Allen McClain

Allen McClain
College Park, GA
Grant amount: $15,000

About the Artist

Philadelphia native, Immanuel, is the leader of The Immanuel Experience Ensemble. He studied the flute at Settlement Music School with Ms.Hemmingway, the cousin to the author Earnest Hemmingway. His love of instruments continued to expand as he fell in love with the saxophone and began taking sax lessons with renowned saxophonist Howard Lecheck El. Immanuel attended Colmbs College of Music, as a performance major, where he studied music theory, harmony, composition, counterpoint, piano, and orchestra. He moved to Atlanta and his career really took off. He recorded with a group called, S.O.L.A.R.. Their album, “Faith for my Mind,”. After S.O.L.A.R. disbanded, Immanuel and the bass player formed two groups and performed at different festivals in the Southeast. The Immanuel Experience Ensemble recorded the album, “The Immanuel Experience Ensemble,” live. Immanuel won a Gospel Choice Music Award in 2019 and in 2020, he won a $4,000.00 Grant from the Fulton County Arts &Culture Board of Commissioners for his ""Walking With The Wind"" project.

ChéButta is an Atlanta-based Lyric Coloratura Soprano. She has shared the stage with many gifted artists and instrumentalists, from Larnelle Harris to Natalie Ragins! In 2014 and 2020, she performed and recorded with Atlanta’s Black Nativity Stage Play, an African American telling the Christmas Nativity story. This year she released a new EP with her original music available on all digital platforms! Though you will sometimes catch her singing Jazz, Classical, Bossa Nova, and the blues, she is a Jesus-loving Gospel Christian artist with the effortlessly smooth voice of an angel.

Alivia Carter - Bass Alivia began playing the Double Bass at the age of 11. The Atlanta Music Project nurtured and guided her along her musical journey and eventually sent her to the prestigious Clayton State University as a Music Minor. She has performed with the Clayton State University Symphony Orchestra on many occasions on the stage of Spivey Hall.

Herbert Bland - Drummer- Born in Bronx, New York, he was called to be a musician early in life. He became interested in drums around 14 years old in the cradle of 1960's music, where the enticing rhythms of Motown, R&B, Blues, Jazz, Latin, and Broadway musicals surrounded him at every turn. Herbert was able to play with various bands in high school and even established a band with some of my friends. He started taking lessons at the Atlanta Institute of Music with renowned Pop and Rhythm and Blues drummers Tom Knight and Craig Harber. Most recently, he participated in the Sam Ash Best in Drums Competition in July 2011. His goal is to continue my musical journey through education, exposure, and experience in drumming by serving my Lord Jesus Christ and by using my talent to glorify His name.

Al Price - Pianist- I play bass guitar, drums, and piano; my main instrument is the piano. I’ve played for artists such as Cherelle, the Chi-Lites, and Basic Black, but now, since I’ve given myself to the lord, I have been a minister of music to two churches in Atlanta, GA.

This band has never toured together before, just separately throughout our careers.