Gospel Choir

Join Us

The Biola Gospel Choir meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Mayers Auditorium. Students do not need any choir or singing experience to join — all are welcome to come!

Already a member of the choir? Join our Facebook group!

Contact Information

(562) 944-0351 ext. 5595
gospelchoir@biola.edu

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About Us

Our Purpose

The purpose of the choir is to minister all styles of Gospel Music in an atmosphere that celebrates diversity. This multi-ethnic group spiritually influences Biola's campus as well as the local community.

Our History

Established in the Fall of 1985, the Biola Gospel Choir (BGC) started as a energetic group of African American students who wanted to praise and worship God through Gospel Music. Now, over twenty-five years later, BGC continues to enjoy and share a rich legacy of music, worship, and community.

The choir first began under the leadership of Symone Starr Parker who at the time was just an undergraduate student. The students gathered under club status and eventually had an opportunity to sing in chapel as well as hold their own concert in Crowell Hall. Subsequently, Lenora Myles and later, Jimmy Fisher, also undergraduate students, continued the leadership of the choir.

Since then the BGC has expanded their ministry to the surrounding communities in Southern California and beyond, as far as Las Vegas and New York.

Beginning in 1998, Marvina “Cooky” Levy faithfully directed BGC for eight years, continuing the Choir’s rich tradition of focusing on various styles of Gospel Music in an atmosphere that celebrates diversity. During this time, Levy also directed the Riverside Community College Gospel Choir. Under Levy’s leadership, BGC released one album and was featured on two additional albums, produced by the Gospel Choir Fellowship, a mass choir combining other college and university Gospel choirs.

After Ms. Levy retired from choir directing, she welcomed Dansby Sturdivant as the Choir’s new director in 2005. Mr. Sturdivant served as Gospel Choir director until 2011, when Biola alum Terry Coon of Citylights Church in Long Beach returned to Biola and accepted leadership. In 2016, singer/musician/voice-teacher Nena Wallace was chosen to lead the Gospel Choir.

BGC has had the opportunity to minister to both the Biola community and surrounding communities through various performances including:

Sa Rang Community Church Complex grand opening
The City of La Mirada
La Mirada Performing Arts Center
Universal Studio’s Annual City Walk Christmas Celebration
The Los Angeles Salvation Army
Mother’s Day Concert at the Irvine Spectrum’s Crazy Horse Restaurant
Biola’s Missions Conference
Cal State Long Beach Black Student Union Concert

The Choir has also been featured at the Heritage Music Foundation’s Annual Conference, under the direction of Dr. Margaret Pleasant Douroux, an internationally known gospel composer and evangelist. In addition, the Choir was blessed to tour in Las Vegas, culminating the trip with a performance at the Gospel Music Workshop of America’s Board Meeting. The international workshop is host to some of the greatest gospel music artists from around the world.

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Our Director

Aja Grant

Aja Grant is an alumni of Azusa Pacific University who passionately pursues her life’s calling. As a witness to the true might of God and his endless grace, mercy and favor, Aja proceeds to tell her testimony through her ministry of singing and public speaking. A previous music and worship major, Aja’s zeal for God has increased over the years as she attempts to “die daily” so that Jesus may live and love others through her. She is an active leader in ministry at Hope’s House Christian Ministries in Granada Hills under the pastoral leadership of Pastors Charles and Andrea Humphrey, and Fellowship Monrovia under the leadership of Pastor Albert Tate. Aja is the Gospel Choir Director at Biola University in La Mirada, California where she inspires and uplifts the community with the truth of the inclusive gospel. It is Aja’s prayer that the ones she is blessed and privileged to worship with and minister to are compelled to want to chase God further and love Him deeper.

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