As Black History Month draws to a close, I thought I would take a look into the history of American African spirituals. But instead of plowing through history books to find stories of people who had died long ago, I discovered the purpose of the music — to uplift and give hope — is just as alive today as it ever was.
The spirituals sung by the slaves morphed into gospel music of the 1930s. And the power of those choirs is still saving lives, at least according to Mikel Mays.
Mays, 22, is president of Mays Music Centre of Excellence, which opened in Naperville in 2020. He believes it’ not just the music, but the relationship between the choir members that brings people together.
Born in Gary, Indiana, he was playing drums and singing in his church by the time he was 5. A series of personal issues destroyed his childhood, but he found salvation, he said, when he took over the Voices of Praise gospel choir in 2018 when he was a freshman at Naperville’s North Central College.
“The choir happened at a pivotal time in my life; it was a dark time,” Mays said. “I had a lot of personal family problems. In fact, I attempted to commit suicide.
“My parents were going through a divorce, we moved, and I had to start all over again as a senior in high school. I was getting ready for college and realized I couldn’t really afford it. I moved from Merrillville, Indiana, to Naperville when I was 17. It was just so much. As a kid, everything was amplified so I didn’t know what to do.”
It was the members of the Voices of Praise choir who gave him hope, he said.
“Being a part of that community kept me going,” he said. “The mental health factor is important for me. Gospel music started out as songs sung by slaves hoping to be free. That message still rings true today. It sends a powerful message of hope, that everything will be alright if you wait a little while.”
That certainly seems to be a prophecy that’s working out for Mays. While at North Central, he won $2,500 in the Changemaker Challenge pitch competition, the school’s version of “Shark Tank.”
“I’m a big person of faith, otherwise I don’t know how we would have made it through the pandemic,” Mays said. “I was going to start my business in 2025 and really wanted to start out as an employee, but I won $2,500. That enabled me to start the organization. I believe God helped me personally to get through.”
Mays Music Centre of Excellence strives to provide diverse music opportunities at an affordable price.
“We are both diverse in cost and in genre. We teach hip hop as well as gospel, for example,” he said. “Being a musician is expensive so we set up as a 501c3 so we could accept (charitable) donations and apply for grants to subsidize the costs. We’re also providing career opportunities for teachers. We raise money with an R-and-B group called Harmony and Soul. The money goes to supporting operations and subsidizing costs.”
Their ensemble, Divine Sound, is not your typical church gospel choir.
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“Our choir is diverse; white, black, Hispanic and Asian,” he said. “The youngest is in high school, the oldest in their 70s. It’s a true community choir. I feel sometimes society boxes us into black or white, but it’s also experience and background; new and experienced; old, young, black, white and brown. There’s also mix of instruments played by people who have never played alongside experienced musicians.”
Mays believes there’s a spiritual connection between the members of his choir.
“They try to support one another,” he said. “A couple of weeks ago after one of our rehearsals one of the members asked for help. They were just people talking, nothing to do with the gospel choir but because we have built an intimate atmosphere, we build and share feedback. We host those environments. More than just singing notes on the page but the interpretation. How does the music make you feel?”
If you’d like to hear Divine Voices, they’ll be performing at the Center Stage Theater in Naperville on April 15. You can expect an interactive experience because Mays likes to foster an environment where anyone can participate if they want.
“We use a mix of modern, semi-modern and traditional gospel music,” he said. “In Naperville we have some diversity, but we are growing. We encourage audience participation. We ask the audience to sing along so it’s interactive, so everybody feels welcome. Anyone can come, whatever your belief.”
For tickets or more information on classes visit www.maysmusic.org.
Hilary Decent is a freelance journalist who moved to Naperville from England in 2007.