“The discipline of understanding the Word that you produce, that you’re releasing, and then how people respond when you release a Word ... God says, the power of the Word has the ability to change lives, and so that’s what we do, and that’s why we do what we do … I like to change lives.”
The Choir Master’s affinity toward changing lives begin almost 40 years ago in a Catholic school on the South side of Chicago, where he began the world renown children’s choir known as the Soul Children of Chicago. Dr. Whitman demonstrated how many lives were changed over the course of his generations long ministry, when he presented his alumni choir at the International Faith Conference at Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park, Illinois. Soul Children, pre-teens and grown folk alike, representing the many years SCC has stood strong, swept the stage, and electrified the 2500 seat auditorium. From musicians to singers, the Soul Children were well represented.
He talked about their personal journeys, how they have taken what they learned and applied from being a part of the Soul Children, and how it is reflected in their personal lives; their stories provided testimonies to how these seeds grew into fruitful harvests.
“The Soul Children are 35 [going on 36 years]. In reference to [the ministry] … I would say from 1976. That’s a long time. That’s was one of the reasons we wanted to do the International Faith Conference with the reunion choir. A lot of times people have not seen who we really are … they’ve only seen the choir as it is, the present Soul Children. But when they get a chance to see doctors, and lawyers, and pastors and people that can affect them … a lot of times people really need to be inspired, to know that when you plant a seed, it does produce a harvest and it produces a good harvest …when you plant good seed. That’s really what I wanted to really portray was that this is what we planted. So, this is great harvest now. You’re seeing it. You’re seeing the fruit. A lot of people talk about it, but they don’t ever get a chance to see it. That’s what I wanted to share, and I’m proud of it, yes, I am … a good harvest … a great harvest.”
He talked about their personal journeys, how they have taken what they learned and applied from being a part of the Soul Children, and how it is reflected in their personal lives; their stories provided testimonies to how these seeds grew into fruitful harvests.
“The Soul Children are 35 [going on 36 years]. In reference to [the ministry] … I would say from 1976. That’s a long time. That’s was one of the reasons we wanted to do the International Faith Conference with the reunion choir. A lot of times people have not seen who we really are … they’ve only seen the choir as it is, the present Soul Children. But when they get a chance to see doctors, and lawyers, and pastors and people that can affect them … a lot of times people really need to be inspired, to know that when you plant a seed, it does produce a harvest and it produces a good harvest …when you plant good seed. That’s really what I wanted to really portray was that this is what we planted. So, this is great harvest now. You’re seeing it. You’re seeing the fruit. A lot of people talk about it, but they don’t ever get a chance to see it. That’s what I wanted to share, and I’m proud of it, yes, I am … a good harvest … a great harvest.”
Through their gospel journey, they have experienced good times and not so good times. The Skillful Musician described those times. He and the SCC have seen and experienced some hard things. He particularly spoke of experiencing withering blows when they lost a young choir member and when he also lost his sibling.
“This year, you’re talking about a kid, one who was growing up in the choir. It was almost like a parent seeing your child pass. Watching a child, it’s like you had so much potential, and to just see a life end in this tragic way … faithful, very committed, and then your like God what happened, how did this happen?
Even amid what happened with my own brother, just watching him … after we prayed, and prayed. You lose your faith a little bit, but then you have to step in. Even though it doesn’t look like the right thing, that is the right thing. "God is the right thing … He is the right thing … always will be.”
He described how those tragedies allowed him to trust God through it and clung to his faith.
“You know, just the tragedy of that, I would say that it was one where it caused our Faith to start to stand up. You have to say okay, we have to trust God. No matter what. No matter what. Even though it looks like something really bad … looks really wrong. In the midst of that, we just say, ‘God we are just going to trust You no matter what.’”
Holding on to that faith, caused him to appreciate the many good things they experienced. With the beaming pride of a parent, Dr. Whitman shared stories interspersed throughout the Soul Children of Chicago. They were children doing the things that children do, whom he mentored, taught, cajoled, exhorted, rebuked, and infused with faith, all while traveling throughout the world. Now many have become adults. Dr. Whitman has noted that these alumni Soul Children have put childish things aside, taken what he imparted, and with success, skillfully applied it to their adult lives. He jovially expressed how some have gone on to enter fields such as education, ministry, medicine, and law.
“This year, you’re talking about a kid, one who was growing up in the choir. It was almost like a parent seeing your child pass. Watching a child, it’s like you had so much potential, and to just see a life end in this tragic way … faithful, very committed, and then your like God what happened, how did this happen?
Even amid what happened with my own brother, just watching him … after we prayed, and prayed. You lose your faith a little bit, but then you have to step in. Even though it doesn’t look like the right thing, that is the right thing. "God is the right thing … He is the right thing … always will be.”
He described how those tragedies allowed him to trust God through it and clung to his faith.
“You know, just the tragedy of that, I would say that it was one where it caused our Faith to start to stand up. You have to say okay, we have to trust God. No matter what. No matter what. Even though it looks like something really bad … looks really wrong. In the midst of that, we just say, ‘God we are just going to trust You no matter what.’”
Holding on to that faith, caused him to appreciate the many good things they experienced. With the beaming pride of a parent, Dr. Whitman shared stories interspersed throughout the Soul Children of Chicago. They were children doing the things that children do, whom he mentored, taught, cajoled, exhorted, rebuked, and infused with faith, all while traveling throughout the world. Now many have become adults. Dr. Whitman has noted that these alumni Soul Children have put childish things aside, taken what he imparted, and with success, skillfully applied it to their adult lives. He jovially expressed how some have gone on to enter fields such as education, ministry, medicine, and law.
"God is the right thing … He is the right thing … always will be.”
"You have to say okay, we have to trust God. No matter what. No matter what. Even though it looks like something really bad … looks really wrong. In the midst of that, we just say, ‘God we are just going to trust You no matter what.’”
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“One of the great joys is to watch the kids, those that have gone on, become great. I hear their stories. I‘ve got so many authors … about 40 something pastors … lots of evangelists. I’ve got several that are authors. I find that most of the teachers that have come from the Soul Children, they teach from a different perspective. They are able to do that, because of what they were involved with. They saw a lot of stuff and they just take what they’ve learned, and they use it. Now they use it in their adult lives, which is why I think they come back; that’s why we get so many of them to come back. They see the fruit. They see the fruit. There is fruit. We got lots of fruit. I’m always amazed when I ask them what are you doing now? And I hear those stories… just to watch that kind of stuff, where they’re celebrating their successes.
We’ve got one … he’s the Pastor of the Potter’s House, T.D. Jakes [ministry], Fort Worth Potter’s House. He started with me from the very beginning. He started with me as a child in third grade. I saw what was happening with him in third grade. I didn’t know this was what he was going to become, but I saw that he had something, even as a child. I watched him grow, and he is now become one of the more prolific writers, speakers in our nation … under T.D. Jakes.”
Dr. Whitman also shared the memorable story of a kid choir member, now an alumni member and a musician – the same musician who played the keyboard for their Reunion Choir at the International Faith Conference. He recalled how God blessed the keyboard player while he performed as a child with the Soul Children of Chicago.
