IU conference to highlight gospel music's traditions

For gospel artists, the motivation to sing comes from a divine inspiration.

Since its beginning, gospel music has served to inform and enrich musical expression and has been prominent in African-American churches since the mid 20th century.
Ethnomusicologists have realized the influence of gospel, and now a piece of it will be shared with the Bloomington community.

Presented by the IU Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, the “Why We Sing: Indianapolis Gospel Music in Church, Community and Industry” conference will be from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.

“This is really a contribution to expanding the body of knowledge that exists about gospel music nationwide,” said Mellonee Burnim, director of IU’s Ethnomusicology Institute.

The goal of the conference is to convey some of the multidimensional qualities of gospel music and its cultural and religious functions.

“Our plan is to take people higher and higher — starting out in the morning with artists talking about their work in the community and the church,” Burnim said.

She said the conference will close with a discussion about the future of gospel music.
Notable conference participants will include founders of two Indianapolis-based independent gospel labels, the former director of the Gospel Music Workshop of America and various recording artists.

To conclude the day, “Why We Sing” will present a concert at the Fairview United Methodist Church showcasing a local volunteer-based community choir and performances by Bryant and Lamar Campbell. Accompanying the vocalists will be a live band under the direction of Tyron Cooper, former director of the IU Soul Revue.
Cooper said the choir has generated a lot of interest in community members.

“Every day, we hear from new folks, so this choir could be enormous,” he said.
Burnim said it is evident the conference will strengthen ties between IU and the larger African-American community.

“It was a conscious choice for us to plan the conference to be on the site here at the University,” she said. “It is a way of reaching out and showing how scholarship can complement the work of members of the community across the state.”

— Corinne Lambert