MISSION:
One World Chorus strives to demonstrate, document, and promote unity through the performing arts, with an emphasis on the transformative experience of choral singing. To this end, it focuses on the support and facilitation of lifelong community connections, educational opportunities, and authentic self expression.

ADVISORY BOARD:

Aaron Nigel Smith
Diedre Ann Smith
Jewel
Albert Mc Neil
Ann Weaver Hart
Rachael Barnard

STAFF:
Musical Director, Aaron Nigel Smith
Artistic Director, Diedre Smith

AARON NIGEL SMITH
Aaron Nigel Smith has been a serious musician since age ten when he began performing professionally with the American Boychoir in venues such as Carnegie hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and the Essex Cathedral in London. As a student he trained at the American Boychoir School, Interlochen Arts Academy, Manhattan School of Music and Marygrove College.  He has since performed professionally throughout the United States, South America, Europe and Asia. Aaron is a versatile musician who performs vocal music of many genres, including classical, jazz, gospel, pop and reggae.

He has shared the stage with many world-class musicians such as, opera great Jessye Norman, musical theatre’s Larry Farrow and Winton Marsalis. He has worked under the baton of some the world’s great conductors including Anton Armstrong, Robert de Cormier, Jim Litton, Albert McNeil, Andre Previn, Robert Shaw, and John Williams.

In addition to being an accomplished vocalist, Aaron Nigel Smith plays percussion and guitar. He is a prolific songwriter, and an inspiring teacher to children of all ages.  In 2002, he founded FUNdamentals of Music & Movement, a fun approach to music and dance education for children.  FUNdamentals has since become the new standard for arts enrichment in Los Angeles, serving thousands of children. In the fall of 2007 Aaron franchised the FUNdamentals business model and classes are now being offered in Boston and New York City.

FUNdamentals’ early education client base includes Bright Horizons, Little Sprouts, Universal, Sony, Warner Brothers, Paramount, David E. Kelly, Mattel, & Fox Studios child care centers. In 2005, the FUNdamentals debut CD release, “Let’s Pretend”, won the NAPPA & IParenting Media Awards.  Aaron was subsequently commissioned to compose and perform original music for the new My Gym DVD, and has also recently collaborated with Leap Frog on the Creative Baby series.  He recently worked with grammy award winning reggae artist Ziggy Marley on a new Bob Marley kids record to be released on universal.

Aaron Nigel Smith joined the cast of PBS Kids show, Between the Lions Live in 2008 and will continue touring with the show. He will be featured guest on seasons 9 & 10 of the hit television series.

Aaron’s simple mission is to inspire and be inspired by children through music and movement.  He hopes to reach the world community by collaborating with those who share his vision.

DIEDRE SMITH
Diedre Smith trained in dance and choreography at Interlochen Arts Academy, the Jose Limon foundation in New York, and received her BFA from The Boston Conservatory. She has performed and assisted in the reconstruction of historical works by Doris Humphrey and Jose Limon, including Limon's "There is a Time" with the Ballet de Monte Carlo. Diedre has received recognition for her work in choreography as well as dance education. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has performed with the Pennington Dance Group. In 2002, Diedre co-founded with her husband, Aaron Nigel Smith, FUNdamentals of Music and Movement, a fun approach to music and dance education for children

JEWEL

Jewel is an acclaimed American singer, songwriter, actress, poet, painter, philanthropist and daughter to an Alaskan cowboy singer-songwriter.

From the remote ranch of her Alaskan youth to the triumph of international stardom, the three-time Grammy nominee, hailed by the New York Times as a “songwriter bursting with talents” has enjoyed career longevity rare among her generation of artists. Whether alone with her guitar or fronting a band of ace musicians, Jewel has always been a charismatic live performer, earning the respect of other singer-songwriters such as Merle Haggard, Bob Dylan and Neil Young, who, not only invited her to open their shows, but mentored her in the early phases of her career. Her singular style and beauty continuously land her on the covers of such diverse magazines as Time, People, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, In Style, Glamour and Seventeen. Stuff listed her among its '102 Sexiest Women in the World’ while Blender went further, crowning her 'rock’s sexiest poet. ‘

After a tremendous amount of success as a singer-songwriter and over 27 million albums sold, Jewel returned to her roots with the release of her debut country album Perfectly Clear in June 2008, which garnered her a spot at #1 on the Billboard country album charts. Perfectly Clear was the debut release on the Nashville-based independent label The Valory Music Co.

Shortly after Perfectly Clear, Jewel debuted her first-ever independent release, Lullaby, in a partnership with Fisher-Price® and Somerset Entertainment. Lullaby was produced by Jewel and recorded at her home studio in Stephenville, TX. The 15-track album features 10 self-penned songs and a few standards including beautiful renditions of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” The acoustic record is reminiscent of Jewel’s twelve-time platinum album Pieces of You.