“You got the young man that was on the keyboard. He is the writer of all the songs that we sang that night. He wrote them. He learned how to play. He wasn’t even playing when he was with us. He was just a kid in the choir. We did a retreat, and in the midst of the retreat, he said, ‘I want to play’. When we laid hands on him … God blessed him with a gift … and he wasn’t playing. All he said is he wanted to play … and now his songs are being sung around the world, literally.
A lot of times when you look at a gospel choir, a lot of times you trying to figure out what are they doing in reference to where they are going. Are you going from choir to choir to choir … church to church to church? But no, what we have … we produce. We’re producing the kind of kids that enter into various fields. So, watching these kinds of things happen is one of my greatest joys. Those are my joys.”
The Musical Maestro has much to be proud of after 36 years of harvest, still standing, after more than two generations. He and SCC are hailed as one of the premier children’s choirs in the nation and around the world. Their reputation precedes them in faith, corporate, and government settings alike. That reputation has garnered the beloved choir some serious high praise with international and national recognition, but not exactly from home. Dr. Whitman noted the difference in reception from established annals of gospel celebration.
We’ve got one … he’s the Pastor of the Potter’s House, T.D. Jakes [ministry], Fort Worth Potter’s House. He started with me from the very beginning. He started with me as a child in third grade. I saw what was happening with him in third grade. I didn’t know this was what he was going to become, but I saw that he had something, even as a child. I watched him grow, and he is now become one of the more prolific writers, speakers in our nation … under T.D. Jakes.”
Dr. Whitman also shared the memorable story of a kid choir member, now an alumni member and a musician – the same musician who played the keyboard for their Reunion Choir at the International Faith Conference. He recalled how God blessed the keyboard player while he performed as a child with the Soul Children of Chicago.
“You got the young man that was on the keyboard. He is the writer of all the songs that we sang that night. He wrote them. He learned how to play. He wasn’t even playing when he was with us. He was just a kid in the choir. We did a retreat, and in the midst of the retreat, he said, ‘I want to play’. When we laid hands on him … God blessed him with a gift … and he wasn’t playing. All he said is he wanted to play … and now his songs are being sung around the world, literally.
A lot of times when you look at a gospel choir, a lot of times you trying to figure out what are they doing in reference to where they are going. Are you going from choir to choir to choir … church to church to church? But no, what we have … we produce. We’re producing the kind of kids that enter into various fields. So, watching these kinds of things happen is one of my greatest joys. Those are my joys.”
The Musical Maestro has much to be proud of after 36 years of harvest, still standing, after more than two generations. He and SCC are hailed as one of the premier children’s choirs in the nation and around the world. Their reputation precedes them in faith, corporate, and government settings alike. That reputation has garnered the beloved choir some serious high praise with international and national recognition, but not exactly from home. Dr. Whitman noted the difference in reception from established annals of gospel celebration.
He wasn’t even playing when he was with us. He was just a kid in the choir. We did a retreat, and in the midst of the retreat, he says ‘I want to play’. When we laid hands on him … God blessed him with a gift … and he wasn’t playing. All he said is he wanted to play … and now his songs are being sung around the world, literally.
“I think what surprised me was … we don’t fit. As the Soul Children, we don’t necessarily fit in the gospel arena. We can do it, but we’re not in it. So, you won’t necessarily see us the at Stellar Awards. You won’t see us in that arena where quote-unquote, the gospel artists are. But we would be considered one of the premier children’s choirs that sing gospel in that arena. We’ve got Soul Children in Sweden, and Germany, and Indonesia … Soul Children choirs being formed around the world. I had to get myself to a place where I did not allow it to bother me because sometimes I felt that we were kind of left out, in a way.
But while you may feel left out, I do see how God keeps opening us up into other arenas. We’re in corporate America, we’re traveling in Europe. Italy, Sweden, and Israel…you know. We’re going into these kinds of places. Our ministry, in fact, would actually line up with your title (Purposeful Gospel). We don’t need an album or CD to make us relevant. So, after our existence of 35 years, what we call ourselves, this is still standing. We’re still standing, still relevant after 35 years, as a youth organization with no scandals, no splits.
How do you keep a youth organization scandal-free? Youth organizations have dissolved because of scandal. Even now, there’s so much news about teachers and children in their classrooms and in their schools. I said, take that as a point of pride for you. And we’re not going to have that … I said, what we know … those are things that we can stand on.”
He acknowledged with a resounding “amen”, it has been because of who they are with God.
“I say we’re the oldest internationally acclaimed Grammy Award-winning youth gospel choir in the nation. And, so whether they acknowledge it or not, we know it.”
With this knowledge, Dr. Whitman shared with conviction why he does what he does:
“I also know my purpose, so my purpose is not guided by whether you acknowledge me or not. My purpose is guided because I know that we have something that is changing lives around the world. And so, those are the kinds of things I have to make sure I stay focused on – what it is I am here to do versus trying to say, ok you don’t ever call us to the Stellar Awards. We don’t ever get on. We’re not in the quote-unquote gospel clique. I said ok and so let’s keep moving. I’m guided by purpose.”
But while you may feel left out, I do see how God keeps opening us up into other arenas. We’re in corporate America, we’re traveling in Europe. Italy, Sweden, and Israel…you know. We’re going into these kinds of places. Our ministry, in fact, would actually line up with your title (Purposeful Gospel). We don’t need an album or CD to make us relevant. So, after our existence of 35 years, what we call ourselves, this is still standing. We’re still standing, still relevant after 35 years, as a youth organization with no scandals, no splits.
How do you keep a youth organization scandal-free? Youth organizations have dissolved because of scandal. Even now, there’s so much news about teachers and children in their classrooms and in their schools. I said, take that as a point of pride for you. And we’re not going to have that … I said, what we know … those are things that we can stand on.”
He acknowledged with a resounding “amen”, it has been because of who they are with God.
“I say we’re the oldest internationally acclaimed Grammy Award-winning youth gospel choir in the nation. And, so whether they acknowledge it or not, we know it.”
With this knowledge, Dr. Whitman shared with conviction why he does what he does:
“I also know my purpose, so my purpose is not guided by whether you acknowledge me or not. My purpose is guided because I know that we have something that is changing lives around the world. And so, those are the kinds of things I have to make sure I stay focused on – what it is I am here to do versus trying to say, ok you don’t ever call us to the Stellar Awards. We don’t ever get on. We’re not in the quote-unquote gospel clique. I said ok and so let’s keep moving. I’m guided by purpose.”
Following his purpose, Dr. Whitman and SCC have made their mark, literally, through the global expansion of the Soul Children of Chicago brand—touching, influencing, and impacting cultures across the world. He and his magnetic choir leave their SCC marque wherever they go, effectively influencing nations.
“I do workshops and seminars across the world. I was in Stockholm, Sweden and I did a workshop. The choirs in Europe are always large. It was about 1800. An 1800 boys choir. I’ve had a choir all the way up to 15,000. We have been in Latvia. I did a
15, 000 boys choir in what are called choir games … 15,000 in Riga City, Latvia.”
He described how he has seen the fruits of his musical prowess produce inspiration.
