Music Director

Penelope Williams

Penelope Williams is an accomplished jazz musician with 30 years of musical experience.  Penelope holds a Master of Music from Georgia State University.  During 1999-2004, Penelope was the Programs and Events Director for Georgia State University School of Music.

She is Music Director of Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta in addition to teaching private piano and voice.  Previously, Penelope held the position of Minister of Music at Unity North Atlanta Church 2005-June 2009.  She founded the New Thought Music Choral Festival, hosting 180+ singers (2006-2008).

Penelope has performed for President Jimmy Carter, Marianne Williamson, Deepok Chopra, Wayne Dyer, and acted as jazz musician in performances at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and select venues nationwide. 

Penelope has served on the Board of Governors of the Nat’l Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (2002-2004), and Women’s Caucus Chair of Int’l. Assoc. for Jazz Education (1997-2004).

The Music Team

Ty Andrews

Ty Andrews is a minister of music and a creative visionary. A native Floridian, Ty learned to feed his soul with music and arts at an early age learning saxophone, steel drums, African dance and graphic design. Ty is currently an active member and singer with the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta music team and choir. He has vocally accompanied recording artists Faith Rivera, Karen Drucker, Claudia Carawan and Francine Reed.

After several years with corporate advertising giant BBDO, Ty founded Think Up (www.thinkupcreative.com), a brand design firm that helps startups, musicians and other
vision-led businesses stand out through the power of graphic design and marketing. Ty has plans to use his creative expertise to help globalize Positive Music and elevate it’s presence in the music industry.

Ben Bailey

The musical life of Atlanta Native Ben Bailey began when at a young age he performed on the local Atlanta scene. Eventually his musical quest took him to The Berklee College of Music (1985 – 87). While at Berklee, he was the drum chair on the Spirit of Boston Cruise Lines. After leaving, school, Ben became an active freelance drummer in New York City.

Throughout his career he has performed and recorded with such artists such as Houston Person, Rodney Jones, Jon Burr, The Four Freshmen, Freddie Hubbard, Francine Reed, Cecil Welch, Joe Gransden Big Band,  Penelope Williams,  Gary Motley, Kenny Banks,  Louis Heriveaux, and Kevin Bales.  Ben has performed in NYC, Europe, Asia, and has made Radio and TV appearances in the Atlanta area.

These days, Ben maintains an active schedule of live performances and studio recordings.  He has recorded at Tony Bennett’s Studio (New Jersey), 800 East (Atlanta), and Elliot Sound (Atlanta).    He makes frequent appearances in the Atlanta area including Eddie’s Attic, Cafe 290 Churchill Grounds, Twain’s, Georgia Aquarium, and other live venues.

“I have always loved the sights, sounds, and energy of Atlanta.  To be able to perform in this city with such fantastic jazz artists is a gift, especially while expressing myself on the drums.”- Ben Bailey

Kelly Corsino

This 2 time Posi Award nominee has been singing since she was seven years old!

Kelly Corsino has been a professional singer her whole life and has done film and TV and studio work while finding her way Spiritually in the world.

Since the late 90’s she had practiced Shin Buddhism until 2005, when she found the teachings of Earnest Holmes, or maybe they found her!

Her home church, Namaste’ Center for Spiritual Living in Long Beach, has given her a foundation that inspired her to create.

In June of 2011, she released her CD, “Within.” Her lyrics borrow from ancient wisdom traditions as well as new thought teachers…leading her listeners to a heartfelt experience of Truth.  Her music has the soulful feel of late 60’s upbeat R&B, with a little Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel mixed in.  To listen, go to: www.kellycorsino.com

Ray Davis

Ray is a multi-instrumental singer/songwriter whose music moves fluidly through funk, soul, jazz, gospel, and pop, without losing connection to its life-affirming, positive spiritual message.  His beautiful, soulful voice delivers well-crafted, hook-driven songs that speak to the best in all of us.

Ray is originally from Compton California, a small incorporated city just south of Los Angeles.  Compton’s reputation as a dangerous, duck-before-you-get-shot ghetto provided the perfect book-by-cover metaphor that has influenced Ray’s writing.  The Compton that Ray experienced was one of community, of rich church and school relationships, and a large, tight family that immersed him in the kind of musical variety necessary to nurture genius.  Yes, Ray’s genius is in using flow, rhythm, harmony, to illumine the listener’s mind to reality beyond appearance.  Like in his song, “The Average Man” where Ray writes, “What if I was born for greatness/ what if I am really more than I think I am?” he uses an infectious groove to demonstrate the potential for amazing things from every “average” person. 

Now, working from Venice California, Ray uses his classical training, blends it with influences as diverse as Aaron Copeland, Bill Withers, Miles Davis, and James Taylor to create a set that stretches what people expect from “spiritual” music.  His joyful, humorous performances set audiences at ease.  Ray Davis loves easily and is easy to love.  Just ask anyone who has seen him at any of the numerous New Thought spiritual centers where he has sung, such as the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City California, or clubs around Los Angeles such as Angel's Piano Bar and Supper Club, Room5 Lounge, and Genghis Cohen.

