Lorin Matthew Koch

1978 -  

Lorin Koch, a singer and instrumentalist, has taught instrumental music in two different Seventh-day Adventist schools. Although neither a music major nor minor, he was a participant in numerous instrumental and choral groups from grade school through college.

Lorin was born in Kailua, Hawaii, and raised in College Place, Washington, one of two sons born to music teachers Terry and Terri (Teresa) Hansen Koch. From his earliest years, he sat in on countless rehearsals. At age four he started piano lessons and at six, violin lessons.

Throughout his elementary and high school years, he was a member of the choir, orchestra, and handbell ensembles and in academy also a member of the band. While attending Walla Walla College, now University, he participated in every group possible, including both choirs, concert band, orchestra, and steel drum band. During his years at WWC, he was particularly inspired by his work under teachers Bruce Rasmussen and Brandon Beck.

Additionally, Koch was section leader at the Walla Walla First Congregational United Church of Christ for several years and a member of the Walla Walla Choral Society, where he sang as the baritone soloist in Theodore Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ. He completed a BA in mass communications and religion in 2002 at WWC and also a master's degree in teaching in 2004.

In July 2004, he married Katrina Beddoe, a music education major, and that fall they began teaching at Livingstone Adventist Academy in Oregon, where he taught religion and other classes and directed the orchestra. They then taught at Indiana Academy from 2009 to 2011, where he taught computer, Bible, and history classes and also directed the band and handbell choir during their second year there.

The Kochs now reside in Salem, Oregon, where he directs the handbell choir and she is in charge of classroom music and works with the beginning band at Livingstone Adventist Academy. They have two daughters, Liljana Clare Koch, who was born in March 2011, and Cadence Aurelia, who was born in May 2013.

ds/2014

Source: Information provided by Lorin Koch, May 2011 and January 2014.