Stephen L. Hayes "The sound of Stephen Hayes..(is)..unbelievable..awesome." -- Quincy Jones Institution: Wiley College Location: Marshall, Texas Website: www.wileyc.edu

Biography:
Stephen L. Hayes is Visiting Lecturer and Director of Music at Wiley College, Marshall, TX. To date, his best known career achievement is defined in American history on January 20, 1993. At the 52nd Presidential Inauguration of William Jefferson Clinton in Washington, DC, he conducted his Philander Smith College Choir (Little Rock, AR) in the singing of the inaugural anthem “The City on the Hill.” The accomplishment made him the second of only two persons of color (ever) to conduct an inaugural anthem.

* In 2007, his Wiley College “A Cappella” Choir recorded excerpts of music to be used in the soundtrack of "The Great Debaters" a 2008 film directed by and starring highly praised actor Denzel Washington, a two-time Academy Award winner. Additionally, Mr. Hayes received film credit as a researcher of period music for the film.

* Mr. Hayes has conducted and/or prepared choirs to sing with many of this era’s best known American performers and entertainers, such as, Jester Hairston, Barry Manilow, Melba Moore, Michael Bolton, The ‘President’s Own’ United States Marine Band, Keith Pringle, Vesta (Williams), Wintley Phipps, and Judy Collins.

* In 2001, he was named “Savannah Simmons Professor of Music”- an endowed professorship at the LeMoyne-Owen College.

* On April 3, 1999, Mr. Hayes reached the pinnacle of his craft as he made his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall. As director of the Tuskegee Choir, he was invited to lead a chorus of more than one hundred (100) singers in the singing of music commemorating the centennial birth of composer William L. Dawson.

* He was invited to present the Tuskegee Choir in concert in The East Room of The White House in December, 1997.

* Under his leadership, the Tuskegee University Choir was invited to sing in Washington, DC at The National Prayer Breakfast in February, 1994. Mother Teresa was guest speaker. This annual occasion, televised internationally, brings together the President of the United States, Vice-President, Cabinet, Supreme Court, and Congress of the United States.

* His Philander Smith College Choir accompanied song stylist Jennifer Holliday in 1992 at New York’s Madison Square Garden---an event cablecast around the world.

* He has toured the continental United States presenting highly acclaimed choral concerts. Among the nation’s most outstanding colleges and universities, his choirs have performed at Yale University, University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Mount Holyoke College.

* His choirs have been featured on national CBS/NBC/ABC/PBS television networks; C-Span, CNN, and The Comedy Channel cable networks; The Tom Joyner ‘Morning Show,’ NBC/National Public Radio networks; LIFE and JET magazine, TV Guide, Chicago Tribune, and Washington Post of the print media.

* In 1997, he led the Tuskegee Choir to a first place trophy at one of America’s oldest and most prestigious choral invitationals, The American Negro Spiritual Festival in Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH. The festival places in competition four of the nation’s top college and university choirs. With the 1997 win, Mr. Hayes held the singular honor of being the only conductor in the history of the festival to win first place trophies with two different college choirs; having first won in 1992 with the Philander Smith College Choir.

* In 1997, 1998, and 2002 he and the choir appeared at the “Vocal Extravaganza In Black” in Las Vegas, NV. These choral festivals showcasing the talents of historically black colleges/universities were televised nationally on PBS.

After distinguished tenures as Assistant Professor and Director of Music, Philander Smith College (Little Rock, AR) and Director of University Choirs, Tuskegee University (Tuskegee Institute, AL), Mr. Hayes joined the faculty of The LeMoyne-Owen College (Memphis, TN). Mr. Hayes’ appointment to the college continued to provide contemporary audiences with performances in the great choral tradition attributed to African American institutions. His choir was privileged with five (5) invitations to perform with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

He is highly regarded for his ability to create a unique, sensitive harmonic blend and signature choral sound. His brilliance as a conductor was underscored in 2001, as the college concert choir was chosen guest chorus to appear with prominent actor John Amos in his one-man play “Halley’s Comet.” Mr. Amos was so impressed, he personally requested the group to join him for his return Memphis performance. Other honors include mantra welcoming Academy Award winning actor Sidney Poitier as National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award recipient and theatre/movie pioneering actors/authors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.

His lectures include The Highlander Folk Center (1989). In 1995, he co-authored a paper “Arts Education and Politics: Transition, Change, or Crisis-The Origination of ‘Problems’ (A Dialogue)” with Dr. Connie C. Price, Chair, Department of Philosophy, Tuskegee University, to the National Conference on Liberal Arts and the Education of Artists in New York City. In March, 1995, he addressed the Fine Arts Center, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The City of Tuskegee, AL honored him for his contributions to African American history.

Mr. Hayes was nominated to “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” four times (1996, 2000, 2002, and 2003) placing him in a category of only 2% of American educators nominated two or more times for the honor.

In 2002, Professor Hayes promoted his example of excellence as Artistic Director of the Charles Albert Tindley Academy of Music, Inc. and The Tindley Boys Choir of San Francisco, CA. The Tindley Academy is one of five (5) replication sites for The Boys Choir of Harlem, Inc.

A native of Memphis, TN., Professor Hayes was educated at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1973), East Texas State University-Commerce (now Texas A&M University-Commerce, 1975), Hampton (VA.) University (1990-91), and Alabama State University (1998).

He is a thirty-seven year member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Other civic organizations include: Golden Key National Honor Society, Pi Sigma Phi Choral Music Society, and he is a founding member of Omega Alpha Chi Honorary Music Society.

His wife, Shirl Ann (Wheeler) Hayes, is a distinguished educator and former Miss Black Arkansas. They are the parents of three sons, three daughters, and the grandparents of five.

Availability:
Available as am Educator/Professor of Music, Choral Conductor, Artistic Director, Lecturer, and Clinician.