How it started.
The "Music That Raised Us" show started off as a one-time event in honor of Women's Month, with the main purpose of empowering women involved in the local arts and celebrating the tremendous impact black women have made throughout Music History. By popular demand, the show has continued to be performed and is now a staple for promoting DBEI (Diversity, Belonging, Equity, and Inclusion) in the arts, bringing awareness to the adversities and obstacles black women in the music industry overcome, and creating an atmosphere centered around the power of community.
Meet the musicians.
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Karisa Wilson
Vocalist
Karisa Wilson is an award winning singer-songwriter who’s debut album “Little Girl” won the WYCE’s Album of The Year Jammie, one of Michigan’s most prestigious indie music awards. Karisa writes and performs a blend of indie folk, jazz, and blues, is a classically trained violinist, and producer and lead vocalist for the award-winning cover band, Bluewater Kings. Karisa is also a board member of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center.
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Serita Black Rose
Vocalist
A vocalist with a raucous mix of FUNK, ROCK, BLUES, NEO-SOUL, and AMERICANA. Serita sings much of the timeless “feel good music” from the 60’s and 70’s that everyone loves. Her fiery, blues- and soul-infused vocals will definitely get you moving! Her self titled EP release in 2012 won several awards including WYCE's Jammie Award for "Best Short Form Album". She has been a supporting act for Smokey and also Kansas.
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Robert Pace
Bassist
A Musical prodigy, and accomplished singer and songwriter who began playing bass and guitar at the age of six, in his hometown of Muskegon, MI.
Performing opening acts for legendary artists like; Eddie Money, Earth Wind & Fire, Kool and The Gang, Aretha Franklin, Hall & Oates, and many more.
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Avalon Cutts-Jones
Vocalist
Avalon has traveled the world as a background vocalist for both local and world-renowned artists such as Marvin Sapp, Maurice Griffin, Bill Moss, Robert Hawkins, and Debra Perry and Majestic Praise. Avalon is known for her vocal versatility performing and touring through Spain and Portugal on the “Oh Happy Day Tour” with the Alabama Gospel Choir in 2017 and being a featured vocalist for Opera Grand Rapids. She is also a recording artist, Her debut single Clap it Up can be found on all digital outlets.
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Tom Cutts
Guitarist
A gifted guitarist, songwriter and singer. His musical stylings cross over into gospel, jazz, blues, rock, and more. Cutts was a regional finalist in the 2017 Guitar Center, “Battle of the Blues” national guitar competition and has shared the stage with artists such as: Marvin Sapp, Al Green, DeBarge, Commissioned, and more. Tom is a member of local 56 of the American Federation of Musicians and appeared on various television, radio, festivals, conferences and special events throughout the United States.
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Sarena Rae
Vocalist & Founder
Sarena is a lead vocalist in the local cover band Brena, a producer and lead vocalist for the Michigan chapter of the international Musicians League "Bluewater Kings", a board member of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, the music events manager for Calvin University, and the founder of Music That Raised Us. She has been a part of West Michigan's cover of Fleetwood Mac's “The Chain”, Michigan Music Alliance’s recording of Aretha Franklin’s RESPECT in honor of Women's Month, and more.
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Debra Perry
Music Director
A Grammy nominated songwriter and arranger. She is a music educator of 26 years with Grand Rapids Public Schools. She has composed orchestrated full- scale works for the Grand Rapids Symphony and West Shore Symphony, and has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Ethel Coe Giants Award, Malinda P. Sapp award, and also the Harlem Renaissance Culture Architect Award for her service to her community through her business Joint Heir Music Studios.
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Dr. Charsie Sawyer
Vocalist & Narrator
A soprano vocalist that holds a Master and Doctorate Degree in Music from the University of Michigan. Some of her awards during her career include the Leontyne Price Vocal Arts Award, the Cultural Heritage Award, Giants Award, the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award, the Christine Witter Award from the San Francisco Opera Merola Program, and more. As a solo international performer she has toured Germany, France, Italy, West Africa, England, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and Guatemala.
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Daveonce Washington
Drummer
A multi- faceted drummer, who’s stylings include jazz, blues, funk, and Hip - Hop. Currently traveling on a National and European tour with world renowned blues guitarist and vocalist, Larry McCray.
Daveonce also plays the drums for local church and teaches at New City Kids in Grand Rapids.
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John Gist
Saxophonist
An alto, tenor, and soprano saxophonist that has recently added the EWI (Electric Wind Instrument) to his collection. John has mastered a wide variety of musical styles which include Jazz, Funk, Blues, R&B, Gospel.
He is a part of the International Musicians League and also has his own jazz group, the John Gist Quartet.
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Terrence Massey
Trumpeter
Terrence began playing the trumpet at the age of 12. He attended West Michigan University for Music Performance with an emphasis on Jazz studies.
After college, he began playing with a group “Funktion”, sharing the stage with Dumpstaphunk, Arrested Development, Sophistafunk, Digable Planets, and many more.
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Dutcher Snedecker
Pianist & Assistant Music Director
A pianist with a long history of being involved in the Michigan music scene, having numerous nominations and awards at the Grand Rapids’ WYCE Jammies alongside a jazz award from ArtPrize 2013. He played in 2017’s Downbeat Award Winning WMU Jazz Orchestra as well as the WMU Symphonic Band and with the touring Broadway production of "Wicked" at DeVos Performance Hall.
