In order to celebrate Black History Month on Feb. 4, the Loma Linda University Church will host a worship service that will feature music performed by the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. This orchestra is the one with the largest percentage of Black musicians in the United States.
Celebrating Black History Month with ICYOLA
The Inner City Youth Orchestra, which was founded in 2009 and performs weekly rehearsals, was created to provide young musicians from underserved backgrounds with the opportunity to shine in the spotlight.
ICYOLA's mission is to increase the representation of people of color in symphonic music in the United States, where they make up fewer than 5% of the total membership of orchestras.
According to Adventist Today, the director and conductor of the Los Angeles-based Inner City Youth Orchestra, Charles (Chuck) Dickerson, runs the organization.
He has led orchestral and choral performances of some of the greatest works in the Western canon across the globe for more than 40 years. The choral and orchestral arrangement of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic speech "I Have a Dream" is his most well-known composition.
Dickerson hopes that every member of his band shares his or her commitment to "accomplishment, pride, camaraderie, confidence, and respect."
Over the past decade, ICYOLA has given numerous performances, including season-ending concerts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. These events have provided the musicians with invaluable performing experience and exposure.
As per the report, Dickerson is well-known for his work as a composer and conductor, but he also taught as an adjunct professor in La Sierra University's Black Studies Program. He has also had positions in the government, law, and politics.
He has a Master of Music in conducting and African American music from California State University, Los Angeles, as well as a Juris Doctor from American University in Washington, D.C.
In addition to that, he has advised the Seventh-day Adventist Church's top leadership.
The mission of the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles is to encourage young people from Los Angeles's inner cities to fully realize their musical and scholastic potential through the cultivation of musical expression as a vehicle for personal growth and to bring this promise to fruition.
According to its website, the organization educates young people from inner-city neighborhoods about wonderful music worldwide. It allows them to perform this music in some of the most beautiful venues in the community.
In addition, they train their members for advanced studies and high-level achievement in the music industry and other fields.
About Loma Linda University
Seventh-day Adventist Loma Linda University provides a one-of-a-kind educational experience by bringing together health, science, and faith. The Southern California campus was founded in 1905 with a vision of health and hope.
According to the university’s website, Loma Linda, California, grew up around the college as it became a regional hub for healthcare and higher education. Loma Linda University has evolved into a premier medical research institution more than a century and a half later. The ground-breaking work in health and wellness has benefited people all around the globe and made us an industry leader.
