Gospel Music Workshop of America is an international music convention founded by Rev. James Cleveland

James Cleveland

The Reverend Dr. James Cleveland was a gospel singer, arranger, composer and, most significantly, the driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound, bringing the stylistic daring of hard gospel and jazz and pop music influences to arrangements for mass choirs...

 along with Albertina Walker

Albertina Walker

-Early years:Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camille Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and her father in Bibb County, Georgia. They moved to Chicago between 1917-1920 where they lived out their lives. Albertina had four siblings born in Bibb County...

 (Queen of Gospel Music) in 1967

1967 in music

The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...

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GMWA membership

Rt. Rev. Dr. Albert L. Jamison Sr., Chair, Board of Directors Dr. Al "The Bishop">Hobbs, Executive Vice Chair Dr. Charles E. Davis, Secretary Ms. Shirley M.K. Birkley, Treasurer Bro. Steven Roberts Rev. Isadore Jackson Dr. William Simms, Vice Chair, Administration Dr. Charles Fold, Vice Chair, Chapter Representatives (deceased) Rev. Isaac Whittman, Vice Chair, Men's Department Dr. Charles Reese, Dean, Academic Department Mr. James Ford, Mass Choir Fashion Show Attorney Ron Magnus, General Counsel Ms. Rodena Preston-Williams, Vice Chair, Mass Choir Mrs. Helen J. Stephens, Mass Choir Rev. Lawrence London, Vice Chair, Evangelism Ms. Merdean Fielding Gates, Vice Chair, Debutantes Bishop Richard "Mr. Clean" White, Co-Chair, Men's Department Bishop Sam Williams, Religious Announcers Rev. Eddie Templeton, Member Rev. Floyd Miles, Co-Chair Finance / Transportation Mr. Bill White, Member Mr. E. Larry McDuffie, Religious Announcer Ms. Annette May-Thomas, Member Ms. Cora Martin-Moore, Member Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer, Member Dr. Melvin Von Wade, Sr., Member Mr. Mark Smith, Convention Manager

Active GMWA Membership ranges from professional and amateur Gospel vocalists to instrumentalists, composers, arrangers, directors and producers, and the like. According to its official website, approximately 75% of the music on Billboard's Gospel Charts is written, arranged, produced, or performed by GMWA members. The GMWA also has chapters in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

, Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, and Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

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GMWA conventions and recordings

The GMWA presently meets twice a year. A board meeting is held in the spring and the annual convention session is held at a major venue beginning on the second Sunday of August. The conventions include workshops and musical performances during the week and attract 12,000 to 15,000 registrants annually. A mass choir of 2,000 to 3,000 vocalists is formed at each GMWA convention, and each year a new recording is produced. GMWA offshoots who also record include GMWA Women of Worship, GMWA Men of Promise, and the GMWA Youth Mass Choir.

{hidden begin|title=Past GMWA Convention locations|bodyalign=left|titlebackground=#D2B48C|bodybackground=#fffefd|titlestyle=padding-center: 0.5em;}}Annual Session Locations included: 2011 - Tampa, Florida 2010 - Cincinnati, Ohio 2009 - Cincinnati, Ohio (July) 2008 - Nashville, Tennessee 2007 - Orlando, Florida 2006 - Dallas, Texas 2005 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2004 - Kansas City, Missouri 2003 - Tampa, Florida 2002 - Detroit, Michigan 2001 - Minneapolis, Minnesota 2000 - New Orleans, Louisiana 1999 - New Orleans, Louisiana 1998 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1997 - Cincinnati, Ohio 1996 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1995 - Los Angeles, California 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia 1993 - Indianapolis, Indiana 1992 - Chicago, Illinois 1991 - Salt Lake City, Utah 1990 - Washington, D.C. 1989 - New Orleans, Louisiana 1988 - St. Louis, Missouri 1987 - Detroit, Michigan 1986 - Miami, Florida 1985 - New York City, New York 1984 - Atlanta, Georgia 1983 - Cincinnati, Ohio 1982 - Houston, Texas 1981 - Los Angeles, California 1980 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1979 - New Orleans, Louisiana 1978 - Washington, D.C. 1977 - Detroit, Michigan 1976 - Kansas City, Missouri 1975 - New York City, New York 1974 - Cleveland, Ohio 1973 - Chicago, Illinois 1972 - Los Angeles, California 1971 - Dallas, Texas 1970 - St. Louis, Missouri 1969 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1968 - Detroit, Michigan

The first GMWA convention was held in Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...

 in 1968 at King Solomon Baptist Church. Approximately 3,000 delegates attended. The most recent GMWA convention was held in Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

 in 2008 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Approximately 12,000 delegates attended. In 2009 the Board Meeting will be held in Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...

 and the Annual Session will be held in the month of July in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

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External links

• GMWA Official Site