This morning’s meeting was different, to say the least. Our Holiday Gathering has been a success in the past and this year was no exception.

We were treated to the innovative creativity of Steve DePass. Much of what Steve does is inventing the songs that he sings on the spot. They are always witty and often downright hysterical. His grasp of the English language and the creative use of rhythm and rhyme are second to no others I have ever seen.

The audience was asked to throw out what Steve called “fine how do you do’s.” Each of these comments no matter how difficult it would seem, were turned  around by Steve and delivered back to the crowd in a humorous lyric. Most of the time the audience could not see it coming, leaving the crowd surprised at the songs he weaves on the spot. The nature of humor is the ability to break through the audiences expectations and deliver something that catches the audience off guard. He succeeded magnificently.

With all of this Steve DePass is a serious man. His insights on friendship, race, and loving relations places him in a category that distinguishes from the journeyman entertainer. In a conversation that I once had with Steve I told him that I used to pay someone $150 an hour to speak to me like that. He laughed and told me that those people charge more than that now.

Steve has developed several programs that are designed to communicate the positive meanings of “Black History Month”. He will be performing these programs at colleges and corporate venues. He is very proud of this effort