Mama Foundation for the Arts, Inc.
www.mamafoundation.org
Mama Foundation for the Arts (MFA) is dedicated to the presentation, preservation and promotion of gospel, jazz and the rhythm and blues traditions and in rebuilding Harlem as an artistic cultural center. “Gospel for Teens” is a unique arts program designed to inform, inspire and allow young people to learn about their musical roots.
Open to teenagers, ages 13 to 19, the program provides strong technical training, professional performance experience, and understanding of gospel’s historical significance in African American culture as well as its interconnectedness to jazz and rhythm and blues. Two-hour sessions meet every Saturday at the upper floors of MFA’s renovated brownstone on 126th Street. Students are taught by experienced musicians. Classes begin with the recitation, “We have gathered here in the spirit of cooperation and good will to sing for our body, our minds and souls, and to serve ourselves, our families and communities.”