A gospel music performance by Trey McLaughlin and the Sounds of Zamar may pleasantly surprise music fans who might consider worship music to be bound to traditional sounds. But the celebrations of this 26-piece choir and its director will touch upon an array of familiar musical forms as it praises Christian teachings at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Jan. 31.
Stressing “community” and an “uplifting experience,” the group’s concerts aim to be a workout for the soul – something to build you up and strengthen those in attendance.
And in the tradition of reaching out to others, on the afternoon of the performance McLaughlin will be hosting a free workshop for area youth, grades one to 12, teaching them some of the singing techniques that are used by him and his choir.
The workshop will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. And that night the group will take to the Zeiterion stage to perform a song with McLaughlin and Sounds of Zamar. All participants will receive a free ticket to the concert. All people interested should get in touch with Ashley Cubellis at the Zeiterion at (508) 997-5664, ext. 129.
The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students while seats for adults cost $25, $29, $35, and $45. Tickets for the event can be purchased online at www.zeiterion.org, by phone at (508) 994-2900, or at the Box Office located at 684 Purchase St.
“A lot of people call us gospel because of the message,” McLaughlin says. “But our concerts don’t sound like anything most people would consider to be gospel. You’ll hear something of everything with this show – you’ll hear rock-and-roll, jazz, contemporary pop and R&B and some theatrical and classical elements as well.
“Our shows are passionate, interactive, and eclectic. It’s more than just a performance, it’s not just something to sit back and watch.”
With a 26-member choir, McLaughlin says that he can provide a wide variety of expressions and styles.
“Because the choir is so well versed, I can do some pretty cool things,” he says. “They know what’s technically needed to mesh things together and pull off any style.
“What we definitely want is to give people an experience that they hopefully feel uplifted or even encouraged. But the overall message is one of community, something that sets it apart from your average musical concert. A good gospel concert uplifts, having you leave better than when you came.”
McLaughlin says that the African heritage of the group has a unique effect on performances.
“Because gospel music is part of the African-American tradition, typically it is more about community and calls for the audience to be very involved, very vocal and passionate – all of these elements come together to create our style,” he said. “We want to make music that unifies rather than setting us apart. Regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic backgrounds, we want people to feel uniquely unified and uplifted.”
McLaughlin says he looks forward to the youth vocal workshops because it will likely expose students to music they may not be familiar with as well as giving them a sense of improvement.
“Nowadays I don’t feel like there’s a lot of great music for young people, there aren’t a lot of examples for them to follow,” he says. “My goal is to have them make some amazing sounds and to create a sense of unity amongst them. I’m excited for them to create some great music.”
And Kim Pitts-Wiley has been creating great music for the last 11 years. As music director for the Mixed Magic Exult Choir in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, she claims that getting your message across has to be driven by “intent.”
“We rehearse with intent – the intent to spread love and light,” she says. “If you train with intent, your mindset will come through in the music. There’s an inspiration that comes through, something spiritual that happens, something that happens inside of you. It can be a healing force, something supernatural that can be brought forth with gospel music. It’s powerful and moving, it can change people’s lives.”
Pitts-Wiley describes gospel music as “revitalizing, invigorating, and restorative.”
“Our singers have their hearts at the center of our performances,” she says. “That’s something you need to have if you’re going to be an inspiration for people.”
“This group is phenomenal,” Pitts-Wiley says of McLaughlin’s choir. “They really understand the power of unification to get the message across.”