Young Voices Rise: OIGC in the Schools

Kids who experience live music, whether in assemblies, concerts, or classroom workshops, connect, engage, and learn differently. Music isn’t just a lesson in rhythm and harmony; it’s a doorway for students to see themselves reflected, to relate to others, and to experience and carry forward culture. At the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC), we bring that experience directly into Bay Area schools, helping young people find their voices, build confidence, and feel part of a larger community.

OIGC offers A Joyful Walk Through Gospel, an interactive assembly that blends performance with education. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Terrance Kelly - dubbed a “Culture Bearer” by the National Endowment for the Arts - students explore the history, meaning, and joy of gospel music, participating in an intergenerational, intercultural, and interfaith musical experience that resonates far beyond the stage. The curriculum follows the evolution of this genre from field holler all the way through today’s music - connecting Sallie Martin and Mahalia Jackson, to Oakland’s own Hawkins Family singers, and even Beyonce. Through our partnership with Young Audiences of Northern California, we bring this program to K-12 schools all around the Bay Area.

The impact of our work in schools is both immediate and lasting. Students clap, sing, and create music together. They see themselves in the stories and songs, building cultural pride, a value of history through connection to it, and even empathy. Along the way, students explore rhythm and harmony, but just as importantly, they experience what it means to raise their voices together.

And the impact goes far beyond a single assembly.

As one school administrator shared:

"The assembly with the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir was a dream come true as an educator. Not only did we hear a world-class choir sing, we had a great time with Maestro Terrance Kelly's meaningful presentation on gospel music's rich history. My students had a voice in creating an intergenerational, intercultural, and interfaith choir at the end of our presentation. It was a joy!"

That word—joy—is at the heart of everything we do.

When young people sing together, something shifts. Confidence grows. Barriers soften. Community takes shape. In a world that often asks young people to be quiet, music gives them permission to be bold, expressive, and fully themselves.

OIGC also leads in-school residencies and workshops, and we are teaching in-school choir classes in six Bay Area middle schools. In these classrooms, students build skills over time, grow in confidence, and form connections with one another through music. For many, it’s their first experience singing in a choir. For all, it’s a chance to be heard.

OYC Artistic Director Ms. La Nell Martin works with these students, bringing gospel and other musical traditions directly into classrooms. Over the course of half- and full-year programs, students develop musical skills, explore diverse cultural histories, and discover the joy of singing together - experiences that stay with them far beyond the classroom. Our organization now supports six youth ensembles, ranging from our smallest singers in OIKC and Miracles all the way to our Highschoolers in OIYC and Chamber singers!

Support from our community makes all of this possible, bringing music to more classrooms, provide meaningful arts experiences, and ensure that every student regardless of background can see themselves in the music, hear their own voice, and connect with their community through song.

Because when young voices rise together, they don’t just make music, they carry forward culture, confidence, and connection.

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Click here to see a slide show from a recent school showing clips from the experience: https://canva.link/68o57rf6srqphja

Learn More about engaging your school with our programs:‍ ‍https://www.ya-nc.org/index.php/programs/music/a-joyful-walk-through-gospel

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