Melanie DeMore

Melanie DeMore is a singer/songwriter, choral conductor and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. Weaving the fibers of African American folk music with soulful ballads, spirituals and her own original music, DeMore beautifully brings her audience together through music and commentary. DeMore has toured extensively, singing and conducting at festivals, universities and concert halls. In addition to her solo work, DeMore facilitates vocal and stick pounding workshops for professional and community-based choral groups and has taught her program, "Sound Awareness," in schools, prisons, and youth organizations in the US, Canada, Cuba and New Zealand. DeMore was a California Artist in Residence with the Oakland Youth Chorus for 10 years and received an award from the Music Educators National Conference for her work with young singers and artists. She is a featured artist/presenter for SpeakOut!: The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, adjunct faculty at the California Institute for Integral Studies, and on the music faculty at St. Paul's School in Oakland and the East Bay School for Boys where she teaches acapella singing and body music. She is also the artistic director/conductor of the Oakland Community Children's Choir with Living Jazz. DeMore was a founding member of the critically-acclaimed, Grammy- nominated vocal ensemble, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, which has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Her belief in the power of the voice is summed up in a line from her writings: “A SONG CAN KEEP YOU ON YOUR FEET WHEN THERE SEEMS TO BE NO GROUND BENEATH YOU."