Marshan is an accomplished musician with 30 years of choir conducting, vocal coaching, and service/ministry experience. He moved to Seattle from California after serving for 14 years as the Associate Pastor of Worship & Music at Quail Lakes Baptist Church in Stockton, where he grew and led a 140+ member choir, praise team, orchestra, and band. He also supervised the Worship Arts staff of directors that led a children’s choir, orchestra, drama, multimedia, and dance departments.

Marshan has served as Co-Pastor and Minister of Music for Liberation United Church of Christ in Seattle, Choir Music Head for Interlocken International Summer Camp in Hillsboro, NH, and as the Associate Choir Director for the Marin City Community Choir. In addition, Marshan has led choir and ensemble tours in Kenya, South Africa, Romania, Spain, Italy, and Costa Rica.

Marshan has a dual B.A. in Vocal Music and Pastoral Counseling from University of the Pacific and an M.A. in Relationship and Pastoral Therapy from Seattle University. Marshan is an Individual, Couples and Family Therapist in private practice where he works primarily with BIPOC communities, building strategies to manage mental health diagnoses, self-empowerment, identity, and healing from racial, familial, occupational and relational trauma.

When not working, Marshan enjoys hosting dinner parties, traveling internationally, and occasionally doing nothing while lying on a beach.

Service is a way of life for cindy, who has been a hospice volunteer, crisis counselor, meal deliverer, fair-trade-store worker, funeral and wedding celebrant, and Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia.

RLCA represents a happy marriage of two of her biggest interests: music and social justice.  Musical from a young age, cindy has sung in gospel choirs; played organ, piano and handbells in churches; been a trombonist in marching and jazz bands; and is learning how to play the drums in her 50s.

As an organizational-change and DEI consultant, cindy designs and facilitates transformative experiences using skills she gained from nearly twenty years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  Her obsession is the employee experience – helping organizations and their leaders create representative, fair, and inclusive environments where people can thrive.  

cindy has also had life-changing work experiences in other sectors, including a multi-million-dollar court case in Idaho and three austral summer seasons in Antarctica. She and her husband created their family through adoption and have two amazing children.

Shelton is a passionate and accomplished singer and songwriter who has shared the stage with notable artists, including Shirley Caesar, Dorinda Clark Cole, Ernest Pugh, Kelontae Gavin, Shawn Bigby, John P. Kee, Miranda Curtis, Joshua Rogers, and many others. His journey in music began at a young age, cultivating his vocal talents through exposure to both gospel and choral music during his formative years in the church choir. In 2015, he marked his presence in the music industry with the release of his debut EP album ‘Try God,’ which features a captivating blend of soulful melodies and thought-provoking lyrics. This work, celebrated for its unique sound and powerful messages, is available on various digital platforms. In 2016, he achieved a significant milestone by winning the prestigious Dorinda Clark Cole Showcase, where he stood out among emerging talent in gospel music. This accolade catapulted him into the spotlight, earning recognition from industry elites and fans alike. Beyond music, Shelton’s dedication extends to the concept of EQUITY. He passionately believes in the unifying thread that binds all individuals on their unique journeys, and he endeavors to infuse this message into every song, touching the very soul of humanity with the symphony of our shared experience.

Mary has been a shower, karaoke, and choral choir singer since she was a child – notably competing with small groups at jazz and choral music festivals across the Pacific Northwest and performing as a lead soloist of hymnals and operas, as a trained opera singer. Mary is a Canadian immigrant to the Pacific Northwest and hails from ancestors across the British Isles, predominantly Scotland.

Resounding Love is a community Mary found after many years looking for a space to worship through gospel music, and pay proper respect to the sacredness and history of gospel music. Resounding Love has reconnected her to her spirituality through the inclusive music and supportive community of growth and connection reminiscent of her childhood church community: Eagle Harbor UCC Church on Bainbridge Island, WA.

