By Chan Mon/reporter
South Campus will host the Vocal Arts Competition Nov. 10 to provide an opportunity for African-American singers 18 to 30 to display their talents in hopes of advancing in the nationwide contest.
The competition, which begins at 3 p.m. in the SREC Recital Hall, is sponsored by the Greater Fort Worth Area Negro Business and Professional Woman’s Club. The deadline for entering is Nov. 1.
“Competition begins on the local level,” said Gwendolyn Morrison, local event chair and a member of TCC’s board of trustees. “The first-place winner competes at the district conference, and the first-place district winner competes at the national convention.
“The Vocal Arts Competition allows students and aspiring artists the opportunity to perform their art in front of a live audience and receive ratings from professionals while further developing their presentation skills.”
Contestants will meet and mingle with professionals and community members, Morrison said, providing a forum for enhancing people skills including communication and presentation styles.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring African-American vocalists to perfect their talent and receive support to participate in a national-level competition,” she said.
The winner of the local competition will compete in the south central district competition next March in St. Louis. The district winner moves on to the national competition in August in Baltimore, where the winner will receive a $3,000 scholarship.
South Campus not only hosts this event but also gets students involved.
“We will assist and direct the traffic and make sure people get into the right building,” said Alisa Jones, event coordinator and director of continuing education services. “Student leaders and members of the African-American Student Organization will help with the competition.”
Each contestant will be rated by three judges who will give comments and suggestions to the vocalists after the competition about improving their art.
Prior winners have achieved considerable success. First-year winner Tiffany Mann is currently with an Oklahoma opera company while completing college work. Second-year winner Camille Spooner went on to win the national competition and had a leading role this past season with the Texas Christian University Opera at Bass Hall.
Last year’s winner, Major Attaway II, tied for first in the national competition this summer and recently was in a production of Rent at Theatre Arlington.
“Singing is an important tradition in African-American culture,” Morrison said, and in respect of that, each competitor will perform a traditional spiritual or a selection by an African-American composer.
Introduced in 1983 as the Leontyne Price Vocal Arts Competition, it is designed to recognize promising young African-American classical vocalists.
