Meet Debora Wondercheck, the inspiring founder and driving force of the Arts & Learning Conservatory and its annual Juneteenth celebration Gospel Voices of OC. Inspired by her mother’s dedication to arts education, Debora’s journey is a testament to resilience and love.

She launched Gospel Voices of OC in 2022 to celebrate African American artistry and the church’s role in fostering hope for the African American community from enslavement to present day. This year’s theme, “Sacred Sounds, Soulful Queens,” honors the incredible African American women who have shaped music and inspired generations. All proceeds support children of the Arts & Learning Conservatory, who are the future within the arts.

In this exclusive interview with Life Is Good OC, Debora opens up about her inspiration, the challenges she’s overcome, and the remarkable women being celebrated while also sharing her mother’s legacy that drives her mission to make the arts accessible to all kids in order to ensure they have the opportunities to thrive.

Who or what inspired you to create the Arts & Learning Conservatory?

The amazing trailblazer that inspired my story with Arts & Learning Conservatory (ALC), is my mother, Lola King. I’m involved with the arts in any way, shape, or form because of my mom.

She grew up during the Jim Crow era. In 1945, she was already 10 years old and going to a school that was all white, which she was only going to because her dad was a home builder in the area. While there, they were giving out different instruments to learn about them, but she was denied the opportunity to join in. It hurt her deeply, but instead of being bitter, she made it her mission to ensure one day all of her own kids would be involved in arts programs.

Married and seven kids later, we’re all involved in music, which she made a part of our lives because that was denied to her. She believed that no child should ever be denied the right of any opportunity to expand who they are, especially within the area of the arts.

My 3 eldest siblings got a full-ride scholarship to school for music. Afterward, my mother divorced my father due to domestic violence, and this idea that music could open the opportunity for the rest of us to go to school and have it paid for became so important. So when we left, I left with the suitcase in my hand and cello on my back, literally. For us, music wasn’t just a fun thing to do. It was a lifeline.

Music is healing. It’s help. And it’s also an outlet of expression of who you are. It was because she was my arts advocate and the advocate for all my other siblings that I created the Arts & Learning Conservatory. I wanted to bring that to other kids and make a difference for them. This is our 20th anniversary, and we’ve impacted over 30,000 kids with our programs. I keep pinching myself.

This year’s Gospel Voices of OC theme, “Sacred Sounds, Soulful Queens,” honors women who have shaped artistic history. Can you share more about the significance of this theme and its importance to you and the community?

The theme “Sacred Sounds, Soulful Queens” is a tribute to the extraordinary African American women who have left indelible marks on spirituals, gospel music, jazz, rock and roll, and beyond. These women, through their talent and perseverance, have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations, which is significant as it highlights the often-underappreciated contributions of female artists in the spaces of: dance, voice, and instrumental music.

For our community, it is a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and creativity of women, especially recognizing the extreme barriers and challenges African American women have had to overcome. Celebrating these trailblazers not only honors their legacy but also inspires and empowers the next generation of artists and leaders.

How have women historically influenced gospel music, and how is this reflected in this year’s Gospel Voices of OC production?

Women have been the lifeblood of gospel music, from the soul-stirring spirituals sung by enslaved women to the pioneering gospel queens like Mahalia Jackson, Clara Ward, and contemporary icons like Yolanda Adams. Their voices have conveyed deep emotion, hope, and resilience, shaping the genre’s sound and cultural significance.

This year’s Gospel Voices of OC production reflects this rich heritage by featuring performances that highlight the contributions of phenomenal women. We have curated a program that includes spiritual to contemporary pieces, showcasing the evolving yet enduring influence of women in the arts including dance and instrumental music.

You highlighted some of the amazing trailblazing women who are being featured in this year’s production. Who among those women inspire you the most personally?

All of them do, but the person who really spoke to me was Katherine Dunham. She was a dancer who influenced Alvin Ailey, Eartha Kitt—just like a bunch of powerhouses. She was from the 30s and got her PhD from the University of Chicago, which to have done so back then was amazing. She created anthropological dance movement by studying the anthropology of African-Americans and dance and music.

To hear about how she tied in social societal change through dance—it’s just a whole different concept. You can see that through music, but the way she did that through dance… I was blown away because her mind was just so far above everyone else’s to do that and to actually make change.

She actually broke down segregated dance facilities. She would go perform on some stage where it would be all white attendees, mainly in the South. She would tell them, ‘I’m not going to dance for you until you desegregate. Until you allow blacks and whites to be in the same room, I’m not going to come.’ And then they would allow both blacks and whites to come because she said so!

What are your long-term goals for Gospel Voices of OC and the Arts & Learning Conservatory, and how do you plan to expand or enhance your programs in the future?

For the long term, we’re trying to bridge the Orange County community and see the excellence of African Americans from an artistic perspective. But we also want to expand it outside of Orange County. Our storyline is really American history, so this is something that could be performed anywhere in the United States or even internationally to share with people about the amazing trailblazers in the United States that have made a difference to our sound, our music, and our dance culture. It has every to do with African American culture at the core.

How can people in OC get involved with the Arts & Learning Conservatory or support your mission?

Come join us for Gospel Voices of OC! We want everyone to come together, hear these amazing stories, be influenced by them and feel like they’re making an impact and are being enlightened just by listening. But in the end, it’s all about the lives of these kids that we’re impacting. Our events are for the community, but they’re on behalf of the children in the Conservatory.

We live, eat, and breathe our mission of making sure children have access to the arts who wouldn’t normally. Any way people can support our mission, whether through donating, attending our events, or sponsoring or underwriting events is so appreciated. All the proceeds from our productions go directly back to supporting the children of the Arts & Learning Conservatory.

We would also love for people to spread the word about the programs we’re offering. We’re in about 40 schools right now bringing musical theater, instrumental music, drumming, and some STEAM classes. We have a grand opening of a new performance space that seats 200 people this fall in Costa Mesa on August 24, and we would love to have families and businesses come out to support this amazing launch!

We’d also love people to get even more involved. They can adopt a school, music program, or theater. We have a board of directors, and we’d love more people to consider being an advisor or being on our board to help direct how many more families and school districts we can impact in the future.

To learn more about the Arts & Learning Conservatory or to get involved, visit www.artsandlearning.org.

The 2024 Gospel Voices of OC will be held June 8 at 7 P.M. To purchase tickets, visit www.muscocenter.org.