The Appalachian
State University Gospel Choir meets Tuesday and Thursday
nights to sing, pray and move to the beat of their accompanying
gospel band.
“I love gospel music, and they made it sound like so
much fun ... you can see the spirit in everybody, it’s
just an awesome sight,” member Lindsay Gresh said.
The choir is led by Dr. Roosevelt Escalante and now boasts
of more than 100 members. Jessica Corpening, a junior accounting
major, is one of those members and has been with the group
for three years.
“I’ve always been in choir, ever since I was
little, and I wanted to continue that,” she said.
Corpening now serves as treasurer.
Escalante is originally from Fort Myers, Fla. He earned his
bachelors degree from Stetson University and his doctorate
from the University of Missouri.
This is Escalante’s first year at Appalachian and he
said that he came here because Appalachian offered him the
opportunity to teach the classes that interested him, Gospel
Choir being one of them.
“Our number one goal is to effectively minister ...
all of our technical rehearsals, all of our disciplines are
directed towards perfect praise,” Escalante said.
Escalante said some goals for the choir include a European
tour in one to two years and a Florida tour over Spring Break
this coming year.
His short-term goals are to give those in Boone who have
never really heard authentic gospel music a chance to experience
it.
“Gospel Choir is an awesome experience for people who
don’t come from the black worship experience,”
Escalante said.
“My junior year has been the best so far being in the
choir. I knew everybody, had a lot of friends and camaraderie
between us,” Taurean Walker said.
Walker is a senior member of the choir and has been a part
of the choir all four years. Walker said he looks forward
to this year and hopes that everybody in the choir will grow
closer to each other and build strong relationships.
However, a challenge the whole choir faces is to learn to
have patience with each other and the new songs they have
to learn.
Escalante said he thinks the largest challenge for the choir
is to constantly be “removing self” and putting
the group and its needs first.
The choir members’ hearts have to be in the right place,
especially if they are to minister to others and to the incoming
freshmen that will be hearing the choir for the first time
at the Multicultural Prospective Student weekend, Escalante
said.
The choir performs publicly this weekend on Oct. 18. at 3:30
p.m. in the Price Lake room of Plemmons Student Union.
Escalante said he hopes this weekend’s performance
will let the public know that the choir is here and that
they are an open and diverse ensemble.
“Together great things can be done ... this is a ministry
for God ... to help others find their own relationship with
God and as a vehicle in finding a church home,” Escalante
said.
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