country. She regularly leads sessions at educational institutions and dedicates additional time to benefit concerts supporting causes important to her. Based in the Dallas area, she continues to expand her reach as both a creator and educator.