In her day-job, Mary is a technical analyst and change specialist for software tools at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she regularly manages projects that promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the workplace. She describes herself as a daydreamer, student of life, and cat mom.

Kara is a (rare) northwest native. A social worker by training, she’s worked in primary care, family court, and with several local domestic violence nonprofit organizations. Currently Kara works as an organization development consultant helping individuals, teams, and organizations become more effective through a focus on learning and leadership development integrated with diversity, equity, and inclusion. She’s served on the boards of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Program for Early Parent Support. Kara received her BA from Smith College and MSW from the University of Washington. Kara’s a mom to two young adults and two old cats.

The Reverend Dr. Patricia L. Hunter is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, professional and has a passion for financial wellness and helping others achieve their goals by getting their financial houses in order. She is the founder and CEO of Hunter, McCoy & Associates, where she offers financial wellness coaching and workshops. Dr. Hunter is an ordained womanist Baptist preacher and has served in pastoral leadership at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Seattle and Seattle First Baptist Church.

Dr. Hunter is a board member at Hilltop House, an affordable senior housing facility in Seattle. She is also the inaugural board treasurer of Faith Matters Network, a nonprofit organization that offers womanist ministry resources, supports creative and innovative ministries, and accompanies faith leaders working in the trenches to bring about justice and healing.

Dr. Hunter is past co-chair of the Seattle Community Police Commission and a retired denominational executive with the American Baptist Churches, USA where she served for 33 years as Director of Financial Wellness Programs and Director of Women in Ministry. She received her Doctor of Ministry degree from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, MO and she is a graduate of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business.
Dr. Hunter enjoys watching the Seattle Mariners, the Seattle Kraken, gardening, playing percussion, and singing. She is married to Dr. Renee McCoy, has two energetic lab mix puppies, and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

Dr. Avery R. E. Batts is a passionate advocate for musical excellence and equitable education, joining the Resounding Love community with a strong commitment to fostering a culture of inclusivity and achievement.

His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Music from Vanderbilt University, laying the foundation for a dynamic career in music education, which includes roles in elementary music and middle school band and orchestra programs. Dr. Batts later served as the Education and Community Engagement Manager at the Nashville Symphony, where he played a pivotal role in expanding access to quality music education through partnerships with local organizations, such as the W.O. Smith School and the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.

Driven by a commitment to educational equity, Dr. Batts pursued a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision at Tennessee State University, followed by a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University. Throughout his career, he has held faculty and leadership positions across various educational levels, including notable contributions at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine and Morningside University’s School of Education. His work consistently focuses on supporting student achievement, advancing equity, and creating inclusive environments, especially for students of color, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. Dr. Batts is dedicated to closing educational gaps and improving medical outcomes by developing robust training programs for future educators and healthcare professionals and supporting those currently in the practicing.

As a musician and leader, Dr. Batts is committed to maintaining the positive and healing environment at the Resounding Love Center for the Arts. He aims to enhance the organization’s impact on the community by combining his dedication to musical excellence with his faith. Dr. Batts follows Jesus Christ and is profoundly grateful for the grace, mercy, and forgiveness found at Calvary’s cross. These values guide his commitment to serving others.

Apoorva Mallya is the Executive Director of the Hepatitis Education Project (HEP) – a nonprofit dedicated to combating viral hepatitis. In this role, he leads the organization’s work to raise awareness, drive supportive policies, educate, and deliver direct services to those at high-risk of viral hepatitis. He works closely with partners to drive towards hepatitis elimination.

Previously, Apoorva worked for 15 years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation focused on polio eradication and strengthening immunization systems. Apoorva worked with Governments and partners enhancing operations and developing innovations to overcome the last challenges and stop polio forever. 

In addition to an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, Apoorva has completed graduate certificates in epidemiology and development economics.   

