Alcorn students win regional voice competition
Alcorn State University’s voice studio students stood out in their latest voice competition.
Four students competed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Regional Voice Competition Thursday, Nov. 10 through Saturday, Nov. 12 at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Junior O’Neil Jones, junior Danielle Watson, sophomore Erika Wheeler and sophomore Sonya Faulknor participated and advanced to the semi-final round. This year was the first time that all representatives from Alcorn advanced to the semi-final round.
Danielle and O’Neil placed first and fourth place in the Younger Student Adult Men and Women category. With their wins, they automatically qualify to compete at the national level of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Voice Competition in July 2017.
The first place award for Danielle proves that the sky’s the limit for her vocal potential. She felt proud to represent the University and her vocal coach, Dr. Byron Johnson, assistant professor of music in the Department of Fine Arts.
“The competition was not only a competition for me, but an experience,” said Daniel “Placing first in my category has shown me how much I have progressed in my vocal training. The journey has been a successful one. I am elated and grateful for the opportunity to represent my school and vocal coach at the highest level.”
This year’s competition marks the third consecutive year that O’Neil has snagged one of the grand prizes. Although he scored big at the competition, he reveled in the success of his teammates.
“I am very pleased to have placed in the finals for a third year,” said O’Neil. “I was more pleased to see that Alcorn had won first place in the category. It stands as a reminder to me of the success that comes as a result of hard work, dedication and the expert guidance of our teacher.”
