Kenneth Anderson (born January 6, 1958) is a musician and
choir director
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
of the
gospel music
Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...
tradition. Anderson currently serves as director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Choir San Diego, the
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Insti ...
Gospel Choir, and the Grossmont College Gospel Choir. Anderson is also on the voice faculty of Grossmont College in
El Cajon, California
El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the va ...
as well as UC San Diego in
La Jolla, California
La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781.
La Jolla is surrounded on ...
. He also serves as an associate pastor and choir director of Grace San Diego in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego.Bonnie Wright, (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/22/the-music-man/) San Diego Union Tribune (SignonSanDiego.com), 2009.
Early life
Born in
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, Anderson moved to San Diego with his mother shortly thereafter. He started playing piano at church by the age of 6, with formal lessons beginning at age 11 with Joseph Taylor. At the age of 16, he became the choir director of Mount Olive
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly Bl ...
in San Diego. Aside from gospel music, Anderson was heavily influenced and inspired by classical music at an early age. Anderson attended Patrick Henry High School and was a member of the
honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the National Honor Society of the Boy Sc ...
until graduation in 1976. Anderson graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor's in electronics engineering.
Choir directing
Ken Anderson taught choir at Curie Elementary School for 22 years. He also taught at Olivewood Elementary in National City, CA.
In 1989 Anderson became the director of the University of California San Diego Gospel Choir. Taught as a class, the enrollment at one time reached 1,600 people. The enrollment now caps at 800 with an average around 600 per semester. In October 2010, Anderson was one of 8 teachers honored in the UC San Diego Teaching Awards.
In 1996 Anderson became the director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Choir San Diego, a non-profit organization that raises money for seniors in high school pursuing higher education specifically in the visual and performing arts. As of 2008, the choir has raised over $100,000 in educational grants towards 54 different students. The choir has performed throughout San Diego County, the western United States, and Europe, and has been invited to
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
in New York City on multiple occasions.
In 2006, Anderson was approached by the Grossmont College Music Department to start a gospel choir. Currently, the choir is in the process of recording a studio album of popular gospel traditions. Under Anderson's direction, the choir has also been invited to Carnegie Hall.
Voice teacher and solo vocalist
Classically trained by Eileen Moss since his early 20s, Anderson has been an active solo performer in San Diego in gospel and classical genres. His roles have included 'Joe the Loiterer' in the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus production of the opera "
The Mother of Us All
''The Mother of Us All'' is a two-act opera composed by Virgil Thomson to a libretto by Gertrude Stein. Thomson and Stein met in 1945 to begin the writing process, almost twenty years after their first collaborative project, the opera ''Four Sain ...
", and 'Judas' in "
Jesus Christ Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
". In 2009 he played the role of 'The Celebrant' in Bernstein's Mass. He was also cast in
San Diego Opera The San Diego Opera Association (SDO) is a professional opera company located in the city of San Diego, California. It incorporated in 1965, presenting operas under the name of the San Diego Opera.Aida.
Anderson teaches class voice at Grossmont College along with his private voice students from throughout
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...
.
Other Notes
Anderson has raised ten
foster children
Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state- certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family me ...