Lena McLin
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Lena Mae McLin (née Johnson; September 5, 1928) is an American former music teacher, composer, author, and
pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
. She is also known for her career as music teacher in the
Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the third-largest school district in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles. ...
system, most notably at
Kenwood Academy Kenwood Academy (also known as Kenwood Academy High School and formerly known as Kenwood High School) is a comprehensive public high school and magnet middle school located in the Hyde Park– Kenwood neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Il ...
.


Early life

McLin was born in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia. At the age of five she was sent to live with her uncle, Thomas A. Dorsey. She attended the
Pilgrim Baptist Church Pilgrim Baptist Church is a historic church located on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The landmarked building was originally constructed for a synagogue, Kehilath Anshe Ma'arav. The church is notable both as an architectural landmar ...
as a child, where she was exposed to gospel music and served as an accompanist to her uncle's choir. McLin has a bachelor's degree in music, specializing in piano and violin, from
Spelman College Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman rece ...
, and a graduate degree in music from the
American Conservatory of Music The American Conservatory of Music (ACM) was a major American school of music founded in Chicago in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931). The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It developed the Conservator ...
.


Career


Teaching

McLin taught in Chicago at Hubbard High School, Harlan High School, and
Kenwood Academy Kenwood Academy (also known as Kenwood Academy High School and formerly known as Kenwood High School) is a comprehensive public high school and magnet middle school located in the Hyde Park– Kenwood neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Il ...
. At Kenwood she taught
Mandy Patinkin Mandel Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film. He is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received three Tony Award nominations, winning ...
, Deitra Farr, and Kim English. Her other students have included
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...
, Tammy McCann, Chaka Khan,
Da Brat Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album '' Fun ...
, Mark Rucker, Robert Sims, and
Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
. She was called "the woman who launched a thousand careers" by art critic Howard Reich of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
''. R. Kelly has stated that it was McLin that convinced him to pursue a career in music over basketball, that he considers McLin his "second mother", and that she has remained an influence in his career continuously since his high-school days. With her encouragement, R. Kelly wrote his first song, about poverty in Africa. Mclin officially retired from teaching high school in the mid-1990s but continued teaching voice lessons. She taught for 36 years, all at Chicago area public schools. She has also given lectures at the
Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–1869) ...
. McLin published the book ''Pulse: A History Of Music'' in 1977. She also has a library of choral works published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company.


Music

McLin founded the McLin Ensemble in the 1950s, during which time she was serving as the public relations director of the Park District Opera Guild. She and the ensemble made their operatic debut in November 1960 at the Abraham Lincoln Center in Chicago, with a performance of ''The Cloak''. McLin and her husband Nathanael also founded the McLin Opera Company in the mid-1950s, funded with their own money. The company was named the "nation's leading small opera company" by the ''
Washington Afro-American ''The Washington Afro-American'' newspaper is the Washington, D.C., edition of '' The Afro-American Newspaper''. History The newspaper was founded in 1892 by Civil War veteran, Sgt. John H. Murphy, Sr. Murphy merged his church publication, ''T ...
'' in 1965. Under her direction the company performed on stage, as well as on radio and television networks. McLin's own opera ''Oh Freedom'' was played at Carnegie Hall in 1983. She has composed a wide range of music, including cantatas, masses, and
rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
s. Her work has built from both European classical traditions and tradition African-American music, and "works large and small that, in essence, merged European and African-American languages", according to Reich. She also fronts the gospel group Lena McLin & the McLin Singers. In all, she has composed more than 400 cantatas, masses, solo and choral arrangements of spirituals, anthems, art songs, gospel songs, rock operas, soul and pop songs, works for piano and orchestra, and electronic music arrangements, including ''Free at Last: A Portrait Of Martin Luther King Jr.'' and '' Gwendolyn Brooks: A Musical Portrait''. In 2011 a tribute to her musical career was held at the Emmanuel Baptist Church. She was an honoree of the Human Symphony's Foundation living legends award in 2007.


Religious service

In a resolution passed by the Illinois House of Representatives in 2008, the House stated that:
"Prompted by a calling from God on August 9, 1981, Lena McLin started a bible class in a small meeting room in the Conrad Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago; during the next several months, Dr. McLin fervently studied the Holy Bible and attended divinity training classes and on February 26, 1982, Dr. McLin was officially ordained as a minister; the bible classes became services as Holy Vessel Baptist Church, and Dr. McLin was the pastor and the Minister of Music; and ce established at a permanent address, Dr. McLin implemented outreach programs to help the Hyde Park community; the church began providing food, clothing, bus and train fares, temporary shelter, and Christian counseling to distressed men, women, and children; in 2008, Holy Vessel celebrated its 27th anniversary, and Dr. McLin celebrated her 26th anniversary as an ordained minister of God."


Personal life

McLin had two children, Nathanael Jr. and Beverley, with her husband Nathanael McLin. In 2008 the Illinois House of Representatives adopted a resolution "that we congratulate Reverend Doctor Lena J. McLin on this momentous occasion and wish her continued health, happiness, and music in her life" upon the occasion of her 80th birthday. She has been awarded honorary degrees by the
Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a private historically black Baptist university in Richmond, Virginia. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. History The American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS) founded the school as Rich ...
and
Spelman College Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman rece ...
. She was also a 2003 recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the Chicago Music Awards.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLin, Lena 1928 births African-American women composers 21st-century American composers American Conservatory of Music alumni American music educators American women music educators Living people Musicians from Atlanta Spelman College alumni 21st-century American women musicians 21st-century women composers