G. Preston Wilson, Jr. hails from Durham, NC; born October 31, 1987 in Durham, NC to Dr. George Preston Wilson Sr. and Zenobia Hatcher-Wilson. He has two elder sisters, Kaia Clarke (Durham, NC) and Cassandra Toler (Dayton, OH).
In his youth, Dr. Wilson attended the Durham Public School System, where his love of music was cultivated. He was very active in his church and in his community. In the seventh grade, he was anointed and called to play the organ at his home church, Refiner’s Fire Community Church, where Dr. Willie L. Jones, II is the Pastor. Around his junior year he moved to the keyboards and was promoted to assistant musical director and held this position until his exit for college.
He received his Bachelors of Science in Music Education from Fisk University in Nashville, TN in 2010. During his matriculation, he was a member of the world-renown, Grammy award winning Fisk Jubilee Singers® under the direction of Dr. Paul T. Kwami. They were awarded the National Medal of the Arts, the highest artistic honor in the nation from the National Endowment for the Arts and presented by President George Bush. He was blessed to accompany the Jubilee singers to Ghana and Spain in the summer of 2007 and was featured on the recording project, Sacred Journey. He furthered his studies at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH; receiving his Masters of Music in Choral Music Education in 2012. While he was there, he was awarded the Winifred O. Stone Graduate Fellowship, being named the Presidential Graduate Scholar.
After graduation from BGSU, Dr. Wilson began teaching at various school in the Toledo Public School systems. His longest stay was at Start High School where he oversaw five ensembles, the school dance team, and an advisor for the African American Culture Club. He was also the vocal coach and co-director for the Toledo Youth Choir: a community youth ensemble; and teaching voice and piano for The Mustard Seed Academy of Arts. Dr. Wilson additionally served on the Music Ministry at Friendship Baptist Church, under the leadership of Bishop Duane C. Tisdale. There he functioned as the principal accompanist for the ministry, directs the Youth and Young choir, and worship leader for district and state Full Gospel events.
In June 0f 2021, Dr. Wilson graduated from the University of Missouri (Columbia), obtaining a PhD in Music Education. He successfully defended his dissertation entitled
Successful Urban Elementary Music Educators: A Phenomenological Investigation,
which focused on the lived experiences of urban music teachers in elementary schools. His other research interests include the interrogation of music curriculum pedagogy through a Critical Race lens and practical applications of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the contemporary classroom. During his tenure at the University of Missouri, Dr. Wilson was a Graduate Scholar of Excellence and the President of the Association of Black Graduate and Professional Students. In his final semester, he was awarded the prestigious Mizzou 18 Award, given to 18 selected graduate students for their world-class research, collaboration with faculty and staff, and their demonstrated leadership with undergraduate students.
Currently, he is a new faculty member at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ where he is the assistant professor of music education. He is also an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
