Staff and Volunteers

Choir Director

Jim Hubbard

Jim Hubbard began singing with the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir in 1994. Working with former director, Karen Dumont, he assisted in direction when she was unavailable. He recalls his first directing experience, filling in at a gospel workshop in Oakland, as a fabulous but terrifying experience. Since then Jim has directed numerous times. He founded an ensemble of 12 members called Vocal Point which was active in the mid 1990’s. Jim took time off from the choir to form the band Homefront and produced two CD’s with the band.

Jim’s musical background began when he was 10 years old in Scotland where he learned to play guitar and sing. Since then Jim has crafted his own music and spent many hours in the studio as a writer, performer and engineer. He characterizes himself as a “jack-of-all-trades” when it comes to music production.

Assistant Choir Director

Louis Hoiland

Louis Hoiland grew up listening to music and singing to Motown hits on the radio as well as The Beatles, Joe Cocker and Stevie Wonder. He taught himself guitar and led songs in church. He likes to perform and sing with his children, Joel and Rose. He joined the AIGC in 1996.

Singing with the past directors of AIGC helped Louis find his voice and inspired him to develop his talents as a soloist. He loves to sing music with a beautiful melody, strong harmony and soul which includes Black gospel, R&B, and jazz along with an eclectic mix of show tunes, folk, pop and rock-and-roll. When Louis discovered gospel music he felt he had come home - as if God were singing through him.

Louis has also sung with Earl Thomas and the True Gospel Singers.

Accompanist

Bob Ebenstein: The heart and soul of our Choir

Interested in all kinds of music, Bob Ebenstein loves songs and the way that words flow with music. Consequently, he likes playing with singers, jamming with others at open mic, and continues to find joy in working with community groups, especially watching young people develop their musical skills and passion for music. He says that one of his biggest thrills is accompanying a first time soloist - bringing out that person's ability to make a song their own.

Bob was raised in Princton, New Jersey where he began playing violin at the age of ten. He played in a youth theatre orchestra and credits his classical violin teacher, Helen Thompson, for instilling in him a love for music.

Bob moved to Santa Barbara as a youth where he continued his musical education. At 14 he began playing the guitar and at 16, the piano. He is mostly self-taught on those instruments. He played piano for a Santa Barbara production of West Side Story, performed on violin and viola in the local orchestra and accompanied dance classes at UC Santa Barbara.

In 1981, Bob moved to Humboldt County where he continued his classical interest with the Humboldt and Eureka Symphony Orchestras. He has been the beloved accompanist for AIGC since 1994, been the pianist for the Instantaneous Theatre for eight years in more than 40 productions and is choir director and accompanist for the First Baptist Church in Eureka.

Bob’s motto is “I never met a singer I didn’t like.”

Former Choir Directors

Jaese Lecuyer

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Jaese Lecuyer began singing with the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir in 1995. Encouraged by former director, Karen Dumont, he became a member of the tenor section, and has been one of the choir's soloists since he joined. Jaese directed the AIGC 2008-09 and also directed the teen choir during the 1997-98 season.

Barbara Culbertson

Leading the choir 2004-2008, Barbara Culbertson began singing with AIGC in 1994. She was the alto section leader and choir parts arranger for many years. Her natural talent lead her to become Assistant Director in 2001 and Director in 2004. Barbara was raised in a family of hymn singing, a cappella, four part harmonists who broke out the songbooks at every gathering. For Barbara, music is a life-long avocation.

Karen Dumont

Karen Dumont was the second AIGC choir director from 1993-2004. She has sung gospel, jazz and blues all her life and still performs in the area.

Lourin Plant

Lourin Plant was the original AIGC director in 1992-93 while he was a Professor of Music at Humboldt State University. He now teaches at Rowan State University in New Jersey.

Bristol Martin

Bristol Martin directed the Youth choir for two years and the Teen choir for 8 years and has sung with AIGC. She teaches singing and has directed choirs in churches, at schools and for plays. She retired from the Teen choir in 2007.

Kimberley Harris

Kimberley Harris directed the Teen choir during the 2007-2008 season. She started playing the piano and singing gospel and contemporary music as a youth and often sang with her younger sisters. Kimberley has been a member of the AIGC for several years. She has participated in different gospel groups with Todd Williams, Darlene McKnight and Karen Dumont.

Tosh Martin

Natasha (Tosh) Martin started singing in the AIGC Kids Choir when she was six years old. She directed the Youth choir for 4 years. She sang in school choirs and performed in drama productions. She was in several productions with the Humboldt Light Opera, and was in the Instantaneous Theatre productions, ‘Into The Woods,’ ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and ‘Urine Town.’