“What I’ve seen is that the work that I have been able to do has inspired people. That’s how the movement of Soul Children started in Norway. So now when we go, there are over 100 choirs called Soul Children in Norway. They have a Soul Children Festival in Norway every year, which is about 1800 -2000 choirs that are all Soul Children. What we’ve been able to do, people have duplicated us. I’ve been trying to keep a harness on it so that we don’t lose what we have here. Because what we have here is stirring up all over the world, but they can’t see it here. So, it’s hard to grasp that people in other nations, all over the world so admire you, that they want to duplicate you. They want to keep the name, even the name alone, to call themselves Soul Children because we are called Soul Children. Those are kinds of things that are happening on a global level.”
No doubt, as they travel the world, they have not only reached into and molded cultural landscapes with their song, they have met those nations where they are, through the universal communicator—language.
“In Israel, we weren’t going to the Messianic Jews. We were going to the Orthodox Jews. We do that here. So, our message [the music], transcends even the Christian sect. We are able to go there, and do a whole liturgy in Hebrew. We sing in different languages. It gives us the ability to go into different arenas wherever we go. We’ve sung in Hebrew, Zulu, and Swahili, some in Russian. We’ve done a little bit of everything. We’ve sung in Swedish.”
As part of his musical education, the international Music Conductor, and Mentor coaches and prepares the Soul Children of Chicago. They learn how to navigate a cross-cultural terrain, he providing them with life lessons they will be able to use when they branch out and make their own personal mark on the globe.
“I teach the choir how to be diverse. We’ve sung a whole lot in Hebrew more than everything else. We do so much with the Jewish community.”
He provided a light-hearted portrayal of that diversity, with an impromptu rendition of a soulful medley, in different languages:
In Hebrew: ‘May the God that reigns in Heavens, may He reign in peace all over the earth, and all of Israel and we all say Amen’;
In Zulu: ‘We’re Marching in the Light of God’; in Russian or Ukraine: ‘Lord Have Mercy’.
All those things are what helps us when we get ready to go before whatever audience. We’re able to relate to whatever audience we go into … [worship Christ] … in their language.”
“I do workshops and seminars across the world. I was in Stockholm, Sweden and I did a workshop. The choirs in Europe are always large. It was about 1800. An 1800 boys choir. I’ve had a choir all the way up to 15,000. We have been in Latvia. I did a
15, 000 boys choir in what are called choir games … 15,000 in Riga City, Latvia.”
He described how he has seen the fruits of his musical prowess produce inspiration.
“What I’ve seen is that the work that I have been able to do has inspired people. That’s how the movement of Soul Children started in Norway. So now when we go, there are over 100 choirs called Soul Children in Norway. They have a Soul Children Festival in Norway every year, which is about 1800 -2000 choirs that are all Soul Children. What we’ve been able to do, people have duplicated us. I’ve been trying to keep a harness on it so that we don’t lose what we have here. Because what we have here is stirring up all over the world, but they can’t see it here. So, it’s hard to grasp that people in other nations, all over the world so admire you, that they want to duplicate you. They want to keep the name, even the name alone, to call themselves Soul Children because we are called Soul Children. Those are kinds of things that are happening on a global level.”
No doubt, as they travel the world, they have not only reached into and molded cultural landscapes with their song, they have met those nations where they are, through the universal communicator—language.
“In Israel, we weren’t going to the Messianic Jews. We were going to the Orthodox Jews. We do that here. So, our message [the music], transcends even the Christian sect. We are able to go there, and do a whole liturgy in Hebrew. We sing in different languages. It gives us the ability to go into different arenas wherever we go. We’ve sung in Hebrew, Zulu, and Swahili, some in Russian. We’ve done a little bit of everything. We’ve sung in Swedish.”
As part of his musical education, the international Music Conductor, and Mentor coaches and prepares the Soul Children of Chicago. They learn how to navigate a cross-cultural terrain, he providing them with life lessons they will be able to use when they branch out and make their own personal mark on the globe.
“I teach the choir how to be diverse. We’ve sung a whole lot in Hebrew more than everything else. We do so much with the Jewish community.”
He provided a light-hearted portrayal of that diversity, with an impromptu rendition of a soulful medley, in different languages:
In Hebrew: ‘May the God that reigns in Heavens, may He reign in peace all over the earth, and all of Israel and we all say Amen’;
In Zulu: ‘We’re Marching in the Light of God’; in Russian or Ukraine: ‘Lord Have Mercy’.
All those things are what helps us when we get ready to go before whatever audience. We’re able to relate to whatever audience we go into … [worship Christ] … in their language.”
“I also know my purpose, so my purpose is not guided by whether you acknowledge me or not. My purpose is guided because I know that we have something that is changing lives around the world. I’m guided by purpose.”
As they began to perform, Dr. Whitman and SCC ventured out into various settings. Navigation between these settings, as the savvy music leader said he learned along the way, carried with it the forerunner of a stealthy approach to bringing the gospel. That approach has brought their gospel message to some interesting places including the White House … a few times.
“When the Soul Children first started, we were a Catholic School Choir, elementary school choir. I just remember the first time we went somewhere. It was for Reagan.
The President was coming in, and he saw this little children’s choir from a Catholic School. Because they’re children, people just started, ‘Ahh, they’re little kids.’ So, when they opened their mouths … they were children and they said these were kids, so they didn’t ever think that they would push this big ole’ sound out.”
That sound brought Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago, as the expert musical leader shared, before an array of Presidents - that honorary list included Presidents’ Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. They were said to perform as musical guests at auspicious venues and events such as the White House, the Democratic National Convention, Christmas in Washington, and the Inauguration Festivities.
“But what I’ve learned, is that in order to go into the various arenas, you’ve got to learn how to … you have to learn your audience. And so, when we go into corporate America there’s a different sound. I don’t even teach them like a gospel choir. We don’t sing gospel choir music in that sense. Because gospel choir music in that sense, limits you into just you. You can only sing it in the church and only amongst your people. Because in most cases, those are the only people that can accept it. What I try to do is teach Soul Children to stick to their musical abilities.
“When the Soul Children first started, we were a Catholic School Choir, elementary school choir. I just remember the first time we went somewhere. It was for Reagan.
The President was coming in, and he saw this little children’s choir from a Catholic School. Because they’re children, people just started, ‘Ahh, they’re little kids.’ So, when they opened their mouths … they were children and they said these were kids, so they didn’t ever think that they would push this big ole’ sound out.”
That sound brought Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago, as the expert musical leader shared, before an array of Presidents - that honorary list included Presidents’ Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. They were said to perform as musical guests at auspicious venues and events such as the White House, the Democratic National Convention, Christmas in Washington, and the Inauguration Festivities.
“But what I’ve learned, is that in order to go into the various arenas, you’ve got to learn how to … you have to learn your audience. And so, when we go into corporate America there’s a different sound. I don’t even teach them like a gospel choir. We don’t sing gospel choir music in that sense. Because gospel choir music in that sense, limits you into just you. You can only sing it in the church and only amongst your people. Because in most cases, those are the only people that can accept it. What I try to do is teach Soul Children to stick to their musical abilities.
