Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship
The Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship owes its name to a remarkable mother who raised six musical children on her own following the death of her husband. Scholarships provide youth with the opportunity to take online vocal lessons.
Genet Gessert
Have you ever been to a concert and heard the MacPhail Community Youth Choir, directed by JD Steele, accompanied by Fred Steele? This group of young people sing with amazing heart and will touch your soul. You will always be entertained by the soloists that step forward. Genet Gessert is one of the incredible singers.
JD loves to tell people that he knows things are going to continue to get better because of the young people of MCYC. Once you spend time with them, you will understand what he means. In a recent interview, Genet explained how she wants to change the world and make it better. She hopes to study neuroscience so that she can understand home emotional intelligence works and to use that to change things for the better through possible work with the government.
Ah, and her voice! When Genet sings, every cell in your body listens. Her heart and her soul are infused in every note. How does this 15 year old do that? Here’s what she told me.
Music has always been a part of her life and she has spent her whole life singing. She plays the piano and guitar and composes music without being able to read music. It’s just there, in her head, all the time. When someone in class turns, a page of a book, Genet hears 10 different rhythms in that simple act. Every sound turns into music in her head. When she met JD at the very first rehearsal, she said she found the other half of her soul. She had the voice, but she needed the confidence and ability to use it onstage and that’s what she got.
Genet is a recipient of the Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship, which owes its name to the remarkable mother of the Steele family. She raised six musical children on her own following the death of her husband. This scholarship, created and funded by Be That Neighbor, provides youth with the opportunity to take vocal lessons. It started during the pandemic and JD began by giving vocal lessons online. Now he uses every venue he needs to provide vocal education to young people like Genet.
Genet told me that she resonates with Sallie Steele Birdsong and her incredible ability to keep going, no matter how many times life knocked her down. She understands the emotional piece of picking yourself up and going forward. Genet wants the word to know not to judge her by what people see. As she so wonderfully said, “Don’t stereotype me. Listen to my music and get to know me through that. I am more than you think I am.” She is all of that and more. Watch for this young woman and listen to her music. You won’t be sorry.
Naomi Hofstad
Naomi Hofstad is an incredible young woman and a recipient of the Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship, sponsored by Be That Neighbor. When Naomi talks about singing, her eyes light up, and her whole face shines with pure joy. She told me she has always been singing. When her parents first met her in Liberia, she beat out a tune with an empty water bottle. Nothing has changed. As she said, “I sing every night and every day.”
Rebecca, Naomi’s Mom, heard about JD Steele during the pandemic and got online and found him at MacPhail. Their first in-person experience with JD was on the now famous University of Minnesota parking ramp where the MacPhail Community Youth Choir was rehearsing. It was love at first note and Naomi has been an avid member of MCYC since then.
Naomi took piano lessons but found out it slowed her down. She prefers to hear music and then to figure it out. Her plans for the future include college to study singing, and then she hopes to become a performer. Naomi practices her performance skills on her church worship team and with MCYC.
When she sings, she said she feels the same as everyone else, and what a wonderful gift that is for all of us who sing. Naomi loves watching people respond while she is singing. It fills her with true joy.
Naomi is why the Sallie Steele Birdsong Scholarship exists. Music is necessary in all our our lives, and we need to make sure we help each and every young person to find that access. We are grateful for Naomi Hofstad and how she shares her joy of music with all of us. We are all stronger because of her.