In addition to joyfully singing with the RL choir, Angela Farrar Small is honored to serve as the chaplain of the choir. She provides prayer support in a way that respects the many names, images, and concepts of the Divine represented in the beautifully diverse members of RLCA. To this role, Angela brings her experience as a social worker, a mind-body medicine practitioner, former church pastor, former university choir member, and lifetime lover of African-American heritage music in all its forms. Originally from New Jersey and the daughter of a USAF officer, Angela has lived in the Seattle region since 1996. She earned her MSW at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, her Master’s in Divinity at Seattle University, and her Master’s in Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University. In her day job, Angela is a clinical social worker in private practice.

Ambrielle Coco Gurley brings her considerable musical and spiritual experience and expertise to bear as the choir’s Assistant Musical Director.   Her core values are that God is for everyone, in everyone, will use anyone, and loves everyone; and she wants to love everyone just as God does.  

Coco grew up in Tacoma, Washington.  She became a licensed and ordained minister through the Full Gospel Pentecostal Missionary Association at the tender age of 11.  At age 13, she was nominated as president of her youth choir and became director of her district’s psalmody under the leadership of President Roberta Tyson, the same year her choir performed her original arrangements of several gospel hits.  She was also appointed director of the adult mass choir by Missionary Joanne Davis and Evangelist Norris Curtis, teaching parts and writing music, which led to work with the convention choir.  

Together with her siblings, she was part of a traveling performing-arts group called El Shaddai.  She has studied music composition, music theory, dance, and singing in multiple languages, and has created and sung in multiple well-known ensembles in the Washington area.  Her compositions have been performed by groups such as Christ Chaotic, Servant of Servants (S.O.S.), Redeemed, Another Chance, Zion, and Peculiar Sound.  She was ordained as the assistant pastor of Judah’s Temple in Dallas, Texas in 2017 and as senior pastor of Judah’s Temple North Carolina in 2019.  She is currently working on a gospel musical called Church Business.  

She loves the sisterhood the alto section have created together – many singers, one voice.  As assistant musical director, she is honored to be doing what she loves with the people she loves – her chosen family.

Resounding Love is exactly what she imagines heaven looks like – a table where all are welcome to partake in the presence of the Divine and be changed for the better.  Says Coco, ‘After being displaced from multiple ministries for being transgender, my gifts were dormant – but no longer.  I found my tribe.  I’m home here and I’m so grateful for this amazing opportunity.’

Art Borders was born and raised in the Midwest and is now living in the North-West.  Art is a hardworking and accomplished professional keyboardist, producer and band director who has worked alongside many local, national and international artists over the past 15 years, spanning musical genres such as jazz, gospel, funk, contemporary, hip-hop, and more.  He started a band in 2009, The Ancient Robotz, whose music can be found on several social networks and streaming platforms.  

Art’s relationship with Resounding Love began when he was asked to sit in as a guest musician for their first fundraiser concert.  As a quiet and analytical person, he observed the choir during rehearsals and noticed that the members really listened to and cared for each other, often coming together in deep dialogue about the things that mattered to them.  He found himself drawn to the choir and, in his words, began to ‘stick around and be available’ to see what would happen next.  Now as band director overseeing musical accompaniment for the organization, he is excited to be part of the Resounding Love community as they grow and evolve.

Jada grew up in Savannah, Georgia, where ‘Music was everywhere – at church, in the house.  Everyone in the family was a musician or a vocalist.’  She got her start in the choir and was soon singing with a full band.  But as a pastor’s kid who was also bisexual and had her own ideas about artistic expression, she struggled at times with social and religious expectations, as well as familial trauma.  She would often wonder, ‘Is this a place for me too?  Can I be respected and cared for here?  What is my source of higher power?’ 

Music, Jada found, was her outlet.  Singing enabled her to express what she was going through, to sit with her reality and to process it in a healthy way.  Says Jada, ‘Music was the only medicine that ever worked for me.’

Resounding Love offers Jada a way to be close to her background and upbringing, even on the other side of the country.  She feels at home in the choir, free to be entirely herself, among like-minded people who are on their own spiritual journeys.  She says, ‘I can be just Jada.  I always had to be some form of me that others needed – now I can be who I am.’