Jewel has spent a lot of time in Nashville over the last few years, and has naturally been drawn to and accepted by the Nashville music community. She has hosted the country reality show "Nashville Star" and she has made a number of appearances at Muzik Mafia events. She co-wrote and sings with new artist Jason Michael Carroll on "No Good In Goodbye" which appeared on his debut album, Waitin' In The Country (Arista Nashville). She was also invited to sing with Merle Haggard, a long time hero of hers, on his album of #1’s.

Now in 2010, Jewel is maintaining her country roots as she returns to the format with her sophomore follow-up album, Sweet and Wild. The album, written and produced by Jewel, will be released on June 11th. The first single, “Stay Here Forever,” has been embraced by critics and the video is a success on CMT and GAC.

“The theme of this album is finding what’s true about you and your life, and defending it and valuing it above all else,” said Jewel. “My newest country album will share so many of my personal feelings of love and happiness that I have written into the songs,” said Jewel, who married her longtime boyfriend Ty Murray in the summer of 2008. Jewel will also embark on a tour sponsored by Country Financial to support Sweet and Wild.
Also near and dear to Jewel’s heart is her charitable initiative, Project Cleanwater, which she continues to support, unwaveringly. Jewel founded Project Clean Water in 1997. Having experienced homelessness as a teenager, Jewel became ill and couldn’t afford to buy the bottled water she needed for her sick kidneys. She then realized it was difficult to obtain clean water in the United States, and discovered it was a huge problem globally. She has been relentless in her efforts to bring safe water to those in need and create awareness of clean water shortages around the world.

Project Clean Water has recently partnered with Virgin Unite and the Voss Foundation to create the "Give A Drop" campaign. Donations of $5.00 can be made by texting the message "DROP" to phone number 85944. Money raised through text donations will benefit the partnership, which is currently working in Pel in the Dogon region of Mali, where 40 water retention structures were recently completed. This spring, work will also begin to help rural villages in southeast Ethiopia expand their access to clean water.

Jewel currently lives on a working ranch in Stephenville, Texas with her husband, World Champion bull-riding superstar, Ty Murray.

