Erin Nicole Neal on Sunday, January 8, 2023, at 10 am pm at the Berea United Methodist Church 170 Seminary St, Berea, OH 44017. In a program titled Traditional and Contemporary Gospel Music, Erin will discuss the history of gospel music, its development and its influence on culture and its importance in such movements such as the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s. She also will discuss gospel music’s influence on contemporary secular music as well as on popular singers including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Sam Cooke, Al Green and many more. Erin also will explore gospel singers and songwriters such as Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland, The Soul Stirrers and Shirley Caesar.