Founding Artistic Director/Conductor

Jennifer M. Anderson is the Director of Music at Central Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Founding Artistic Director of VocalPoint, an 80-voice auditioned choir that uses the power of people, art, and collaboration to tell the stories of organizations doing life-changing work. VocalPoint shines a spotlight on important social-justice issues such as youth homelessness, the immigrant experience, and sex trafficking; giving 100% of performance-driven donations to a worthy cause that will make a dramatic impact in everyday lives. To date, VocalPoint has raised over $200,000 for 9 non-profits, and has worked with such gifted musicians as Maria Jette, Jearlyn Steele, Copper Street Brass Quintet, Peter Mayer, and Grammy-winning Sounds of Blackness. Jennifer has accepted a Special Recognition Award from The Advocates for Human Rights on behalf of VocalPoint.

In the larger musical community, she has performed with Lumina, for the Schubert Club, the First Readings Project, and at Musforum’s national conference. She currently is the Sub Dean of the Twin Cities American Guild of Organists, and the chair of the Program Committee. A contributor to the PC(USA)’s Mission Yearbook, Jennifer also co-chaired the Daily Worship Committee for the National PC(USA) convention held in Minneapolis. For several years she has co-directed the Synod School Choir at Buena Vista University, and enjoys collaborating in a variety of ways with composers and other musicians. Dedicated to building community through music and to use it as a powerful medium for social change, she has led Justice Choir sing-a-longs in venues as diverse as the front-steps of an inner-city church to a national Chorus America conference.

Associate Conductor

Shekela Wanyama is a DMA student in conducting at the University of Minnesota. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Wanyama taught middle and high school choir for 10 years in Columbia Heights, Hopkins, and Seattle. She has also worked with church, community, collegiate, and youth choirs in Berlin, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Tucson. A passionate ensemble singer, Wanyama has sung with Border CrosSing, the Minnesota Chorale, The Singers, Seattle Pro Musica, and the Philharmonischer Chor Berlin. Her primary teachers are Kathy Saltzman Romey, Matthew Mehaffey, and Elizabeth Schauer. She holds a Masters degree in choral conducting from Temple University and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Minnesota.

Accompanist

Stephen Swanson obtained his Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano at the University of Minnesota, where he studied with Timothy Lovelace and Noriko Kawai. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where he studied piano with Jay Hershberger. He also holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin. From 2006 to 2008, Stephen held the positions of choral accompanist and private voice/piano instructor at Prior Lake High School. He has accompanied the MN All-State Men’s Choir as well as numerous festival choirs. He currently is a free lance musician around the metro.