When you say gospel choir, a lot of times, you’re thinking screaming, hollering, you know clapping, and jumping. There’s a stereotype that comes with that. In fact, somebody asked us, just this past weekend, what we did in concert … we did an event for some millionaires … it was a whole bunch of millionaires. They asked us, ‘Are you going to wear your gospel gowns?’ I said, A gospel gown? What is a gospel gown? They just didn’t know what to call it. Their thought process of gospel music is … there was a certain thing that they were expecting. It’s an image … and in some cases, I don’t think that’s always good. I think it’s a stereotypical thought process of how they thought we were going to come. So, a lot of times we go into arenas, where they will say, ‘Can you stay away from being really religious or can you, you know kind of step back from… we want you to do what you do, but we don’t want the God part. No, we don’t want you to bring Jesus in’ … and you get all of that stuff. So, I learned how to navigate into those arenas, to a place where you can be yourself without compromising who you are.”
Dr. Whitman recalled how much this learning curve stood out when he and the celebrated choir first visited Israel.
“I learned it when I went to Israel … Israel taught me … they invited us to do gospel in Israel with this orchestra, and I thought they were trying to set me up … because you know I said, you want me to go into a Jewish synagogue? You want us to go into Jewish, Israel Kibbutz camps with a Jewish orchestra, and you want me to sing about Jesus, for real? I said, ‘For real?’ … I said, ‘For real?’ But I had to learn how to approach it so that you can go into those arenas without being offensive.
They want the experience, they want to watch it. They don’t necessarily want to engage in it. They just want to watch it. So, it’s like, ‘Sing for us’, kind of thing. It’s almost like that, ’Can you dance? Can you sing?’ So, you know, I had to learn how people think, so I know how to engage them and bring them in, without them realizing they’re already in. That’s why we can do a whole service now in a Jewish Synagogue. That’s why they keep inviting us back …15 years now, been singing, going into the Jewish Synagogue. They are the most supportive people for us … we have a bond. That’s because you have to learn how to meet people where they are. You don’t just take what you have, and you think like, here, this is what I got, you’re going to take it. It's a whole different kind of way. Some people may not even understand it.
Dr. Whitman recalled how much this learning curve stood out when he and the celebrated choir first visited Israel.
“I learned it when I went to Israel … Israel taught me … they invited us to do gospel in Israel with this orchestra, and I thought they were trying to set me up … because you know I said, you want me to go into a Jewish synagogue? You want us to go into Jewish, Israel Kibbutz camps with a Jewish orchestra, and you want me to sing about Jesus, for real? I said, ‘For real?’ … I said, ‘For real?’ But I had to learn how to approach it so that you can go into those arenas without being offensive.
They want the experience, they want to watch it. They don’t necessarily want to engage in it. They just want to watch it. So, it’s like, ‘Sing for us’, kind of thing. It’s almost like that, ’Can you dance? Can you sing?’ So, you know, I had to learn how people think, so I know how to engage them and bring them in, without them realizing they’re already in. That’s why we can do a whole service now in a Jewish Synagogue. That’s why they keep inviting us back …15 years now, been singing, going into the Jewish Synagogue. They are the most supportive people for us … we have a bond. That’s because you have to learn how to meet people where they are. You don’t just take what you have, and you think like, here, this is what I got, you’re going to take it. It's a whole different kind of way. Some people may not even understand it.
We would do the Beatles’ song, Come Together. We just did an arrangement of We Are Family. We arranged it for the choir… and in a way, where we could still do the song. But, it opens up the door. Because if you go in there and just try to throw Jesus at people, they can’t accept all that. Doing the Beatles song was very controversial. Especially that particular one, because it deals with all kinds of stuff in it. But I put a choir piece on it, and that’s what got us at the White House. Michelle Obama invited us to the inauguration. We did one of our songs, our gospel songs. Then I did that arrangement of Come Together … they were like … ‘Oh, God, it was like’ … because it’s like you were able to bridge the gap, without them realizing the gap was bridged. After that, you could sing anything you want, because now you got them. They said, ‘Oh yeah, I know that… oh, yeah, oh wow.’ They said, oh wow.’”
The Energetic Maestro and the Soul Children’s performances before several different audiences expressly produced the desired effect---people being impacted by the music. The effect on the people, as he indicated, could be a bit unexplainable.
“So, what happens is … people come to us, and ask, ‘What is it that I felt? I started crying. How come I kept on crying and couldn’t stop?’” To Dr. Whitman, having the Holy Spirit present in the music has been the key thing. “It’s not the music. It’s not whether you’re singing about Jesus Christ or whatever. It’s like what Spirit are you operating in? Because whatever Spirit I’m operating in is what is transmitted. I can sing gospel music all day long, and still be full of hell. You’ve got a whole bunch of hypocritical people. That doesn't make any difference if you’re singing gospel, blues or whatever, but the point is, the Spirit I bring to the table. It’s the Holy Spirit, and I don’t even have to talk about Jesus, and that’s the piece that sounds very controversial. You don’t even have to mention Jesus. Because when you get into my presence, when I’m in a room where I have a lot of different people, my spirit is what speaks, not me trying to tell you about Jesus. I mean I can wear a button, [but] just because you’re in a garage, don’t make you a car. Just because you go to church, that doesn’t make you a Christian. We see that all the time, we are seeing that right now in our nation. |
I tell people and I tell the Soul Children, I say, I’m very comfortable with the controversy when people say, ‘why are you singing about Come Together? ‘Do you know what those lyrics mean?’ I said I do know what those lyrics mean. I also know what I mean when I say them. So, they may mean something there to you, but when I deliver them, it’s going to be a totally different message. I’m giving you something. When I say come together, get past the verse. I’m really focusing on the come together. That’s the key: come together. That’s all you’re going to focus on. When you get through hearing the song, all you’re going to remember is when I said, ‘Come together’. That’s what we’re working towards---come together. If that’s the only way we can reach you through this song because it’s that rock song that you remember, that’s your history and you just love the Beatles, when I finish with you, it’s going to resonate with you in a whole different way.
Now you’ve said, hmm, this does work. I can clap, and I can sing, and I can hug on somebody that I may not even know or like…because he said, ‘come together’. It’s just one of those moments. It’s like being out in those big ole’ parades. During the time of that parade, everybody just loves everybody. Now they may go separate ways, but the time they are together, they are together. And everybody says, ‘That’s my best friend that’s my friend.’ Now I don’t ever go to your house, you don’t ride with me, but that moment…let me bring the moment.”
He believes that the glory of God is “very much so” present in “whatever song, whatever audience we’re in. We’ve been in audiences where atheists have literally come up and said … you maybe want to take a second thought. When you’re effective like that …[well]. In Europe, it’s the same way.”
Walt Whitman and SCC sing various songs that have had a personal effect on local, national, and international stages; but one song that has affected him the most is God Is. He spoke of the personal weight it carries because of its origin.
Now you’ve said, hmm, this does work. I can clap, and I can sing, and I can hug on somebody that I may not even know or like…because he said, ‘come together’. It’s just one of those moments. It’s like being out in those big ole’ parades. During the time of that parade, everybody just loves everybody. Now they may go separate ways, but the time they are together, they are together. And everybody says, ‘That’s my best friend that’s my friend.’ Now I don’t ever go to your house, you don’t ride with me, but that moment…let me bring the moment.”
He believes that the glory of God is “very much so” present in “whatever song, whatever audience we’re in. We’ve been in audiences where atheists have literally come up and said … you maybe want to take a second thought. When you’re effective like that …[well]. In Europe, it’s the same way.”
