The University of South Carolina Upstate is a leading regional public university that transforms the lives of diverse students, their families, and communities throughout the Upstate South Carolina region.
With a commitment to cultivate an inclusive community and prioritize ethical conduct as fundamental to the core mission of student success, USC Upstate has nurtured a revolving group of talented goodwill ambassadors through the power of Gospel music.
The university’s gospel choir began as The Gordon-Collums Gospel Choir, but the school changed from USCS to USC Upstate in 2005, and the choir name changed to The USC Upstate Gospel Choir. They have become the soul of the university.
In 2013, songwriter, choir director, and educator Alphaeus Anderson took over the choir with 16 members and has grown it to over 70 members through his innovative techniques in youth empowerment. Under his direction for over ten years, the choir is preparing its debut album and releasing its first single, “Already Done.“
“Already Done is the anthem that bursts through the darkness, lighting up the future with a blaze of unbreakable faith,” Alphaeus states. “It’s the sound of victory before the battle, the assurance that the impossible is already within reach no matter the storm. To some, this song is a prophecy; to others, it’s a promise already fulfilled.”
Alphaeus Anderson is the author of Youth Magnet and No Youth No Church SOULutions and the founder of No Youth No Church, which provides coaching and training for leaders to attract and empower youth.
He founded the Pure-N-Heart choir, which now attracts over 350 students annually, and has received seven Stellar Award nominations, winning Best Youth Project of the Year in 2012 and 2019.