Dr. Albert J. Mcneil

Albert McNeil is a native Californian -- born in Los Angeles. He earned Bachelor and Master degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles, and did his doctoral studies at the University of Southern California, the Westminster Choir College of Princeton, and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He is presently Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of California at Davis, where he was Director of Choral Activities for 21 years and headed the Music Education Program. Simultaneous with the Davis period, he taught Ethnomusicology at the University of Southern California for 12 years. Prior to his University teaching, McNeil taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 17 years beginning at the elementary level and including junior highs, and ended his tenure in the district at the Susan Miller Dorsey High School where he headed a multi-school program known as APEX, Area Project for Educational Exchange involving five High Schools in a unique federally funded experimental program with each high school specializing in unique course offerings. The McNeil Jubilee Singers ensemble is his creation, and he has dedicated himself to upholding a choral tradition of excellence with the presentation of the concert spiritual and the ever-increasing contributions of African American Composers of Concert Music, Opera, and theatre music. Under his direction, the group, now in its 40th year, has performed in over 70 countries, including Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and North and West Africa. During the summer of 1997 they completed their third tour of South America after numerous transcontinental tours of the U.S., Hawaii, and Canada. In addition to his work at the University and conducting the Jubilee Singers, Professor McNeil has been an author and editor on a series of music education textbooks for Silver-Burdett-Ginn Publishing Company. He co-authored an educational packet for Bowman Publishing Company as well. His arrangements can be found in the Gentry and Lawson-Gould catalogues. McNeil was been called out of retirement in Spring, 2007 as acting Director of Choral Activities at the University of California, Davis. He is in demand as an adjudicator and clinician and is often invited to conduct "honor choirs" throughout the United States and abroad. In January 1993, he was a Headliner at the Eleventh Annual Federation for Choral Music in Seoul, Korea, and in August, 1993, he presented the sessions on African American Spirituals and Art Songs at the World Symposium on Choral Music in Vancouver B.C. He repeated similar sessions with his Jubilee Singers in Rotterdam in July, 1999. In July 1994, he was Guest Conductor at the DeKalb International Choral Festival held at Stone Mountain, Georgia. In 1995, he conducted the World Youth Choir in their 1995 tour of Canada and North America and in November of 1995 he was appointed vocal director/conductor of the 40th Annual Christmas Candlelight Procession at Disneyland. In August of 1996, he and his Jubilee Singers were among the five choirs appearing at the International Choral Festival in Taipei, Taiwan. He returned with his Jubilee Singers in July, 2000, as Lecturer and Conductor. He is Guest Conductor on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's "An American Heritage of Spirituals”, a CD released in January 1997. January, 1998, the Singers made their first tour of the Hawaiian Islands, with special performances with the Honolulu Symphony of the concert version of "Porgy and Bess" and a command performance in the recently renovated Hawaii Theatre. He followed this engagement with sessions as Guest Director and Lecturer with the Canadian Choral Conductors in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A year later, January, 1999, McNeil made his debut in Carnegie Hall with the Jubilee Singers and choruses from Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. McNeil's guest conducting assignments during 1999-2000 included the Holland Festival (Michigan), the Heartland Chamber Ensemble (Ft. Wayne, Indiana), as headliner before the Choral Conductor's Guild Convention 2000 (Pasadena, CA), Association of Church Musicians and the Schola Cantorum (Palo Alto, CA). McNeil's second performance in Carnegie Hall (June, 2001) featured the music of Jester Hairston and celebrated the late composer's 100th birthday with a choir of 219 singers from throughout California. He was one of the conductors who appeared with the 300-voice Children's Choir at the Des Moines International Children's Choral Festival, known also, as "Song Burst!", July 4 - 7, 2001. McNeil appeared as a presenter at America Cantat IV (a collaborative Choral experience involving hundreds of choirs from the Western Hemisphere) held in Mexico City April 5 – 14, 2004 and under the supervision of Fundacion Coral Mexico, A.C. He appeared at Point Loma University, San Diego, as clinician and workshop leader at the University’s February, 2002, Annual Choral event. In May, 2002, McNeil conducted Pasadena Presbyterian Church’s Inaugural Multi-Cultural Festival after having organized and developed Founder’s Church’s International Choral Festival on Cinco de Mayo. This festival now in its ninth year has attracted over 1300 choristers and brought choirs to the Los Angeles area from as far off as San Diego and Santa Barbara. McNeil with selected members of the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers conducted daily educational presentations as a part of the Hollywood Bowl summer music offerings for children K through 5 during July, 2002. Notable among his many awards are: Alumnus of the Year for Professional Excellence presented by his alma mater, UCLA, and the Michael Korn Award for distinguished conducting (Chorus America--Association of Professional Ensembles). He has the honor of being selected a Sterling Patron of Mu Phi Epsilon. The California State University Board of Trustees on May 28, 2003, conferred the honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree upon McNeil at the Summer, 2003, commencement exercises held on the campus of California State University, Northridge. He also delivered the commencement address at that time. The ACDA Western Division honored both the Jubilee Singers and Dr. McNeil in “command performances” at their Las Vegas Convention in February, 2004, where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Choral Music. Professor McNeil’s 2005 schedule included another appearance before the National ACDA Convention in Los Angeles, and a headline performance at the Bilbao International Film Festival in November, and an Encore performance of Dr. McNeil at Davies Hall, San Francisco in December. McNeil lead his Singers at the L. A. Holiday Celebration on Christmas Eve, 2005 and again in 2006, 2007 & 2008. He received a lifetime achievement award in July, 2007 from the National Association of Church Musicians at their summer conference in Camarillo, California. 2008-09 included run-out concerts to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and a host of concerts prior to their 17th tour of Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Germany, with several dates in Spain during the holiday period. Professor McNeil is on the boards of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Neighborhood Music School. He holds “Honorary membership” in the Society of Puerto Rican Choral Directors, and received an award from the Association of Choral Singers from the National Choir of the Dominican Republic after a series of concerts there in 1995. He is a life member of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association of Negro Musicians. He was a Member of the Board of Directors of Chorus America, 1988-1997.

 

Ann Weaver Hart

Ann Weaver Hart previously served as president of the University of New Hampshire and provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Claremont Graduate University, in Claremont, California. Her prior appointments include professor of educational leadership, dean of the Graduate School and special assistant to the president at the University of Utah.

She received B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Utah. Her research interests include leadership succession and development, work redesign and organizational behavior in educational organizations, and academic freedom. She has published more than 85 articles and book chapters, and five books and edited volumes.

Throughout her career, Dr. Hart has been actively involved in leadership roles in numerous professional and service organizations. She serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and as a member of APLU's Commission on International Programs, which she previously chaired. She currently serves on the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Chamber's CEO Council for Growth. She is a member of the boards of Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where she serves as chair of the Human Resource and Compensation Committee; the Philadelphia African American Museum; the Avenue of the Arts, Inc.; and the Pennsylvania Women's Forum. Dr. Hart co-chairs Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's Council for College and Career Success.

In addition to her academic and administrative work, Dr. Hart has been a consultant to many educational institutions, universities and nonprofit organizations both nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of a number of professional and community service awards, including the Jack Culbertson Award in Educational Administration from the University Council for Educational Administration; the Outstanding Professional Award from the Business and Professional Women's Foundation; the PoWeR Award from the Professional Women's Roundtable; the 2009 Champion of Diversity and Access Award from the Urban STEM Strategy Group; and the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.