Walt Whitman and SCC sing various songs that have had a personal effect on local, national, and international stages; but one song that has affected him the most is God Is. He spoke of the personal weight it carries because of its origin.
“God Is in particular … the person that wrote God Is is like my godfather. I was just singing it, but it became like my song. Of course, several other songs have brought the same effect to others. Now the other stuff that we do, like when we do stuff in Europe, and whatever those songs that we have, we have a whole [lot] of songs that crosses barriers.”
That effect has caused an explosive expansion of the Soul Children of Chicago across continents. Yet, he would also like to see that same expansion stateside, having seen firsthand how it has influenced the lives of youth in his own stomping ground---Chicago.
“I would say if people are going to respond, going to be listening, that we are absolutely trying to expand the Soul Children’s concept in Chicago and in the United States in various cities. [I would like to] create a duplicate model - that we could have a Soul Children there. Just like what’s happening in Europe … they are duplicating their model. That particular model is a little bit more with a pop kind of feel. For here in the states, it’ll be the same thing.
As people are hearing it, they say, I would like that in my city. Can you bring that to my city? Yes. ‘How do we get our youth mobilized because we’re having a youth problem?’ The youth are falling away. The youth are finding themselves not liking anything that’s happening in the churches. And they’re just kind of out of the way. People are not knowing what to do with them. There’s this kind of thought process. If you don’t have the Snapchat mentality in your church, you can’t keep these kids’ attention. They’re on Snapchat and it’s 10 seconds. So that means after 10 seconds, you lose them. You have to be able to talk to them quick. You have to get their attention quickly, or you aren’t going to get them. That’s the way kids are because they’re on the phone all the time. People are on the phone all the time. I say you’re sitting right here, why are you texting me?”
To him, through the journey, it is important to stick to his purpose. “We always have a purpose… as long as we have a purpose.”
Sticking to the purpose of why he still holds fast to training the Soul Children in the musical way that they should go, so when they are old, they won’t so easily depart from it, the Choir Master, through it all, seemed to have successfully harnessed the musical gifts of some hundreds of bubbly children. Looking back, there is another side of things he wished he would have harnessed in a more substantial way.
That effect has caused an explosive expansion of the Soul Children of Chicago across continents. Yet, he would also like to see that same expansion stateside, having seen firsthand how it has influenced the lives of youth in his own stomping ground---Chicago.
“I would say if people are going to respond, going to be listening, that we are absolutely trying to expand the Soul Children’s concept in Chicago and in the United States in various cities. [I would like to] create a duplicate model - that we could have a Soul Children there. Just like what’s happening in Europe … they are duplicating their model. That particular model is a little bit more with a pop kind of feel. For here in the states, it’ll be the same thing.
As people are hearing it, they say, I would like that in my city. Can you bring that to my city? Yes. ‘How do we get our youth mobilized because we’re having a youth problem?’ The youth are falling away. The youth are finding themselves not liking anything that’s happening in the churches. And they’re just kind of out of the way. People are not knowing what to do with them. There’s this kind of thought process. If you don’t have the Snapchat mentality in your church, you can’t keep these kids’ attention. They’re on Snapchat and it’s 10 seconds. So that means after 10 seconds, you lose them. You have to be able to talk to them quick. You have to get their attention quickly, or you aren’t going to get them. That’s the way kids are because they’re on the phone all the time. People are on the phone all the time. I say you’re sitting right here, why are you texting me?”
To him, through the journey, it is important to stick to his purpose. “We always have a purpose… as long as we have a purpose.”
Sticking to the purpose of why he still holds fast to training the Soul Children in the musical way that they should go, so when they are old, they won’t so easily depart from it, the Choir Master, through it all, seemed to have successfully harnessed the musical gifts of some hundreds of bubbly children. Looking back, there is another side of things he wished he would have harnessed in a more substantial way.
“I would probably restructure the business side of this organization with the right type of business people, business opportunities… because we didn’t know …we didn’t know we were probably going be this popular. We didn’t know the opportunities that would come before us. It’s just for me. It’s just how … business-wise, we could be able to survive long past myself? We are structured in a way that we are making headway in the nation, and around the world, but we don’t necessarily document the way that we are supposed to.”
He broadened his reflection to include the legacy of gospel music, and a business concept he would like to see materialize in conjunction with that legacy. He noted where he would like to see it go, and how he would like to be a proactive part of that concept in the near future.
“How do you make what you do work to the point that it lasts, not necessarily based on a personality? Most churches, when a pastor dies, in most cases, they don’t survive very long. They want personalities. I think that’s the other piece that really gets to me. When you look at Albertina Walker, they say Queen of Gospel…James Cleveland. You got all of the Gospel pioneers. You have Jesse Dixon. You got the Caravans. You got all of these people. However, there’s nothing… there are no museums. You can go to Nashville, people have built their own space. But gospel people, there should be a place. Chicago is the home of Gospel, so there should be a theater or some type of museum. There is nothing in Chicago. I think God has placed me in the position to be able to talk with people, to make the dream happen. A lot of times we are talking. You need the right people around you to make that dream happen.”
He especially tapped into that part of his dream that pertains to the Soul Children.
“It was my desire to have like a hotel or hostels, and you have things for youth that are coming. They come here for an experience. If they are going to come in for an experience, why not have something for them to experience? We should be able to say, we can house you, you pay for it. We can feed you, you can pay for it.”
He referenced a similar model, not unlike the one he envisions for his choir.
He broadened his reflection to include the legacy of gospel music, and a business concept he would like to see materialize in conjunction with that legacy. He noted where he would like to see it go, and how he would like to be a proactive part of that concept in the near future.
“How do you make what you do work to the point that it lasts, not necessarily based on a personality? Most churches, when a pastor dies, in most cases, they don’t survive very long. They want personalities. I think that’s the other piece that really gets to me. When you look at Albertina Walker, they say Queen of Gospel…James Cleveland. You got all of the Gospel pioneers. You have Jesse Dixon. You got the Caravans. You got all of these people. However, there’s nothing… there are no museums. You can go to Nashville, people have built their own space. But gospel people, there should be a place. Chicago is the home of Gospel, so there should be a theater or some type of museum. There is nothing in Chicago. I think God has placed me in the position to be able to talk with people, to make the dream happen. A lot of times we are talking. You need the right people around you to make that dream happen.”
He especially tapped into that part of his dream that pertains to the Soul Children.
“It was my desire to have like a hotel or hostels, and you have things for youth that are coming. They come here for an experience. If they are going to come in for an experience, why not have something for them to experience? We should be able to say, we can house you, you pay for it. We can feed you, you can pay for it.”
He referenced a similar model, not unlike the one he envisions for his choir.
“There’s a place in Barcelona called the Montserrat. The Montserrat is a monastery where they train singers, kids–it’s a boys’ choir. They are known across the world. That’s what really got me when I went there. It’s way up in the mountains. It’s like a monastery with a school, and then they have a chapel, a church, a big place. Then they have the restaurant, and they have all the souvenirs. That goes along with it. So, when you go, you go to have this experience. Those boys, the choir, sing all of ten minutes. It’s like a verse and a chorus. It’s an experience. They sing every day, twice a day. They sing twice a day. They come in. They sing. They sit in the chapel. We hear them do a song. We don’t know what they said unless you’re Spanish.
