Embedded Files
New Orleans native Coty Raven Morris is a proud alumnus of Texas State University-San Marcos and Michigan State University where she attained a Masters in choral conducting. Along with her work at Portland State University as the Assistant Professor of Choir, Music Education, and Social Justice, she is also the founder of Being Human Together (BHT), a budding community utilizing music education striving to normalize difficult topics in our field through conversation and connection. Morris is a sought-after clinician, speaker and artist across the country and is passionate about fostering community in and outside of the classroom. She is the Northwest Choral representative for the National Association for Music Education as well as the Community Choir Chair for Northwest region of the American Choral Directors Association. Her most recent acknowledgments include being a nominee for the Portland State University George C. Hoffman Faculty award as well as a Finalist for the 2024 Music Educators Grammy!
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. holds credits in conducting, sacred music and music education. He is a member of the choral studies, music education and sacred music faculty at Westminster Choir College, where he conducts the Westminster Jubilee Singers and previously taught African American Choral Literature and in the Baccalaureate Honors Program. He was most recently a Lecturer of Music in the College of Communication & Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount University where he developed coursework related to music and social justice. A church musician, he is director of music & worship arts at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church. Maintaining an active conducting schedule, he is founder and artistic director of Elmwood Concert Singers and is artistic director and conductor of Capital Singers of Trenton.
Performing Ensembles
The A. E. Church of St. Thomas Gospel Choir members currently consist of 40 spirit filled, energetic musicians and singers. The St. Thomas Gospel Choir shares their music at over 50 services, programs, concerts, and celebrations every year. STGC has traveled to many cities throughout the United States and as far as San Jose and Limon in Costa Rica. The STGC had several performances throughout Rome, Venice, and Florence, Italy in July of 2018.
The Virginia State University Concert Choir first achieved musical eminence under the leadership of J. Harold Montague. So effective and successful was he introducing and developing an a cappella tradition that the choir soon came to be known on the tour circuit as the Virginia State A Cappella Choir. This love for artistic unaccompanied singing was nurtured by Montague’s successors, Mozart Frazier, Aldrich Adkins, Oscar Henry, Eugene Simpson, and Carl Harris, Johnnella L. Edmonds, and Patrick McCoy.
The choir frequently collaborates with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in the presentation of such major works as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Brahms and Verdi Requiems, Bach’s Magnificat, and Undine Smith Moore’s Pulitzer Prize nominated oratorio Scenes from the Life of a Martyr. The VSU Concert Choir has augmented its live performances with Yuletide presentations on the CBS affiliate, WTVR, Richmond, Virginia and has recorded various choral works by Hall Johnson (Eugene Simpson, conductor), and Undine Smith Moore (Carl Harris, conductor). This ensemble has also performed for the Virginia Music Educators Association Annual Professional Development Conference, the National Black Music Caucus Conference, and the Southern Region Conference of the American Choral Directors Association.
Under the recent leadership of Craig L. Robertson, the VSU Concert Choir continues its choral legacy. This regeneration of this ensemble has afforded them opportunities to present performances for the VMEA All-Virginia Chorus, Bent Not Broken Music Conference, and a future performance at the University of California-Los Angeles.
About BBNB's Host Organization
Elevate Vocal Arts (EVA) creates performance and education opportunities, and expands creative workforce development opportunities for individuals from historically marginalized communities to develop as professional Vocal Artists who speak to our time's relevant issues through music, storytelling, and spoken word, strengthening our democracy.
EVA is an organization that is committed to the educational advancement and accessibility of resources throughout the state of Delaware, to assure that Delaware’s students have access to high-quality arts education experiences. As such, EVA offers intensive, school-based residencies. Unlike many school residencies that last for just a few days, EVA school-based residencies last 30-60 days.
Click here to learn more about EVA.
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