Melanie DeMore is a 3-time Grammy nominated singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, the Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/CalPerformances; works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She became Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks as part of the Luminato Festival in 2019. She is a charter member of Kate Munger’s Threshold Choirs and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: “A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you.”

The annual WITNESS Teacher Orientation will take place from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Saturday, September 30, 2023 in Guild Hall at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. 

For teachers who were not able to attend the September 30 Teacher Orientation, we will be hosting another in-person mini-orientation at Plymouth Congregational Church on a date to be announced.

Participating schools are asked to send at least one participating teacher, but all participating teachers are encouraged to attend.

Cost to attend: $15 per attendee

Registration: Follow this link and complete the registration form to RSVP for you, and any other teachers’ attendance at orientation: https://www.tfaforms.com/5074965 

At orientation, teachers will:

• receive professional development by participating in activities led by VocalEssence Associate Artistic Director G. Phillip Shoultz, III and the VocalEssence Teaching Artists,
• learn about this year’s program theme and special guest artist,
• receive classroom resource materials,
• enjoy a boxed lunch, and
• earn up to 3 clock hours of CEU credit.

COVID-19 Protocols: VocalEssence and Plymouth Congregational Church are currently operating within a policy of masks being optional. You are welcome to wear a mask, or not. We ask that you stay home if you’re feeling ill. All policies are subject to change and will adhere to recommendations by the Minnesota Department of Health and CDC.

VocalEssence WITNESS Resources

Participating teachers have free access to a selection of lesson plans and activities that will engage students in this year’s program theme, “Leading with Love”, while also learning about Melanie DeMore and the Gullah tradition of Stick Pounding. Lesson plans, activities and other audio/visual resources will be available this fall via the online VocalEssence Classroom Resource Hub.

To access the Classroom Resource Hub, you need to be a registered Partner School. If you are a current Partner School teacher, please contact robert@vocalessence.org for access.

Students and teachers are given the opportunity to learn from our VocalEssence Teaching Artists through live, in-class workshops. Teaching Artists explore the yearly program theme through the lens of their artistic discipline, creating an integrative academic experience for students combining the study of African American culture with art, music, social studies, literature, character building, and other areas of school curriculum.

Booking your Teaching Artist

The primary contact teacher will receive an email from VocalEssence Learning and Engagement staff with a link to the Workshop/Residency request form, where teachers will submit their preferred workshop dates, class schedule and other information that will assist with the scheduling process, as well as share what they hope their students will gain from this experience. VocalEssence staff will then pair the school with an appropriate Teaching Artist who will be a good fit for that school.

All participating teachers are expected to attend a planning meeting with the selected Teaching Artist, at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the first workshop date to allow plenty of time for planning and preparation.

VocalEssence will provide the teacher/Teaching Artist team with a checklist of important questions and discussion topics that will help guide the planning meeting conversation, preparing everyone for the workshop experience and bringing everyone onto the same page with shared learning goals and expectations. A signed copy of the planning checklist will need to be emailed back to Rob Graham following the planning meeting.

We are delighted to return to Orchestra Hall for an immersive, 50-minute, participatory musical experience, featuring VocalEssence Associate Artistic Director G. Phillip Shoultz, III, the VocalEssence Teaching Artists performing alongside the VocalEssence Singers Of This Age, members of the VocalEssence Chorus, and our very special guest, Melanie DeMore! Through singing, body percussion, movement and a wide range of musical styles, students will get to raise their voices as they celebrate the opportunity to lead with love!

The VocalEssence WITNESS Young People’s Concerts at Orchestra Hall will take place on Friday, March 15, 2024 at 10 AM and 11:35 AM. 

• Cost: $0.00/ticket – that’s right, this year, tickets are FREE!
• This year, in waiving the cost of the ticket fee, we will not be able to offer the partial bus reimbursement that has been available in past years. If you are facing a financial barrier to securing bussing for the concert, please email Rob Graham at robert@vocalessence.org and we will be happy to work with you on a case-by-case basis.