But when I looked at it, I said people have come from all over the world to come and sit and hear them. They are also going to end up stopping to eat. They got a restaurant up there. They are going to go to the souvenir shop because they want to take a piece of what they experience. Though they don’t pay to get into to hear the choir sing, the experience around them has become revenue generating. So, they don't have to worry about anything. At the Montserrat, they have every little thing. They got key chains, to little bells, to wine, to cheese. It’s unbelievable. People come from everywhere and nobody says anything about the choir singing for 10 minutes. And you have to travel all the way up this mountain to hear the choir sing for only 10 minutes and that’s part of the experience.
The whole concept of that is we don’t have any of that here. People are coming to my rehearsals. I have 40 to 50 people come sit in my rehearsals. But the experience of them hearing the choir, and me teaching them, and me sharing with them, we don’t have any other…there’s nothing else. They need to have … we should have something else that says, I experienced this or something that’s revenue generating. So, every time people come, they’re always taking something back. They’re paying for something, but it’s also helping them. People are not going to just say here’s ten dollars, let’s buy a CD. You know that’s cool, but’s that all they got. But there are other things.”
He excitedly expressed how bringing that same concept here, could enhance the experience of those who come to hear his children’s choir sing, and participate in his rehearsals or workshops; while, at the same time, allow Soul Children to remain vital and self-sustaining. “That same concept,” he noted, “could be expanded to include a place for all to come where it all began---Chicago. [The model] … that’s the idea.”
The Master Conductor affectionately described how his ministry is the Soul Children of Chicago – that ministry he formed almost four decades ago. It is not apart from him, but a part of him. Where he goes, they go. “I take them along with me… I say whatever is connected to me, is got to go where I’m going.” To Dr. Whitman, his ministry consists of the Soul Children of Chicago and the seeds he planted. He continues to plant in them, from generation to generation, with the expectation that a harvest will come.
But when I looked at it, I said people have come from all over the world to come and sit and hear them. They are also going to end up stopping to eat. They got a restaurant up there. They are going to go to the souvenir shop because they want to take a piece of what they experience. Though they don’t pay to get into to hear the choir sing, the experience around them has become revenue generating. So, they don't have to worry about anything. At the Montserrat, they have every little thing. They got key chains, to little bells, to wine, to cheese. It’s unbelievable. People come from everywhere and nobody says anything about the choir singing for 10 minutes. And you have to travel all the way up this mountain to hear the choir sing for only 10 minutes and that’s part of the experience.
The whole concept of that is we don’t have any of that here. People are coming to my rehearsals. I have 40 to 50 people come sit in my rehearsals. But the experience of them hearing the choir, and me teaching them, and me sharing with them, we don’t have any other…there’s nothing else. They need to have … we should have something else that says, I experienced this or something that’s revenue generating. So, every time people come, they’re always taking something back. They’re paying for something, but it’s also helping them. People are not going to just say here’s ten dollars, let’s buy a CD. You know that’s cool, but’s that all they got. But there are other things.”
He excitedly expressed how bringing that same concept here, could enhance the experience of those who come to hear his children’s choir sing, and participate in his rehearsals or workshops; while, at the same time, allow Soul Children to remain vital and self-sustaining. “That same concept,” he noted, “could be expanded to include a place for all to come where it all began---Chicago. [The model] … that’s the idea.”
The Master Conductor affectionately described how his ministry is the Soul Children of Chicago – that ministry he formed almost four decades ago. It is not apart from him, but a part of him. Where he goes, they go. “I take them along with me… I say whatever is connected to me, is got to go where I’m going.” To Dr. Whitman, his ministry consists of the Soul Children of Chicago and the seeds he planted. He continues to plant in them, from generation to generation, with the expectation that a harvest will come.
As he takes them on his journey, Dr. Whitman keeps bringing in new children, keeps growing, and teaching them. As one group moves on, another moves in. Through this seamless change of guard, he continues to build and develop connections. However, he expressed how he would like to capture that Soul Children legacy, as he believes, more effectively; even as alumni choir members pass the mantle on to new ones that are coming in to take it up, and move forward in life.
“The Soul Children … we got a new crew. This is totally new for them. This new crew has got to grow. Now, the problem is I have to keep teaching it over and over again. It’s not like you have a formula, and once you taught them that’s it ... it’s because I got kids that keep coming in. You got to keep teaching them.
The problem for me is, should I have a book? I should have a book. I should have something that they should study, something that you can be able to write and duplicate yourself and say, ‘This is the guide, this is the way you do it, this is how you do it, this is how you keep this thing alive for 35 years.’”
Dr. Whitman went on to share another way he would like to move forward with his ministry.
“I would love to begin to create youth leaders. I think what’s happening, especially on the African American side, not necessarily all African Americans, but I believe a lot of times, we’re untrained. We go off natural gifts. But we don’t really have enough information to know what to do [to] take it from just being natural gifts. Most of your gospel artists, all they have is an album. That’s all they have. If they don't have anything else, they’ve got an album. They’ve got a group. After the group, there’s nothing left. Your purpose should not be that album – that should be a byproduct.
The group that I was telling you about at the Montserrat, they may have an album. But what they have there, it’s going to last them for centuries. It’s going to be centuries. You’re not going to see them on the Grammy’s. You’re not going to see them at the Gospel Music Workshop of America. You’re not going to see them on the Stellar Awards. But people come from all around the world to watch them.”
He noted how that concept has already taken effect at home in Chicago, with those who come to visit the Soul Children.
“The Soul Children … we got a new crew. This is totally new for them. This new crew has got to grow. Now, the problem is I have to keep teaching it over and over again. It’s not like you have a formula, and once you taught them that’s it ... it’s because I got kids that keep coming in. You got to keep teaching them.
The problem for me is, should I have a book? I should have a book. I should have something that they should study, something that you can be able to write and duplicate yourself and say, ‘This is the guide, this is the way you do it, this is how you do it, this is how you keep this thing alive for 35 years.’”
Dr. Whitman went on to share another way he would like to move forward with his ministry.
“I would love to begin to create youth leaders. I think what’s happening, especially on the African American side, not necessarily all African Americans, but I believe a lot of times, we’re untrained. We go off natural gifts. But we don’t really have enough information to know what to do [to] take it from just being natural gifts. Most of your gospel artists, all they have is an album. That’s all they have. If they don't have anything else, they’ve got an album. They’ve got a group. After the group, there’s nothing left. Your purpose should not be that album – that should be a byproduct.
The group that I was telling you about at the Montserrat, they may have an album. But what they have there, it’s going to last them for centuries. It’s going to be centuries. You’re not going to see them on the Grammy’s. You’re not going to see them at the Gospel Music Workshop of America. You’re not going to see them on the Stellar Awards. But people come from all around the world to watch them.”
He noted how that concept has already taken effect at home in Chicago, with those who come to visit the Soul Children.
“We’ve already tapped into it. That’s why I know that we’re on to something. We have groups that are coming from Europe already to study us. So, what you do is you create, now, something that’s a little more structured, or even a program that has a credit of types or some type … that people pay for. People are coming in. They’re already buying the tickets---the airline tickets, and the hotels. We’re already on their tour schedule. They want to be in our rehearsal. I mean somebody just hit me up. They really, really want to just sit in your rehearsal. They won’t even bother you. They want to just sit. It has become almost so overwhelming. You have groups, groups, and they keep coming. They keep coming. So, it’s like, the people that are bringing them, they’re making them pay, so they can come and sit in my rehearsal. But they’re paying them [with the idea], Can you get in Walt Whitman’s rehearsal?"
