Sing your faith. Refresh your spirit.

Retreat Leaders

Melanie DeMore

Melanie DeMore was born in the Bronx, raised in Anchorage, folks moved all five kids to San Antonio, finished school, got out of Texas, kinda got off on being the only Black folk singer in Taos, N.M, then decided to get back into the mix, took all her stuff and moved to Oakland where she’s been for the last 21 years.  Every town Melanie traveled became her teacher and an opportunity to hone her craft as a songwriter, troubadour, and an emissary of tolerance, kindness, and harmony through the sound of her golden voice.

She’s traveled the world, was a founding member of the Grammy nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, and is constantly amazed by her life. But nothing is closer to her heart than bringing people together wherever she is to experience the healing power of music. Whether she’s performing solo, leading stick pounding workshops, doing residencies with choirs all over the country or teaching Sound Awareness to sixth graders, baby boomers, or senior citizens, one thing is certain: her mission is to make sure you unlock the key to experiencing yourself in all your Glory and return home with the very same excitement and passion for living that she herself has. When she comes our way, her energy will charge the very air you breathe like a meteor shower, so get ready to rise up!

Janae Pitts-Murdock

Pastor R. Janae Pitts-Murdock, a native of Detroit, Michigan, is a lifelong learner who believes that excellence honors God, and for her, anything less is unacceptable.

Pastor Janae is a graduate of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies, Carnegie Mellon University with a Master of Science degree in Public Policy & Management, United Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree, and University of Memphis with a Master of Business
Administration.

In August 2019, Pastor Janae began her tenure as the Interim Senior Pastor at Light of the World Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, Indiana. During that period, the church experienced healing, revitalization, and renewed strength. She accomplished all of that while pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric at Christian Theological Seminary. In November 2020, Light of the World Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) elected Pastor
Janae to be their sixth Senior Pastor and first female Senior Pastor in their 154-year history.

Jennaya Robison

Dr. Jennaya Robison is a nationally recognized conductor, educator, soprano, and composer/arranger, currently serving as the Artistic Director of the National Lutheran Choir in Minneapolis, MN. She is a frequent guest conductor, clinician, and speaker at national and regional conferences. She has led All-State and honor choirs across the country and conducted workshops and festivals both in the United States and internationally in Namibia, South Africa, Germany, and Italy. 

With a distinguished career in higher education, she has served as the Raymond R. Neevel/Missouri Associate Professor and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and as an Associate Professor at Luther College. She is also the founder of Scottsdale Musical Arts, an organization dedicated to expanding access to choral music education and performance. As a soprano, Dr. Robison has performed as a soloist in concert and oratorio settings, making her Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2024. An advocate for new choral works and accessible repertoire, Dr. Robison serves as the editor of the National Lutheran Choir Series with MorningStar Music Publishers and the Jennaya Robison Series with Pavane Publishing. Her compositions and arrangements are widely performed by choirs throughout the United States and Europe. She currently serves as the Chair for Music in Worship for the American Choral Directors Association. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Arizona, a Master of Music in conducting and voice from the University of New Mexico, and a Bachelor of Arts in music (education and voice) from Luther College.

Tom Trenney

Composer, conductor, organist, preacher, and teacher Tom Trenney has been blessed to serve as Minister of Music to First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, since 2009.  In 2019, he became Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choirs at Nebraska Wesleyan University.  Tom’s choirs have been honored to perform for state, regional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and they have been award winners in the American Prize for choral ensembles.  In 2024, Tom was named Music Educator of the Year by the Nebraska Music Education Association.

Tom has been a featured performer at churches, colleges, and concert halls across the country including Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, Kansas City’s Kauffman Center, DC’s Kennedy Center, and NYC’s Carnegie Hall.  His choral compositions are published by Augsburg Fortress, Beckenhorst Press, Choristers Guild, E.C. Schirmer/Galaxy, Gentry, Morningstar, Musicspoke, Pavane, and G. Schirmer.  His piece “From Generation to Generation” won the Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition from the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians in 2023.

A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music, Tom is grateful for the inspiration of his teachers and mentors – especially Anton Armstrong, David Davidson, Craig Hella Johnson, (Mister) Fred Rogers, William Weinert, Anne Wilson and Todd Wilson.