Ivory Solomon has been singing for as long as he can remember.  He was raised, in his words, by ‘a mother with the voice of an angel and a father with rhythm and soul that can get dry bones moving.’  Having been around music in Seattle for all of his youth, it was only natural that he would end up pursuing it as both a hobby and a career.  In high school, he was cast as a paid actor with companies like Broadway Bound Children’s Theater and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, appearing in such productions as Dreamgirls, The Wiz and Fame, which pushed him to take the performing life more seriously.  

Fresh out of school, Ivory was blessed to sign a recording contract with an independent label based out of Sacramento, CA, which led to his first studio-recorded album, Unexpected. This release opened the door to many other opportunities, including the chance to travel throughout the country and to perform at festivals and venues like New York City Center, Acrisure Stadium (home of the Pittsburgh Steelers), the 2023 US Open in Los Angeles, opening for the Seattle Seahawks’ 2018-2019 season at Lumen Field, and Seattle’s famed Paramount and Moore Theaters.

In addition to pursuing some of his own musical ventures, Ivory currently manages and is the lead singer of a tribute band, The Experience, which specializes in 1990s R&B.  

Ivory is thrilled to be a part of Resounding Love as a Tenor Section Leader.  He says, ‘I’m right where I need to be:  with a group of people who really see the bigger picture.’ He is excited about the impact they can make as a collective when they lead with love.  In his words, ‘If I can somehow make love and happiness contagious – and I mean true inner happiness – I’ll feel like I’ve accomplished something big.’ 

Coming from a family of musicians, including a mother who was the choir director for her childhood church, Lisa discovered her love for music at an early age. Always at her mother’s side as a child, she was in the choir stand singing by the age of four. She extended her singing beyond the church, performing in musicals, Show Choir, Concert Choirs, and Chamber ensembles at performing arts schools from elementary school through high school. She later sang in both Concert and Vocal Jazz ensembles during her time in undergraduate school.

During the day, Lisa works as a public school educator and has done so for almost two decades. For the first 11 years of her career, she was a classroom teacher; however, she felt that she could better serve her students in a school counseling role. She returned to school and earned her certification in School Counseling and her M.A. in Counseling Psychology. She has since transitioned from the classroom to school counseling and is currently working as a middle school counselor.

While gospel music was always her first love, Lisa often found herself struggling with messages in gospel music and in the church at large that weren’t in line with her personal values and beliefs. Resounding Love Center for the Arts has given her an opportunity to reconnect with the tradition of music that is so central to her being while also bringing her full self to the space without reservation. She is honored to be a member of the Resounding Love Council of Chaplains where she can safely reengage with her love of gospel while also serving in a capacity that allows her to put her experience as a counselor to use by supporting fellow members of the Resounding Love family. 

Danielle is a devoted and compassionate Licensed clinical social worker with a wealth of experience in promoting personal growth and healing. As the founder of Unscripted Healing PLLC, she has established a therapeutic practice that empowers individuals to embrace their true selves, navigate grief, and create meaningful change in their lives.

Her dedication to service stems from a profound desire to foster community and facilitate healing for people from all backgrounds. Danielle frequently finds herself combining her therapeutic expertise with spiritual support. By blending clinical insights with spiritual care, she creates a compassionate and inclusive environment where individuals can reflect, grow, and expand their spiritual experiences.

Married with one child, Danielle enjoys traveling, attending the theater, and immersing herself in the performing arts. Music has always been an integral part of her life, having grown up singing in her church’s choir. Her love for the arts and exploration shapes both her personal and professional journey, as she continues to inspire others to lead more fulfilling and purpose-driven lives.

Danielle says, ‘As someone who is both a therapist and a music lover, I’ve found a place in Resounding Love where I am able to express myself musically AND bring healing to others through my role on the Council of Chaplains.’

