“Music of My Voice” by Dr. Lori Hicks and “A Spiritual Evolution” by Jonathan Blanchard
On March 21, 2014, Dr. Lori Hicks and Jonathan Blanchard performed a selection of African American spirituals on Day 3 of the African American Music in World Culture: Art as Refuge & Strength in the Struggle for Freedom conference.
Dr. Lori Hicks, a native of Detroit, Michigan, is the recipient of the Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Jonathan Blanchard is a vocalist who is unmatched for his artistry and musical interpretation. Possessing a voice comparable in depth and richness to the great Paul Robeson, Blanchard—in the spiritual tradition of an ancient Afrikan Griot—creates music that allows his deep, soulfully rich voice to blend naturally with his compelling dramatic instinct. He movingly conveys the poignant words and melodies of the Negro Spiritual, and his modernized and approachable style of singing creates such an uplifting song that it holds the enthusiasts of Popular, Classical, and Religious Song in sway.