Ray and his all-star band (Dwayne Augustine, Miles Joseph, Rayford Griffin, Idris Hester) can be seen the third Sunday of each month at Angel's Piano Bar and Supper Club in Santa Monica, CA.

Fuji Fujimoto

Fuji graduated from Berklee College of Music and has been a full-time musician ever since. Her early career was spent on the road, playing pop/dance clubs in the U.S. and touring extensively in Venezuela.

A self-described “workhorse” she resides in Atlanta Georgia where her experience includes The Alliance Theater, Unity North Atlanta Church, Northpoint Community Church, The Marvelettes, The Atlanta Falcons House Band, Ritz Carlton Trio, audio engineering at Doppler Studios, bass recording sessions and music instruction.

Currently she is a staff musician for The Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta, is the bassist/musical director/arranger for the corporate party band Atlanta Beat, and has a weekly house gig at Pastiʼs Restaurant & Bar.

Jack Lee

Jack Lee, was the lead guitarist and keyboard player in the Asilomar Conference Band, and is currently the music minister of Unity of Ventura CA.

Over the years, he has played his music everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Isabel’s South Sea Island Bar in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.  At 19, he was opening for Jimi Hendrix, Tina Turner and others with his own band, Oz.  Later, after moving to Nashville, he played lead guitar for Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth and piano with Bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs as well as being a busy studio musician

An accomplished multi-instrumentalist and composer, Jack is also a top LA studio musician and producer who has played on hundreds of projects.  He is adept at guitar, keyboards, bass, dobro, lap slide, and hammered dulcimer.

His growing interest in meditation, New Thought, yoga and higher levels of consciousness led him to study Science of Mind at Agape Center.  Jack has worked live and in the studio with many teachers and authors such as Mary Manin Morrissey, Rev. Dennis Merritt Jones, Rev. Maureen Hoyt, Rev. David Ault, Lynn Andrews, and Wayne Dyer.

The role of music in meditation and healing is Jack’s current passion and focus. In addition to releasing five meditation CDs, he performs a unique meditation concert at churches and yoga centers throughout California.

For more about Jack Lee, visit www.jackleecomposer.com/home.htm

Branice McKenzie

Branice McKenzie’s career includes everything from jazz to theater to prolific songwriting. Some of her credits include critically acclaimed performances at the Newport Jazz Festival, The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and The Umbria Jazz Festival. On the theatrical stage she has created roles in “Shades Of Harlem”, “Sing Sister Sing” and “Jazz Alley”. As a composer and music director, she has penned music for “Shelter”,  “Shades Of Harlem” and “Blackbirds Of Courage” as well as her latest work, “This World Is Mine: A Musical Revue for Children”. She is a recipient of the Meet The Composer grant from New York State and also made her directorial debut with the World Premier of the family musical “Celebrate Kwanzaa” at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Branice has also just completed a song for the film short, Gentelle’s Wings entitled, I Fly, which is the title song of her recently released CD.

And Branice is also a member of the cast. Ms. McKenzie is just returning from the Shanghai International Experimental Theatre Arts Festival as Associate Director with the Tracy Performing Arts Foundation for the play, “At The Playground”, which won a coveted place in the festival.

Her incredible four-octave voice and magnificent song stylings have been hailed throughout the world. She has toured with Harry Belafonte (1984 – 1993), Gregory Hines (1987 – 2003), Roberta Flack, Hugh Masekela, Carly Simon, BeBe Winans, Dianne Reeves, Peggy Lee and Miriam Makeba to name a few and is performing all over the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Branice McKenzie is Minister of Music at Heart And Soul Center of Light  in Oakland, CA where Rev. Andriette Earl is the Founding Minister.  Ms. McKenzie has a B.A. in Psychology, Brown University and an M.A. in Music Education, New York University.  “ I have not only enjoyed her talent, I have been inspired by it.”  Harry Belafonte www.branicemckenzie.com

Rev. Donna Michael

Donna Michael is Nashville-based, Centers for Spiritual Living ordained minister, practitioner, forgiveness coach, and internationally-known recording artist whose music for inspiration, celebration, creativity, relaxation, and renewal has been described as “food for the soul” and “wonderfully healing.” As a highly regarded motivational speaker and spiritual counselor, Donna’s passion for empowering others to live from their unlimited potential can touch and inspire her audiences in transformative ways. Through her “Possibility Programs—Live Your Limitless Life!” series, she guides clients and audiences to discover, release and replace long-held “misbeliefs” with the “real truth” of who they are and who they can become. In her Focus Ministry, Donna travels and shares her music, conducts seminars and retreats, and has served as a music director, performer, keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for conferences and spiritual centers throughout the country. Visit www.donnamichael.com to learn more about her music, coaching, and speaking.