Kim brings a history of connecting people and making things happen. She has served on a number of progressive non-profit boards and brings with her decades of public sector leadership. She joined Resounding Love in December 2022 and has contributed her time and talent to the Alto section and serves as our Outreach Coordinator which has helped us open doors to communities like Mary’s Place. Kim is a Washington native and lives in West Seattle. She is a people person and deeply embraces Resounding Love’s mission, especially: striving toward antiracism and doing the work to ensure that the transformation of ourselves brings about fruitful results in service of our mission to include, connect and celebrate all.

Kito’s core values – honesty, psychological safety, and love of family – come to life in his role as Resounding Love’s sergeant-at-arms.  In this critical position, he helps the choir have impactful rehearsals by maintaining order and keeping them focused on the task at hand.  He approaches this responsibility with a giant sense of humor, openness, and a firm and loving voice.  

Kito comes to Seattle by way of California and Chicago.  Now retired, he has held positions in food-service management and was at one time a semi-professional actor and singer.  His love of the arts continues to manifest as a founding member of Resounding Love’s tenor section. 

Kito is accompanied 24/7 by Keanu, an 8-year-old Standard Poodle PTSD support dog.  He calls Keanu ‘my son and my joy’ who supports him in leading a fuller and more active life.  Keanu greets his fellow choir members at every rehearsal before taking up his regular spot under the grand piano, ready to help Kito at a moment’s notice. 

March 2024 marked 35 years of Kito being clean and sober.  As a Black man living with PTSD and bipolar manic depression, he provides an important and valuable perspective to the choir as it takes its message of inclusion and hope to all kinds of audiences.  

According to Kito, ‘Resounding Love is my family – my chosen family.  It offers me a safe place to be myself.’ 

Damira is a recent college graduate with a degree in Leadership and Learning Innovation, with a focus on equity. She is currently working towards her Master’s in Education. Deeply committed to working with youth, she aims to create impactful change in their lives. 

Throughout her childhood, she performed in musical theatre at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, which sparked a lifelong passion for using music as a tool for connection, healing, and fostering understanding. Her work is driven by her belief in social-emotional learning paired with the power of the arts to inspire personal and collective growth.

Damira feels inspired by the space that Resounding Love holds for those who find themselves in a place of need, shedding light on social justice and creating a space where all voices are heard. Resounding Love has made her feel valued and welcomed while she reconnects with her faith, free from judgment. 

Corey is currently a math instructor at Everett Community College, with 18 years of experience teaching math at a variety of levels.  Corey is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where his deep passion for music and singing was nurtured at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church and where he served as choir director for 17 years.  After relocating to Washington State, he became active in presenting professional-development sessions on DEI, belonging in the workplace, racial microaggressions, and equity in STEM education, collaborating with organizations like Washington Community & Technical Colleges, Volunteers of America, and the Northwest Regional Equity Conference.  

Corey joined Resounding Love looking for an outlet to sing. What he found was a family of individuals that genuinely love, care for, and support each other. He found a space that embraces members from all racial ethnicities and the LGBTQIA+ community, a space that fights racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia, with fierce protectiveness and ‘resounding love’ for each individual member. This resounding love embodies the inclusive values that are so often missing in traditional religious spaces.

Raising her three beautiful, adopted young men with her loving wife, Jennifer, Susan’s passion for social justice is deeply personal.  Her journey to service and social justice started from an early age with the role modeling of her mother, Iris.  Growing up in Hawai’i, Susan experienced deep multiculturalism while also witnessing the disparities taking place for the indigenous people there. Earning her MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, Susan studied extensively about human liberation and the intersectionality of injustices. She has committed her life to service and as an adult has a deep commitment to racial equity.  Singing with the choir during the pandemic was a balm in a time of distance.

By day, Susan teaches math and advises the Pacific Islander club at a local high school where she practices lessons learned at Resounding Love about equity, justice and authenticity with her beautifully diverse student population. She dedicates all of her singing to the liberation of her wife (whom she married three times before it stuck legally) and her sons, Ashton, Andrew and Isaiah.