Mollie Stone Music Workshops

As the Year of South Africa draws to a close, we are delighted to welcome Mollie Stone, expert in choral music from South Africa, for a two-day residency at Queens College. Join us in one, or two, or all three of the workshops she will be leading on April 28 and April 29.

Linguistic and Musical Diversity in South Africa

Tuesday, April 28
4:45-6:30 PM
Music Building, Room 264

Using choral music, this workshop will provide an overview of linguistic diversity in South Africa, including languages using non-pulmonic consonants (“clicks”). A particular focus will be how we may use music to teach language, and how studying language gives a deeper understanding of music. The workshop is designed for faculty but all are encouraged to attend, including students. The Queens College Women’s Choir will give a short performance during the workshop.

South African Choral Music

Wednesday, April 29
12:15-1:30 PM
Music Building, Room 226

Participants will learn a selection of choral music from South Africa, including pronunciation, movement, and historical context. Come sing!

Teaching South African Choral Music: Pedagogy and Style



Wednesday, April 29
4:30-7:00 PM
Music Building, Room 214

This workshop, oriented to teachers and students in education programs​, will explore methods of teaching South African choral music and shaping musical style.

Mollie Stone is Assistant Director of Choral Activities at the University of Chicago, Director of World Music and a conductor at Chicago Children’s Choir, teacher for Village Harmony, and co-director/founder of both the Brooklyn World Music Chorus, and the Chicago World Music Chorus.

Ms. Stone holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College, a Master of Music degree in conducting from Westminster Choir College and has studied at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Stone is currently completing a doctorate in choral conducting at Northwestern University, where she is writing her dissertation on how South Africans are using choral music in the struggle against HIV.

In 2001, Stone received a grant from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation to produce a teaching DVD (Vela Vela) that helps American choral directors learn and teach black South African choral music more authentically in the oral tradition. Since then, she worked with Patty Cuyler and Chicago Children’s Choir to produce a new series of teaching DVDs on Georgian, South African and Bulgarian music as part of a series called Raising the Bar: A new multi-cultural resource book/teaching DVD series. In 2006, Stone received another generous grant from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation to return to South Africa to study how South Africans are using choral music in the struggle against HIV.

In 2011, Stone spent ten weeks touring across Europe, performing and giving workshops with the ensemble Northern Harmony in Corsica, France, Switzerland, Germany, England and Wales. Stone currently lectures and gives workshops on black South African choral music across the United States and Europe.