I had the opportunity to attend Dr. Whitman's rehearsal / teaching workshop / choir collaboration, and it was off the chain. This crew, he explained was the “new crew” he spoke of. They were fresh faces to him, but they were no strangers to his teaching methods. When he began his session, the children fell right in line. Dr. Whitman hosted a choir from Finland, Gospel Helsinki, who he engaged in song with the Soul Children of Chicago. They came to observe, but the famed Choir Instructor was having none of that. He invited them to join the Soul Children in their rehearsal and proceeded to instruct them all. The sudden increase in number, nor cultural difference, didn’t faze him at all. Those who came to learn were not just going to watch and observe, they were going to participate as well.
Dr. Whitman, a no-nonsense man about his business, brought a few Soul Children to the front, standing with him, to teach each section---alto, soprano, and tenor. After a while, one could not tell there were two distinct choirs having just met that day, singing together. The atmosphere was electric, and you could indeed feel the presence of the Lord. They meshed, intermingled with each other, according to their respective sections. They melded and became one. Several tears were shed during and after the rehearsal. In fact, a Choir Conductor from Sweden who has worked with Dr. Whitman for several years, Jonas Engstrӧm, shed some tears of his own as he spoke in front of all in attendance. He thanked Dr. Whitman, speaking well- wishes over him and the Soul Children, emotionally overwhelmed by all of what they shared, the magnetic atmosphere, and what had just taken place in that room. At the closing of the rehearsal, they exchanged gifts, spearheaded by Gospel Helsinki Choir Conductor Nina Pakkanen and Dr. Whitman, and prayed together. The prayer was led by a member of the Soul Children. When prayer was concluded, they hugged each other like old friends.
I had the opportunity to attend Dr. Whitman's rehearsal / teaching workshop / choir collaboration, and it was off the chain. This crew, he explained was the “new crew” he spoke of. They were fresh faces to him, but they were no strangers to his teaching methods. When he began his session, the children fell right in line. Dr. Whitman hosted a choir from Finland, Gospel Helsinki, who he engaged in song with the Soul Children of Chicago. They came to observe, but the famed Choir Instructor was having none of that. He invited them to join the Soul Children in their rehearsal and proceeded to instruct them all. The sudden increase in number, nor cultural difference, didn’t faze him at all. Those who came to learn were not just going to watch and observe, they were going to participate as well.
Dr. Whitman, a no-nonsense man about his business, brought a few Soul Children to the front, standing with him, to teach each section---alto, soprano, and tenor. After a while, one could not tell there were two distinct choirs having just met that day, singing together. The atmosphere was electric, and you could indeed feel the presence of the Lord. They meshed, intermingled with each other, according to their respective sections. They melded and became one. Several tears were shed during and after the rehearsal. In fact, a Choir Conductor from Sweden who has worked with Dr. Whitman for several years, Jonas Engstrӧm, shed some tears of his own as he spoke in front of all in attendance. He thanked Dr. Whitman, speaking well- wishes over him and the Soul Children, emotionally overwhelmed by all of what they shared, the magnetic atmosphere, and what had just taken place in that room. At the closing of the rehearsal, they exchanged gifts, spearheaded by Gospel Helsinki Choir Conductor Nina Pakkanen and Dr. Whitman, and prayed together. The prayer was led by a member of the Soul Children. When prayer was concluded, they hugged each other like old friends.
Just like the Soul Children and his guests, Gospel Helsinki, Dr. Whitman would like visitors to take something away from their experience there, both in mind and in hand, after their visit.
“We should have books. They want the books, they want to learn. They’re coming here on a learning tour.”
Having already established a rapport with international groups, Dr. Whitman described how he would like to expand upon that rapport, by continuing to build out music opportunities for the Soul Children of Chicago.
“I see this summer camp that I want to do. I want to do a summer intensive music camp, a music camp in Sweden. We’re connected to Sweden. We send kids to Sweden to study for a year for free. That’s one of the things that we have. We have a relationship with Sweden. There is a music school there. The benefit for them [Sweden] is they are getting African American kids who can help them with their gospel music experience. We benefit when they stay for a year. They learn Swedish. They learn the culture, and then they come back.”
In the near future, Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago will be celebrating their anniversary and the many, many years they have graced stages with their presence.
“36 years. [The anniversary] – it’s around my birthday which is Oct 27. We celebrate it around my birthday, normally because that was the first concert. I started this choir at the beginning of the year, but our first concert was around my birthday. Our anniversary will be that time…and I haven’t decided how I am going to do it because I wanted to do something different. We’ve been doing concerts and stuff for so long.”
He shared a bit, about his next music project in the months to come.
“We got the new album coming out … it’ll probably be called Still Standing, yeah Still Standing. It will probably be out hopefully, the beginning of the quarter for 2018.”
“We should have books. They want the books, they want to learn. They’re coming here on a learning tour.”
Having already established a rapport with international groups, Dr. Whitman described how he would like to expand upon that rapport, by continuing to build out music opportunities for the Soul Children of Chicago.
“I see this summer camp that I want to do. I want to do a summer intensive music camp, a music camp in Sweden. We’re connected to Sweden. We send kids to Sweden to study for a year for free. That’s one of the things that we have. We have a relationship with Sweden. There is a music school there. The benefit for them [Sweden] is they are getting African American kids who can help them with their gospel music experience. We benefit when they stay for a year. They learn Swedish. They learn the culture, and then they come back.”
In the near future, Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago will be celebrating their anniversary and the many, many years they have graced stages with their presence.
“36 years. [The anniversary] – it’s around my birthday which is Oct 27. We celebrate it around my birthday, normally because that was the first concert. I started this choir at the beginning of the year, but our first concert was around my birthday. Our anniversary will be that time…and I haven’t decided how I am going to do it because I wanted to do something different. We’ve been doing concerts and stuff for so long.”
He shared a bit, about his next music project in the months to come.
“We got the new album coming out … it’ll probably be called Still Standing, yeah Still Standing. It will probably be out hopefully, the beginning of the quarter for 2018.”
“The Spirit of God keeps you relevant. The Bible talks about: the streams that flow from the sanctuary. It can be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that the leaves will never wither. You will always bear fruit. You will always bear fruit. The water has to be fresh. It can’t be stagnant water. You can have water, but it can be stagnated. So now, that means you have a swamp versus having a stream that flows, that keeps you fresh. So, you always got fresh water flowing. You keep going, it keeps going."
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Overall, he has found that Jesus has given the musical gifts to him and according to him, it is meant to be shared and shared…and shared.
“Jesus is given to me because He said the gifts and the calling come without repentance. So, you cannot get, until you can give out. I can never expand until I give unto what I have, to get more–which gives me the ability to get more. He (God) said, ‘I give seed to the sewer, and bread to the eater’. So that is what I do with the Soul Children. That is why I get new kids every year. I get new empty vessels, I pour into the vessels; and as I pour out of myself into the vessels, I empty myself. They go out, and God replenishes it back, to give it to the next group. Which is why we’ve been able to do this after 35 years, and are still standing, still relevant. That is the other piece. After 35 years, you can be 35 years old, and people can be like, ‘You’re old and you need to go sit down.’
