Donté Alexander Ford is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania an alumnus of Penn State (BA) and Southern Methodist Universities (MSM, MM, MDiv). He is Assistant Professor of Music and Associate Chaplain for Worship Arts at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. At Wheaton, Donté teaches Principles in Music and Worship Ministry, coaches Chapel Bands, oversees the music and worship arts offerings in Chapel worship, and serves as the primary faculty advisor for the Worship Arts Certificate.  

Best described as a musician, minister, and scholar, Donté’s many musical talents have afforded him the opportunity to serve as guest clinician/conductor, lead pianist, opera chorister, resident percussionist, and Minister of Music. He is a published composer with GIA Publications, Inc., and is the founder and Artistic Director of Sankofa Chorale, a multi-ethnic choral ensemble that preserves and perpetuates African American Choral music while performing that music alongside choral masterworks of the Western European choral canon. As a scholar, Donté focuses his efforts on the history and preservation of Black American concert and popular music, church hymnody, congregational song, and the history, theology, and music of African American Pentecostalism. His scholarly work includes lectures on African American choral art forms and contributions to the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology and UM Discipleship Ministries’ History of Hymns. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in Musicology at the University of Arizona with a minor in Choral Music Studies.