Isai Moran
From: Orange County, CA
Major: Religious Studies/Pre-seminary
Involvements: Chapel director; praise ministry; La Sierra Jazz Combo and Jazz Band
Tim Swanson
From: Thousand Oaks, CA
Major: Biomedical Science, with music minor
Involvements: La Sierra Orchestra; Jazz Combo; praise bands; pre-med club
Jo Cordero
From: Loma Linda, CA
Major: Religious Studies/Pre-seminary
Involvements: Coordinator, Friday night vespers; praise leader; graphic designer
What role does music play in your friendship?
JO: Music is why we’re friends and how we’ll stay friends. I’ve never played with a more musically flexible group before.
Isai: As musicians, we complement each other perfectly. I feel so comfortable playing with these guys. It’s like we can read each other’s minds.
What’s the dynamic of your friendship?
TIM: JO and Isai are the planners. And I’m just here to play bass. Ha ha. They’re the funniest and most talented people I know.
Isai: JO and I are always on the move. We tend to step up and take control of a lot of situations. Shifu is the one who keeps us sane. He teaches us to find beauty in the simple things.
What have you learned from each other?
TIM: Being religion majors, they’ve taught me to think about what I believe and why.
JO: With Isai, I’ve learned to develop patience, and musically, I’ve been challenged to push myself to learn new things. With Shifu, I’ve learned so many random and interesting things—like there are gliding snakes in this world.
Crazy-fun experience?
JO: Going to gigs! We cram two guitars, two amps, a full-sized keyboard, and the three of us into my Honda Civic. It’s taught us how to breathe slowly and deal with numb body parts.
