User:Mrgospl

Professor Silvester Carl Henderson

Silvester Carl Henderson is a nationally recognized Professor, educator, motivational speaker, business owner, respected real estate investor, community artistic organizer, musician/artist, and conductor of the Gospel Song. Professor Henderson earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education and his Master of Arts Degrees from San Francisco State University and taught there from 1984 to 1994 as a Professor and Lecturer of Piano and Music Theory. Presently he serves as the full-time Professor of Choral Activities and Chair of the Music Department at the Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, CA where he directs the College Chorus, Chamber Chorale, and the Gospel Choir. In addition to those responsibilities, he also teaches voice classes, applied vocal lessons, music theory, class piano, musicianship, classical piano and gospel piano. the Fall of 2000, Professor Henderson developed a “Gospel Piano Curriculum”, which was the only collegiate academic course of its type, in the State of California. .Mr. Henderson is an Emeritus Professor/Lecturer of African American Studies and Music from the University of California, Berkeley, where he served as the original director of the internationally acclaimed, Young Inspiration Gospel Choir from 1985 – 2005. The Professor’s achievements can be found in “Gospel Digest” World News. Mr. Henderson has organized community concerts and performed with celebrity gospel, jazz, broadway stars,  and rhythm and blues greats such as Richard Smallwood, Reverend Daryl Coley, the late Walter Hawkins and the Love Center Choir, Kurt Carr, Quincey Fielding, Ron Kenoly Sr., V. Michael McKay, the late Dr.Helen James Haynes Stephens and the Lighthouse Singers of Marin,Ca,  Micah Stampley, Jon Gibson  (the artist who paired with Stevie Wonder for the remake of “Have a Talk with God), Billy Porter (New York Broadway Star and Soundtrack Artist for Bette Midler’s “First Wives Club ), James Iglehart (New York Broadway Star from Aladdin),Vesta, Howard Hewett, Kenny Lattimore, Gerald Albright, LaToya London, Chris Walker and most recently Kathy Taylor Brown.” Mr.Henderson has served as musician and  Minister of Music, for over 33 years at the Bay Area’s prominent Palma Ceia Baptist Church, located in Hayward, CA. Over the course of twenty years,

Mr. Henderson has been the recipient of many prestigious educational, religious and community awards. He won the National Piano Competition from the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc., which was founded by the late gospel legend Reverend James Cleveland. He was also nominated by the Bay Area’s Gospel Academy Awards as the Outstanding Pianist of the Year from 1992-1996. Professor Henderson was named as the “Most Influential African American Educator” by the Intel Corporation and the City Flight News magazine, 2001. The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. awarded him the "Outstanding Community Leader Award. Professor Henderson was honored with two City Proclamations by the California cities of Pittsburg and Martinez. These honors were awarded for his continuing efforts in using Gospel Music as a tool for encouraging “communities to come together.” Both cities, named the first Saturday in May, “Gospel Celebration Day”. The Office of Congressman Pete Starks, along with Mayor Micheal Sweeney has bestowed upon Professor Henderson, “Congressional Honors” and “Certificates of Commendation”, for him bringing academic recognition of the artistic value of the gospel song through unifying African American and Latino American communities. California Assembly Members Johan Kleh, Jim Frazier, Susan Bonilla, and Senators Liz Figueroa, Ellen Corbett and Mark DeSaulnier, has presented Professor Henderson with many California Legislature Resolutions and Political Documents of  Recognitions, for his extraordinary musical achievements and his work as an educator and artist to the people of  Contra Costa. The professor was also awarded the 2004 “NAACP Educational Integrity Award”. On April 25, 2005, the University of California, at Berkeley, College of Letters and Science, presented Professor Henderson with an “Educational Commendation”, for his twenty years of highly valued service to the campus community. Registered in the “International Star Registry”, was an honor bestowed upon Professor Henderson on May 7, 2005. Professor Henderson is included in the “Who's Who Among America's Teachers”, “Cambridge Who’s Who Registry” of Executive and Professionals and the “Marquis, Whos,Who” directories. Additional he is part of the Remington’s Registry of Professionals, which only recognizes one thousand, of the most noted “Successful Executives and Professionals”, in the United States. once a decade, as part of the Library of Congress.“Professor Henderson was honored on April 29, 2006 by the 35th Academy of Gospel Music Awards” in the area of “Sacred Choral Music”. Professor Henderson, has been presented with various “Certificates of Commendations”, by Mayor Michael Sweeney and the City of Hayward, California ,for his efforts in bringing the African American and Hispanic communities together for concerts of “Unity”, using Gospel Music as the tool for unification. On July 28, 2011, AOL’s “Patch On Line” Newspaper, featured a story that “Celebrated” his many achievements. On January 12, 2012, he was presented with the “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Community Award”, from Dow Chemical located in Pittsburg, Ca. This award was given to him because of his highly successful efforts in promoting education and diversity through the usage of Gospel Music. Moreover, the Professor was the winner of the “Professor of the Year” award, for the 2012-2013 academic years; sponsored by the Los Medanos College Academic Senate.The San Francisco Chronicle honored the Professor with a featured story on August 7, 2012. Entitled, “Mr. Gospel lifted by Music, Investments”, this article was an international publication of his success and undaunting perseverance. Professor Henderson was named a "Quarterfinalist" for the International Grammy Association's, Music Educator Award, 2014. During the Fall of 2013, he appointed “Academic Senate President” for Los Medanos College. On April 26, 2014, Professor Henderson, was awarded the 2014, “Community Service Award, from the East County Branch of the NAACP. On October 21, 2014, Professor Henderson was presented with the 2014 “Art Recognition Award”, from the Contra Costa County Arts and Culture Commission. Professor Henderson’s, educational objective is to ensure an academic home for African American Music. He resides in Pleasanton, California with his wife Cecile and is the father of three daughters named Carlena, Celisse and Charde.