Graphite Publishing
Big Lake, MN
info@graphitepublishing.com
(T) 763.545.1801
(F) 419.821.6507

WHO WE ARE



A Co-Founder of Graphite Publishing, Jocelyn Hagen is living the dream: composing, singing her heart out at the piano, and playing board games any chance she gets. She spends a lot of time driving her sons around to all their activities, makes a mean vegetarian chili, and is always on the lookout for the next great creative idea. 

A co-founder of Graphite Publishing, Timothy C. Takach is a composer, singer, conductor, and his music is a mainstay in the concert world. Applauded for his melodic lines, text choices and rich, intriguing harmonies, his compositions are performed worldwide. He is also a co-founder of Cantus and the band Nation, and he is a co-creator of the theatrical production All is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914. Takach has frequent work as a composer-in-residence, presenter, conductor, clinician and lecturer.

Laura is a consultant and singer who lives for making creative projects happen through collaborative artist support. Leading up to her time with Graphite, she worked at the American Composers Forum and the University of MN School of Music. Laura now works with creators and publishers of all stripes and remains an active part of the professional singing community. Laura also serves as the R&R Chair for MN Composers with ACDA-MN and on the board of the Schubert Club. She received her BM in Vocal Music Education and her MPS in Arts and Cultural Leadership from the University of MN.  


Erika is a composer, violinist, soprano, and aspiring percussionist. She loves photography, camping, and the mountains. 

Addison Struckman is a St. Louis-based composer/songwriter. Her work with Graphite as a project manager ranges from content creation to PRO registrations, along with collaborative support with the Compose Like A Girl initiative. Addison co-owns 89th Key Music Studio and Café Fermata with her mother, where she also teaches private lessons. With a BM in Music Composition from Webster University, she draws inspiration from spontaneous adventures, quiet hours with a canvas, and late-night conversations or reads.

Jonathan Campbell, BA, MSM, DMA, currently serves as Director of Music at Zion Lutheran Church, Anoka, MN., and is a Contributing Editor for Graphite Publishing. His music publishers include Augsburg Fortress, Concordia, Morningstar, GIA, Sacred Music Press, and Falls House. He won first prize in the Morningside Choral Composition Contest and was also awarded a Faith Partner’s Residency with the American Composer’s Forum. Jonathan has served many churches, conducted the Chorale of the Honors Choirs S.E. MN for eight years, and has served on the faculties of Winona State University, Augsburg University, and Pomona College.

Jeff is a nonprofit finance professional with experience in performing arts administration and public radio production. While tracking the numbers is a passion, so too is performing music, and he balances his finance work with an active performing schedule as a pianist and percussionist. He works full-time at VocalEssence as the Director of Finance and Operations and is also the Principal Percussionist with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra. He attended St. Olaf College majoring in music and business.
 

Mission and values

Mission: Graphite thoughtfully curates dynamic, relevant music, bridges the gap between composers and performers, and actively supports creators in its composer-focused business model.

Vision: We strive to strengthen our choral community by: 

  • Being the first place conductors go to find new music, confidently providing a positive experience discovering, purchasing, and instantly downloading new repertoire 
  • Showcasing composers who are in-demand and pushing the boundaries of the vocal and choral genre
  • Offering one of the highest, and often THE highest, royalty rate to our composers, giving them more freedom and flexibility with their careers

What’s unique about Graphite Publishing?

Graphite offers a wide variety of music and is accessible to listeners, performers, and singers in many different types of organizations such as universities, schools, and community ensembles. Accessibility in this sense speaks to audience comprehension and enjoyment, as well as a range of music that is suitable for a variety of performer abilities.

Graphite cultivates composers who write vocal music with distinction and craft while at the same time creating music that resonates with performers and audiences alike. Graphite promotes a diverse community of living composers and publishers that share the values of Graphite’s mission. The owners are composers themselves, so they understand not only the challenge of writing music, but also of getting that music published and performed. The artists represented by Graphite and the music available in the catalog is curated by these owners as trusted artists. The music is thoughtfully organized, enabling customers to easily discover new works that fit their needs and the needs of their communities. Graphite’s online PDF score delivery allows customers to access score purchases faster and easier, and they can trust that they will find quality music that will be relevant to and resonate with performers and audiences alike. 

By providing distribution rights for publishers in addition to the publishing arm of the company, Graphite is able to expand on these strengths and offerings, bringing value through its company culture and community of composers. Graphite also values the community aspect of choral singing, and encourages the relationships formed between performing groups and composers. Graphite fosters these relationships by providing points of connection between the performers and composers, enabling future collaboration such as workshops and commissions.

As a composer, what are the benefits of publishing or distributing my works through Graphite?

The benefit of publishing through Graphite is that we have created a network of composers that help promote each other. If a conductor loves work by Composer #1, and they learn to trust the material coming out of Graphite, they will give Composer #2 a chance, looking for the same high quality and accessibility the received from Composer #1, because both composers are connected by the Graphite name.

Also, Graphite has a priority to pay composers a high royalty for their work – one of the highest in the business. We’re a company that was created by and for composers. Graphite believes that the composer should get the most profit from the sale of his or her creative product.

Are there any costs incurred by the composer?

No. This is a cultivated collection of composers, not a place where composers pay to have their music sold. One of Graphite’s main goals is to promote composers, and we do not believe that a composer should have to pay upfront fees to have their work published.

I’ve heard that Graphite pays a generous royalty. Is this true?

Since 2006, Graphite has prioritized paying composers a high royalty for their work – one of the highest in the business. Graphite believes that the composer should get the most profit from the sale of his or her creative product. We also believe we are a true alternative to traditional publishing houses and self-publishing, and so we have a responsibility to be as beneficial to the composer as possible.

The concept we have adopted offers scores in pdf format that are instantly downloaded by a customer. The customer pays a license for the number of scores they intend to make, downloads the file, and then the transaction is complete. We avoid costs of printing, storing inventory, and shipping. We do need to cover the cost of digital online storage, file delivery and upkeep of the website, but most of the overhead of selling hard copies of music is avoided.