SAUDA
(pronounced Sah-OOH-dah)

Her voice has been called “truly amazing.” Her sound: a rich, soul-infused blend of jazz and pop.   She regularly mesmerizes and astonishes audiences with fluid, angelic vocals that can ascend into a dynamic, powerhouse delivery belying her diminutive frame. 

She is none other than the sensational singer/composer/ songwriter Sauda, a talent that music insiders believe is definitely a force to be reckoned with, destined to develop into one of the great all-time performers. 

A resident of Atlanta since 1997, Sauda has performed with a number of bands and has appeared on the CDs of some of the city’s hottest poets and artists, including Steven Charles, Antoine Knight, dj serge negri, Abyss and Eddie Oliver, as well as on Koni Lee's debut jazz CD. She performed with New Kids on the Block and opened for the Japan chart-topping duo Slick & Rose. She has been featured at Atlanta’s best-known jazz and soul nightspots, such as Apache Café, Andrew's Upstairs, Javaology, The Jazz Loft, The Earl and Soul Sista's Juke Joint. She has also made several appearances at such popular nightclubs as Red Light Café, Vinyl, Cafe 290, Smith's Olde Bar and the Airlounge in Oakland California, and The WineUp in Charlotte, NC.

Her life journey has taken her to two continents. Born in Portland, Oregon, she grew up in Liberia, West Africa, returning to complete high school in the U.S.  She graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro with a degree in Psychology. Having sung all her life in church, school choirs and for her own enjoyment, she decided to turn her passion into a vocation. She relocated to Atlanta, began classical training and started actively pursuing a career in music.

Sauda cites as her inspiration legends such as Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Sade, Minnie Ripperton, Miles Davis, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder.  Most of all, she attributes both inherited talent and her irrefutable love of the art of good music to her father.  She pays tribute to each of them in her unique style and expression. These influences, together with her travels and multi-cultural experiences, are readily apparent in her moving debut CD, “Growin’ Pains,” released in 2005.

Gino Walker

Gino is the voice & the spirit that will inspire your soul, empower your mind and you will let loose joyful tears of freedom. Born in St. Louis Missouri she was surrounded by great music. Her love of the stage and performing arts started a journey that has taken her all over the world singing what she calls “SPIRITFUNKnSOULFULBLUES”.

Feeling the call to spread the gift of song, Gino join the World Renowned Agape International Choir under the Direction of Rickie Byars Beckwith. As lead vocalist Gino performed at the Ford Amphitheater, the Getty Museum, St Bartholomew and  the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.  The next step for Gino was to share her gift of song with spiritual communities throughout Southern California.

Anchored in the teachings of Ernest Homes, Emmet Fox Joel Goldsmith, Abraham and Michael Bernard Beckwith. The opportunity came for Gino; she was hired as the guest Inspirational Speaker at Unity of Ventura. This was the first of many, wonderful Unity and Center for Spiritual Living Churches which have said “Gino you are a Transformer of Love & Energy, a Power House of Inspiration through your songs & words”.

Gino Toured this year for eight months from the west coast to the east coast and Canada. “The Expanding Vision Tour in 2011” Her ministry has expanded from  Singing, to Speaking and  now Workshop Facilitator “Releasing Old Thought Patterns” intense,  powerful and interactive  She shares a full package of Love everywhere she goes.

Gino has worked with many talented people; Ray Charles, The Drifters, Ike Turner and Mary Wilson too mention a few. She has taken her Diva show to the Las Vegas, the US Troops in Europe and Rocked Australia as the Queen of Soul. With appearances on the Keenan Ivory Wayans show and Howard Stern show. Performing for the prestige’s Santa Barbara Film Festival singing her original song “Possible” 

“It is my mission to Lift & Shift the Light of Consciousness All over the World through Inspired Songs & Words” – Gino Walker (www.ginosings.com)

Special Tuesday Evening Performance

Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta – Sound of Light Choir

Musical Director: Penelope Williams

Members: Tantira Bridges, Ty Andrews, Paula Davis, Victoria Peoples, Sauda Fuller, Laine Morgan,Chris Adams, Scott Baker, Mark Burhke, Stephen Moses, Ricky Prior, Shasta Bridges, Terry Burrell, Meg Scarlett, Barbara Sommers, Jill Williams, Kevin Biacsi, Cory Colton, Wardell Jones, Will Mathis, John Musser, Calvin Mason, Kathryn Petroff, Siam Clarke, Deb Brake, Robert McNeil, Ben Moore

The SLCA Choir, directed by Penelope Williams, is a welcoming, Spiritual Family that celebrates life, healing and love through music.  All levels of vocal experience are welcome. Our Music Director has an extensive musical background to assist any skill level singer reach his/her full potential.  Penelope's exploration of contemporary spiritual music brings new life to the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta community. Her artistic direction combined with the spiritual direction of Sr. Minister Dr. David Ault transforms a simple space into a lively celebration of life and community!