Our History
The Charles A. Tindley Academy of Music was named after Dr. Charles Albert Tindley, a leader who was born into slavery in Berlin, Maryland in the 1800’s. Tindley never formally attended school and was entirely self-taught. At age 77, he was a master of both Greek and Hebrew. He was a magnificent orator, communicator, theologian, pastor, and social activist of the early twentieth century. He is considered the grandfather of modern African American gospel music. A writer of forty-seven hymns, Dr. Tindley is credited with composing the hymn in 1901, “I’ll Overcome Someday”. From this hymn that the classic civil rights hymn, “We Shall Overcome,” was adapted in 1960 at the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee.
Our Founder
In 1988, Dr. Amos C. Brown, Senior Pastor of Third Baptist Church, had the vision of creating a well-disciplined music program for the youth of the Western Addition and the San Francisco Bay Area, modeled after the successes of the Boys Choir of Harlem, New York. The Academy experienced six years of successful as an outreach ministry of Third Baptist. In 1994, the Academy was incorporated as a non-profit agency with an independent board of directors, continuing to make a tremendous impact upon the lives of the youth and their families.
Our President
In 1996, Mrs. Carol Wilder O’Gilvie assumed the Presidency of The Charles A. Tindley Academy of Music Board, being a charter member since 1994. Calling on her over 41 years of teaching experience in Texas and in California, Mrs. O’Gilvie single-handedly developed the Tindley Board of Directors and the Academy’s programs, and ensured the Tindley’s financial security. In 1998, under her leadership, the Academy was designated as a replication site for the Boys Choir of Harlem, New York. Mrs. O’Gilvie strength of purpose and leadership in the community has been recognized by the California State Assembly and the City and County of San Francisco.