Featured Artists:
Dr. Herbert Vincent-Ricardo Pea’dro Jones
Principal Conductor Director of The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh since its founding, Dr. Jones is one of the nation's foremost figures in choral conducting and pedagogy and an expert in the intersection between theology and musical expression. A Southern transplant to Pennsylvania, Dr. Jones has cultivated a broad-based, multifaceted career as a choral conductor, educator, operatic and oratorio bass, liturgical dancer, orator and pastor, teaching and performing across the United States and Europe. Dr. Jones holds numerous degrees: B.S. in Music, M.S. in Counseling Psychology, M.Mus. in Choral Conducting/Music Education, M.Divinity (M.Div.) in Sacred Music, Dance & Drama, D.M.A. in Music, Choral Conducting, Performance Pedagogy & Choral Music Education, and has done Ph.D Studies in Ethnomusicology. Dr. Jones has taught in the Public Schools of Mississippi (grades 6-12), the Private High School sector (The Piney Woods School, Mississippi, The Neighborhood Academy-Pittsburgh) and colleges in universities in North Dakota, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi, respectively. Dr. Jones is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Tau Beta Sigma, and the National Guild of Sacred Dancers. He has published articles in the Mississippi ACDA/Mississippi Music Teachers Journal, the Academic Division of GMWA, the Milestone Christian Bookstore Newsletter, and several others. Dr. Jones is listed in: Who's Who Among American Teachers (dual listing); Distinguished Church Musicians In America, Outstanding Personalities of the America, Marquise International Who's Who, Residential Scholars, Choral Scholar, (University of Mississippi); in 2011, 50 Men of Excellence (selected by the New Pittsburgh Courier), in 2013, one of 5 men selected as “Men of Distinction” recognized by the Rachel Randall Education Ministry of the Pentecostal Temple Church of God In Christ, Pittsburgh, PA., and several others. Dr. Jones is considered a leading authority on the music of Moses George Hogan. His Doctoral Dissertation, “THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPIRITUAL AND GOSPEL SONG: THE MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF MOSES GEORGE HOGAN, COMPOSER AND ARRANGER”, is the only definitive work on the life, music, compositional style of the composer. An Ordained Minister of Music, Dr. Jones is Executive Administrative Assistant to the Academic Dean, Academic Division, of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc. (GMWA), and sits on the Boards of The Simmons Scholarship Foundation, Inc. (Columbus, OH), the Afro-American Music Institute (AAMI) (Pittsburgh, PA), ‘All Nations Dance’ (Pittsburgh, PA), the Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA), Professionals for Christ, Inc. (Birmingham, AL), and RAISE Academy (Columbus, OH), and is on the faculty of Community College of Allegheny County, Allegheny Campus – Department of Music. Dr. Jones continues to maintain an active schedule conducting seminars and workshops, guest conducting, and adjudicating choral festivals and competitions. |
Nikki Porter
Featured Director Singer, songwriter, vocal coach, choir director, actress and recording artist, Rev. Nicol “Nikki” Porter is the Minister of Music and Head of Staff at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, a cross-cultural, inner-city congregation in Pittsburgh’s East End. She has provided oversight of the church’s music department for over eighteen years, serving as worship leader, director of the adult and youth praise teams, children’s and mass choirs and private voice teacher in the church’s after-school music program, The Judah Project, which she established in 2005. In addition to her full-time vocational music ministry, Rev. Porter travels throughout the United States and in Europe singing and teaching Gospel music, including the annual Gospel Connection conference in Assisi, Italy, where she and fellow clinicians teach and conduct a 350-voice mass choir comprised of singers from all over Italy. Here at home, she serves as the Lift Every Voice Unity Choir director for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, performs solo and with her band at events, such as Juneteenth, the Pittsburgh Black Music Festival and this past summer, Pittsburgh Prays – the last event at Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium). Rev. Porter also teaches music workshops and serves as guest Minister of Music for major events, including the inaugural services last fall of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary’s first African American president, Dr. Asa J. Lee. Recording artist Nikki Porter’s music can be heard via digital outlets, and she just completed music recordings for the soon-to-be-released CHURCH (Congregational Healers Uniting to Restore Health) project with the University of Pittsburgh. Not only is Rev. Porter a music minister and recording artist, but as an activist, she has served and marched locally and in Washington, D.C. with the Black Political Empowerment Project/Election Protection, Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and has volunteered with food distributions in collaboration with the Wilkinsburg Free Store, National Heart Association and East Liberty Family Health Care Center. In November 2019, the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh named Rev. Porter as their Racial Justice Awards Common Ground Award recipient for her work in racial reconciliation. Rev. Porter holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, where she also studied piano, jazz voice with the late Maureen Budway and founded Duquesne’s Gospel Choir, the Gospel Joynotes. Her private music studies include flute, piano with Dr. Alton Merrell, and classical voice with Eugene Perry. She also studied at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Rev. Porter is a member and elder of Potter’s House Ministries where she was ordained in 2008 by Bishop Otis L. Carswell. Prior to that, she was a member of Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ under the leadership of the late Bishop Loran E. Mann for sixteen years where she was called to ministry, licensed as an Evangelist, served in the music ministry and as teen Bible study teacher. Rev. Porter has been married to the love of her life, Pastor Raymond Porter, Jr. for sixteen years and is the proud mother of their fourteen-year-old son, Raymond Porter, III. |