People can easily say, ‘We’re done. We see this enough. We’ve seen this before, and we’re tired of seeing it, so can we see something else?’ What is it that keeps you (Soul Children) fresh every year that brings you back? How do people still respond to you the same way every year? This is not the first time you’ve seen it.”
That perpetual invitation from cross-national audiences to places he can now call homes away from home, he attributes to the Spirit of God.
“Jesus is given to me because He said the gifts and the calling come without repentance. So, you cannot get, until you can give out. I can never expand until I give unto what I have, to get more–which gives me the ability to get more. He (God) said, ‘I give seed to the sewer, and bread to the eater’. So that is what I do with the Soul Children. That is why I get new kids every year. I get new empty vessels, I pour into the vessels; and as I pour out of myself into the vessels, I empty myself. They go out, and God replenishes it back, to give it to the next group. Which is why we’ve been able to do this after 35 years, and are still standing, still relevant. That is the other piece. After 35 years, you can be 35 years old, and people can be like, ‘You’re old and you need to go sit down.’
People can easily say, ‘We’re done. We see this enough. We’ve seen this before, and we’re tired of seeing it, so can we see something else?’ What is it that keeps you (Soul Children) fresh every year that brings you back? How do people still respond to you the same way every year? This is not the first time you’ve seen it.”
That perpetual invitation from cross-national audiences to places he can now call homes away from home, he attributes to the Spirit of God.
“The Spirit of God keeps you relevant. The Bible talks about: the streams that flow from the sanctuary. It can be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that the leaves will never wither. You will always bear fruit. You will always bear fruit. You will always continue to be … which is the key to being fresh. You continue to keep pulling in. The water has to be fresh. It can’t be stagnant water. You can have water, but it can be stagnated. So now, that means you have a swamp versus having a stream that flows, that keeps you fresh. So, you always got fresh water flowing. You keep going, it keeps going.
A lot of people don’t drink the deep water. It’s like I’ve had water, I ain’t did nothing with it. It’s just sitting there. It’s still water, but it’s just swamp. You don’t want to drink from the swamp. You don’t want to drink from the swamp. I make the kids consecrate, and we go on consecration. I told them, I said … it’s to be fresh. You’ve gone on a consecration prior to the people. So, when you open your mouth, it’s like a champagne bottle. You’ve shaken the bottle. You’ve stirred up the bottle. So, when you open your mouth and you sing, people are drinking it, and they're like … they get a little excited.”
And so, as they continue to go out and bless the world, Dr. Whitman plans to keep going and growing with the Soul Children of Chicago right here in the Windy City – hopefully in a place they can literally call a “home for gospel” – and abroad. He will continue planting seeds deep in the soil, preparing the children. He will continue to watch the harvest grow before him, like a parent watching his children go on and perpetuate that musical discipline he’s imparted. He will continue spreading the good news of Jesus Christ with the Soul Children of Chicago to others, through melodic wisdom and praise, satisfied they will produce their own perpetual fruit for generations to come.
A lot of people don’t drink the deep water. It’s like I’ve had water, I ain’t did nothing with it. It’s just sitting there. It’s still water, but it’s just swamp. You don’t want to drink from the swamp. You don’t want to drink from the swamp. I make the kids consecrate, and we go on consecration. I told them, I said … it’s to be fresh. You’ve gone on a consecration prior to the people. So, when you open your mouth, it’s like a champagne bottle. You’ve shaken the bottle. You’ve stirred up the bottle. So, when you open your mouth and you sing, people are drinking it, and they're like … they get a little excited.”
And so, as they continue to go out and bless the world, Dr. Whitman plans to keep going and growing with the Soul Children of Chicago right here in the Windy City – hopefully in a place they can literally call a “home for gospel” – and abroad. He will continue planting seeds deep in the soil, preparing the children. He will continue to watch the harvest grow before him, like a parent watching his children go on and perpetuate that musical discipline he’s imparted. He will continue spreading the good news of Jesus Christ with the Soul Children of Chicago to others, through melodic wisdom and praise, satisfied they will produce their own perpetual fruit for generations to come.
- “Walt Whitman & the Soul Children of Chicago | Album Discography.” AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/walt-whitman-the-soul-children-of-chicago-mn0000238732
- The Potter's House of Fort Worth. (2017). Pastor Patrick E. Winfield II. [online] Available at: http://tphfw.org/about/pastor-patrick-e-winfield-jr/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2017].
Music Information & Discography
Album | Year: We are One | 1988; This is the Day | 1990; Live and Blessed | 1991; Growing Up | 1996; Generation X Celebration | 1999; Reaching the Nations | 2005; My Time My Favor | 2010
Album | Year: We are One | 1988; This is the Day | 1990; Live and Blessed | 1991; Growing Up | 1996; Generation X Celebration | 1999; Reaching the Nations | 2005; My Time My Favor | 2010
Link(s):
soulchildrenchicago.org
Wakeelah’s Picks:
Song: Manifest |Album: “My Time My Favor” | Year: 2010
Song: Higher and Higher | Album: “Reaching the Nations” | Year: 2005
Song: Use Me |Album: “This is the Day” | Year: 1990
soulchildrenchicago.org
Wakeelah’s Picks:
Song: Manifest |Album: “My Time My Favor” | Year: 2010
Song: Higher and Higher | Album: “Reaching the Nations” | Year: 2005
Song: Use Me |Album: “This is the Day” | Year: 1990
Trivia, Not Trivial:
+What member of the Soul Children of Chicago Choir is currently a Pastor and an Author?
+What member of the Soul Children of Chicago Choir is currently a Pastor and an Author?
Wakeelah Cocroft-Aldridge is a Freelance Writer residing in Chicago, IL with her husband. Her writing includes academic writing and creative writing such as fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Wakeelah likes to laugh and cry about the sweet somethings of life, and find out about the unique stories of others. She loves comedy, animation, extended metaphors, quiet times, and she is an avid listener of gospel music. Oh … and she likes Peppermint Stick ice cream!
Wakeelah has joined us as a Columnist, forming Purposeful Gospel Profiles, a periodic column. She hopes, as she interviews each Gospel Artist, to portray their purpose for singing gospel music and what it means to those who provide a musical narrative for the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Wakeelah has joined us as a Columnist, forming Purposeful Gospel Profiles, a periodic column. She hopes, as she interviews each Gospel Artist, to portray their purpose for singing gospel music and what it means to those who provide a musical narrative for the Good News of Jesus Christ.
+Pastor Patrick Winfield II is the pastor of Potter’s House in Fort Worth, Texas under the ministry of Bishop T.D. Jakes and is the author of the book Unleash Greatness: Learning to Unlock Your Potential. He was a child member of the Soul Children of Chicago from 1981 to 1994; and he is currently an active alumni member.
I Believe That Appreciation Is A Holy Thing – That When We Look For What's Best In A Person We Happen To Be With At The Moment, We're Doing What God Does All The Time. So In Loving And Appreciating Our Neighbor, We're Participating In Something Sacred. ~ Fred Rogers
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