Oberlin High School Choir ~ Jamaica

oberlinTeamwork depicts the actual will of persons working together to carry out a specific task.  This concept is evident with the continued performance and achievements of the Oberlin High School Chorale that strongly believes in the famous quote that is often used as a means of motivation, “NO MAN IS AN ISLAND AND NO MAN STANDS ALONE”.  In an attempt to achieve success, the adoption of positive attributes by members of the chorale, has resulted in national fame.

In recent times, the Oberlin High School Chorale has been making great strides. The choir, which is popularly known for its vibrant, energetic performances, and its   youthful exuberance, consists of thirty members between the ages of twelve and eighteen years under the leadership of Mr. Kolya Robinson (former director) and Mr. Kevin Taylor (present director).  It has shared stage with numerous popular artistes (both local and international).  During the period 2005-2009 it has amassed over 40 gold and silver medals at the Jamaica Cultural Development Centre Annual Music Festival   competitions in the categories of folk, reggae, gospel and contemporary music.

The choir has won the National Championship of Television Jamaica (TVJ) All Together Sing National High School choir competition consecutively, in which ninety schools participated, for the years 2005-2007.  They also won the Ministry of Education Youth and Culture’s “E-Learning jingles competition” in 2006. It has also performed at numerous prestigious events thereafter, not excluding many of the Mayor’s and Prime Minister’s functions and award ceremonies.  Some of which are:

The Oberlin High School chorale has continued to press on in a positive yet open minded way thus making its mark not only at the community level, but also at the national level and is now given the opportunity to affect positively at the international level .The   chorale greatly welcome this priceless opoberlinportunity.

Kevin Taylor, conductor

Mr. Kevin Taylor hails from the island of Jamaica. His musical career began at the tender age of nine. He started off as a self-taught guitarist. He undertook the role of musical director and choir arranger at his local church in Kingston at age thirteen. Kevin began playing at public functions, graduations, school plays, studio recording sessions, hotels and various concerts island wide by age fifteen.

Later, he enrolled at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and in 1997 he acquired tertiary level of certification as an artist/painter in the Fine Arts. .In 1999 he began studying music at the Jamaica School of Music .He first studied the classics and later changed to jazz piano. Soon after he started collaborating on various albums and excelled from then on as a producer and arranger.

As a multi- instrumentalist, Kevin plays the keyboard, guitar, bass, and drum and has become a musical accompanist for several soloists and groups. He is a music composer of jingles and pantomime plays for radio and television advertisements, and has works with productions such as Almond and Jambiz .He is also a music teacher and counselor who teaches at the Oberlin High School. It is also at this institution that he serves as musical choir director for one of the most talented and creative high school chorale in the country, “ Oberlin Chorale” (O.C). Under his leadership, the group has garnered a plethora of prestigious awards.

Kevin is admired and respected by many of the premier and most prestigious musicians and producers, both locally and internationally. He has worked along with artistes in almost every musical genre and welcomes this golden opportunity of making his mark with his talented team (O.C) as others will witness this once in a lifetime experience on the international scene. This is indeed an occasion he and his choir anticipate.

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