Meet Mollie Stone

Mollie Stone knows that music CAN cause social change!  Mollie lives and demonstrates this truth.  She grew up in Chicago, introduced at a young age to the music of South African civil rights activist Miriam Makeba, and singing in the Chicago Children’s Choir.  She’ll show everyone the power of music in her Sunday, February 25th collaboration with NSCS on our Music for Social Change: Africa, America, and the Singing Revolution of Estonia concert.  In a workshop, NSCS members experienced Mollie using the oral tradition to teach us two South African songs in Zulu and Xhosa that we will sing in our concert.  Be prepared – indigenous South African music makes no distinction between singing and dancing.  If you’re singing, your body is moving to enhance the song’s story and message.

Traditional black South African choral music was powerfully adapted to address everything from local community issues, to serving as a vehicle for protest during the anti-apartheid struggle. More recently, black South Africans adapted this music to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In some instances, the melodies remain the same, but the lyrics and movements evolve to fit the issues.  At other time, completely new songs are composed, but they still might reference well-known songs from past struggles. The success of the anti-apartheid struggle demonstrated the success of using choral music to effect social change. The HIV/ AIDS epidemic, where traditional music and dance could be used not only in protest of ineffective and damaging policies, but also to educate the population about prevention, was an obvious choice of the next social issue to be confronted.

Mollie Stone first experienced the incredible power of South African music first-hand while on a tour with Chicago Children’s Choir when she was in high school.  She has a B.A. from Amherst College, a Master of Music degree in conducting from Westminster Choir College, a doctorate in conducting from Northwestern University, studied at the University of Capetown in South Africa and is a Lecturer and Choral Director at the University of Chicago.  With the Chicago Childrens’ Choir, Mollie is the Director of World Music and Director of the Hyde Park Presto Ensemble, who will appear with us in concert on the 25th.  She somehow also finds time to teach abroad for many weeks during the year with Village Harmony and serve as the co-director/founder of the Chicago World Music Chorus.

Mollie is passionate in her frequent workshop presentations.  Despite her impressive academic background, she is completely down-to-earth and makes singing South African music easy and fun.  You can experience Mollie for yourself at a free community workshop on Music for Social Change on Saturday, February 24th, 9 to 11 am at Regina Dominican High School, 701 Locust Wilmette. You need not be a singer to come learn about and explore first-hand the use of music for social change. You and NSCS will learn a song that will be sung in concert the following day. Be ready to sing, learn, move, and be moved by it all.

Registrations for the workshop are required. You can register by sending an email to rsvp@northshorechoral.org. Discounted concert tickets will be available to community workshop participants.

Whether or not you can attend the workshop, don’t miss the opportunity to experience a timely and relevant musical adventure at our February 25th concert.  If you’ve never attended an NSCS performance, this is the one to come to in order to find out what we’re all about.  Click on the links below for additional information and to purchase tickets. We look forward to performing for – and with – you!

Concert Information: http://www.northshorechoral.org/nscs/index.php/nscs-concerts/current-season/concert-current-season-tab-2

Ticket Purchase: http://www.northshorechoral.org/nscs/index.php/nscs-concerts/tickets