What is “Tupac Meets Bach?”
About Us
Nikoyle
Soprano, Lyricist, Composer
Da’Kneisha Nikoyle Blount grew up in the Kansas City area; she began singing gospel music in her grandparent's church. Her Mother, Ivy Bradley, recognized a gift for music in her, so she would have her singing Hymns around the house as well as at church at a very young age.
The first lady of First Baptist Church of Bethel, Sister Monica, would be the first person to introduce her to Classical singing; she fell in love with it. From there She would go to participate in concert chorus, Madrigal Singers as well as compete in solo contests throughout her high school career at J. C. Harmon High School Kansas City, Kansas.
Her love of music followed her throughout College at Emporia State and Wichita State; Dakneisha has studied in Italy, New York, and New Jersey; she has participated in College Stage Plays; Various Musicals and Operas. She has sung with The Houston Ebony Guild, an African American Opera Association where we performed negro spirituals, operas, and other classical Genres.
Da’Kneisha regularly performs as a principal voice with the American Opera Studio. Her most recent role was Lavecchia from the opera Ginni Schicchi, the studio toured Spain and Portugal performing the opera and a series of sacred music.
Da’Kneisha has served as a worship leader at various churches in the state of Kansas as well as Texas where she was singing both traditional Gospel, Contemporary Christian, and Urban Contemporary Music. She is currently serving as the Worship Leader for both the Adult and Youth Praise Teams at Grace Tabernacle Family Life Center Outreach.
Da’Kneisha has two children D’Andrea Dupree, 17 and Jarius Beard Jr., 4.
Noel
Percussionist, Arranger, Composer
Justin Noel Hall was born in Biloxi, MS, yet raised in a New Orleanian household by his military father and educator mother along with an older brother and younger sister; yes, he is THAT middle child.
Through primary school, Justin was involved in choir, band and took a couple of years of piano lessons. During middle school, his family relocated to Derby, KS from Anchorage, AK. High school introduced him to marching band, madrigals, drama, drumline and the Wichita Youth Orchestra program, where his love for large ensemble music really took off. He was already taking private lessons for percussion and stayed auditioning and getting selected for state ensembles and receiving high marks for his solos during festival season.
Justin graduated from Wichita State University with his Masters Degree in Music Performance in 2019. He’s worked as a Drumline Instructor since 2009. Justin has also been the music director at Holy Savior Catholic Church since 2014, and been singing with the Gospel Choir since 2009. Most recently, Justin has worked with the Forum Theatre as a composer and assistant music director, having received a Mary Jane Teall Award for his original music in the Forum Theatre's production of, "The Agitators;" his first professional gig writing music for theatre! In addition to his music career, Justin does professional commercial modeling and acting through The Gregory Agency (Wichita, KS) and SCE Agency (Chicago, IL).
One of Justin’s proudest accomplishments is the relationship he's built with his best friend, Da'Kneisha, over the last twelve years; both in music and in love.
Our Why
There’s a conversation going on within the classical music community that concerns itself with the lack of racial and gender diversity with personnel both on and off stage.
Although women have made significant strides as conductors, musicians and composers, we’re not seeing enough music written by Black composers played by orchestras and chamber groups.
In a system that continues to place the music of 18th-century European musicians in the forefront, we’ve chosen to compose and perform original works of art that share Black stories told from Black perspectives to relate classical music to Black audiences and foster a desire to study music amongst young black students.
This is a way for us to reach the minds of Black kids who may have never thought of picking up an instrument, perhaps a violin or piano, but because of the connection to music they listen to and the music their parents listen to, we can begin that dialogue and entertain the possibility of these students being “classical” musicians. I use classical in quotations because the aim isn’t to foster Black kids that play only traditional classical music, but also learn how to improvise, play jazz and r&b, and use the fullness of their lived experience in their playing and expression.
Through this project, we will create scholarships for young musicians to cover the cost of instruments, private lessons, college auditions, etc.
However, we need your help to do so. Join our Patreon to help fund our first live recording and music video. Together, let us inspire and cultivate the next generation of “classical” musicians.