Dr. Jang achieved her doctoral in Orchestral Conducting from the University of North Texas (UNT) and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Iowa. Jang has studied with famous conductors, including tutorials with Larry Rachleff, Kenneth Kiesler, Andrew Constantine, Gerard Schwarz, Octavio Más-Arocas, and Cristian Macelaru. Her principal conducting teachers are David Itkin, Ki-sun Sung, and William LaRue Jones.
At the age of ten he performed his first wedding gig in a quartet and started performing with Bobby Vee and The Crickets. The most memorable gig with Bobby and the Crickets was performing at Big Top Chautauqua in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Derrick had his first recording session at the age of 13 with Bobby Vee and the Vees. Derrick was first introduced to singing while attending rehearsals of Bethlehem Lutheran Church’s productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors. First time around, at age 9, he sang alto in the Shepherd’s Choir, two years later as a tenor, by the third time, he was playing in the cello section.