Anqwenique Kinsel
Featured Vocalist Pittsburgh native ANQWENIQUE is an extremely versatile vocalist and educator specializing in opera, classical music, jazz and soul. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Voice Performance from Indiana University of PA. She has performed and collaborated with Staycee Pearl Dance Project, Chamber Music Pittsburgh, Attack Theater, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, BOOM Concepts, composer Daniel Bernard Romain, Luna Loba Collective/Shey Rivera-Rios, Nicole Mitchell, and many others. ANQWENIQUE has been recognized with many awards and opportunities for her creative work. In 2017 she was named “Best Singer” by the Pittsburgh Magazine readers poll and listed among Who's Next in Music by The Incline and 40 Under 40 by Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP. She, alongside husband and visual artist DS Kinsel, became the first artist in residence at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, PA as part of a collaboration with BOOM Concepts. She most recently was a recipient of the 2023 Aggie Award by the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation for her creative community work and completed the 3rd SCALE Fellowship cohort, a program of the Equity Impact Center for Black women in music. Anqwenique also has a history of working in collaboration across disciplines in visual art, photography, performance art and immersive theater. As a long time educator and teaching artist, Anqwenique serves learners from early childhood to adulthood. In addition to her vocal and performance practice, ANQWENIQUE consults frequently as a teaching artist, program designer, and cultural advisor. She was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in 2018 to create an original story for early childhood audiences in collaboration with composer Doug Levine entitled Jazz Time! Her workshop series Just SING!, singing for wellness and self-care is supported by Duolingo and The Opportunity Fund. |
Alton Merrell
Featured Artist Dr. Alton Merrell is a world class pianist, Hammond B-3 organist, composer, and educator. He has performed and taught throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and parts of the Caribbean. Merrell’s musical artistry is a unique blend of lyrical melodies, rich harmonies, and fluid technique that spans multiple music genres including jazz, gospel, classical, pop, and rhythm and blues. Whether performing his own compositions or commissioned to celebrate the music of legendary artists, Merrell’s rich musical interpretations take listeners on spirit-filled excursions that deeply touch the soul. Merrell is a sought-after pianist who has performed with legendary jazz artists, including Antonio Hart, Tia Fuller, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Roger Humphries, Sean Jones, Hubert Laws, Delfeayo Marsalis, Christian McBride, Jimmy Owens, Rufus Reed, Jim Snidero, Sachal Vasandani, Kim Nazarian, Kenny Washington, and Jeff “Tain” Watts, and regularly performs with Pittsburgh’s best jazz artists. Merrell is a current member of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra and has performed multiple times with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Cleveland State Jazz Heritage Orchestra, Pittsburgh Concert Chorale, YSU All-Star Alumni Jazz Ensemble and Warren Philharmonic Orchestra. Merrell is a composer of illustrious works in gospel jazz and regularly performs with local and nationally known Gospel/Christian artists, some of whom include Kim Burrell, David and Nicole Binion, Morris Chapman, Maurette Brown Clark, Darwin Hobbs, Israel Houghton, Doe Jones, Donnie McClurkin, Martha Munizzi, Dorothy Norwood, LaShunn Pace, Alvin Slaughter, Parkes Stewart, and the late Rev. Timothy Wright. He also has been featured several times on the nationally televised Bobby Jones Gospel Show and has served as orchestrator and music director of several productions and oratorios that incorporated several musical genres including Gospel, Broadway, Latin-Brazilian, Neo- Classical, Caribbean, World Music, among others. Merrell leads his own jazz group, “The Alton Merrell Group” and has a reputation of sharing “spirit-filled jazz for the soul.” His latest acclaimed release, “Withholding Nothing” was released on the Grammy award winning record label MCGJazz worldwide. Merrell is a self-published author of five books with online course offerings for each. These books include 30 Modern Bebop Licks: 30 Exercises to Help You Master Bebop Improvisation, Music Theory for the Improvising Musician, and The Complete Piano Technique Course: Book 1, 2 and 3. From the University of Pittsburgh, Merrell received his Ph.D. in Jazz Studies with a research focus on jazz piano performance and pedagogy. His primary research focus was on The Life and Music of McCoy Tyner: An Examination of the Sociocultural Influences on McCoy Tyner and His Music. From Youngstown State University, Alton earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Classical Piano Performance, graduating Cum Laude, and a Master of Music in Jazz Piano performance. Currently the Professor of Jazz Piano at West Virginia University, Merrell is the former Director of Jazz Studies at Youngstown State University and has previously taught at the University of Pittsburgh. Merrell has taught students all over the world and continues to train musicians worldwide though his online school Minstrel School of Music (www.minstrelschool.com). Whether performing or teaching, Merrell incorporates diverse musical styles in his repertoire to minister love and hope to people around the world. |
Mikey Hood
Master of Ceremonies Pittsburgh native Mikey Hood joined KDKA in March 2019. Mikey has had a public presence in Pittsburgh for quite some time through her on-line show PghSpot, a platform she created to highlight the movers and shakers in the Burgh! Mikey grew up in the East End of Pittsburgh and graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School. Her desire to get into TV started as a kid, when she would interview and produce pretend commercials for all of her friends. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where she studied Writing and Communications. When Mikey is not on Pittsburgh Today Live, she loves spending time with her fiancé, dog Wilson, close friends and on long hikes. |