Students shine at NATS conference

By Lana Sweeten-Shults
GCU's student chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing met international opera stars Christine Brewer (left) and Stephanie Blythe (center) at the NATS conference recently in Las Vegas.

GCU News Bureau

Dr. Rachel Velarde, associate professor of music, recently took six current and recent graduates of the GCU Student National Association of Teachers of Singing Learning Community to Las Vegas for the national NATS conference.

Students volunteered for 15 hours; attended concerts, sessions and masterclasses; got to know other SNATS chapters; and met international opera stars Christine Brewer, soprano; Stephanie Blythe, mezzo-soprano; and Alton Fitzgerald White, who played the role of Mufasa in "The Lion King" on Broadway for eight years. They also met singer/songwriter Mandy Harvey of “America’s Got Talent”; Jaime Bernstein, daughter of Leonard Bernstein; Dr. Johan Sundberg, session speaker and leading international researcher on the acoustics of music and the science of the singing voice; Dr. Ian Howell, Director of Voice Pedagogy at the New England Conservatory; and Dr. Scott McCoy, author of the textbook used in GCU voice pedagogy class.

In addition to attending conference sessions, Velarde judged the high school music theater finals of the NATS National Student Auditions competition and performed on the Graphite Publishing “Publisher’s Showcase,” highlighting contemporary art song composition.

Velarde said of GCU's students, "All who met our students commented on how amazing they were and how willing to do anything asked of them."

Students met Jaime Bernstein (center), daughter of Leonard Bernstein.
Dr. Johan Sundberg (second from right), leading international researcher on the acoustics of music and the science of the singing voice, was one of the conference speakers.
Students speak with Dr. Ian Howell, Director of Voice Pedagogy at the New England Conservatory (second from left), at the convention.
The NATS convention spotlighted Dr. Scott McCoy (left), author of the textbook used in GCU's voice pedagogy class.
GCU was well represented at the convention.
GCU makes an impression at the NATS convention.

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