Alum Silvester Henderson Honored for Gospel Music Work

EAST BAY TIMES -- Gospel music holds a revered place in the black church along with being a huge influence on rock ‘n’ roll. Music professor Silvester Henderson also sees the music as a way to encourage youths to get a college education. “I use it as an inspirational tool to attract students to enter into college,” said Henderson, who teaches a gospel choir class at Los Medanos College. “As you teach them performing arts, you can show the relationship between performing arts and calculation, which is math, and dealing with language. The majority of my students come through the gospel choir.” The 56-year-old Pleasanton resident is being honored for using gospel music to promote higher education, social justice and inclusion at the 43rd annual Academy of Gospel Music awards gala. Henderson is among five Bay Area residents being honored at the November 19 event. After earning a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Music from San Francisco State, he taught there from 1984 to 1994.