Red Hawk music students receive top marks at state NATS competition

Nine Red Hawk music students participating virtually in the competition with all nine scoring more than 90 percent and advancing to the five-state regional NATS competition.

11/30/2020

CVCC News

Catawba Valley Community College music students recently received high marks during their appearance at the annual North Carolina State National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) contest.

Nine Red Hawk music students participating virtually in the competition with all nine scoring more than 90 percent and advancing to the five-state regional NATS competition.

“This is a huge accomplishment,” said Caroline Simyon, Director of Music at CVCC. “Only a few community colleges participate in this competition. Our students competed with students from the top universities in North Carolina and had amazing results. Our National Association of Teachers of Singing voice competition was a bit more challenging this fall due to COVID. Our students met the challenge and surpassed all expectations.”

Cristina PereiraOf the nine CVCC music students who advanced, four of them scored a 96 or higher during the competition, including Ishmeal Parsons and Cristina Pereira, who both received first place in the state in their respective signing categories.

Pereira thanked her instructors — Simyon and Freda Herrell — for helping her to earn this musical achievement.

“I am a nursing student who can not live without music,” Pereira said. “I have been singing almost all my life. I am so honored to place in NATS, and I am always looking forward to singing.”

Ishmeal ParsonsParsons received scores of 99 and 98 in his respective music category, earning his second appearance on the regional NATS level.

“Music is how I grow as a person mentally and emotionally,” Parsons said. “I have grown in confidence because of music. It has given me things to work towards and dreams that I would like to fulfill. Music has given me friendships that will last a lifetime. There’s nothing like singing a song and connecting with the emotion, telling the storytelling and getting the tone just right. It’s a little piece of human-made magic.”

Patrick YangFellow CVCC music students Caroline Hendren and Patrick Yang also received extremely high scores and were both named state runner-ups in their respective singing categories.

“Music is my passion,” Yang said. “I feel like all of my problems are gone when I am singing. It has helped me become who I am today. I am excited to be qualified to advance to the next level. I just want to make the best of it.”

Hendren is thankful for the chance to showcase her music talents on the state and now regional levels.

“I am so grateful for the help and support of the CVCC Music Department,” Hendren said. “To be competing on Caroline Hendrenthis level is an opportunity I never thought I’d have. I am so excited to be doing something I truly love. Congratulations to everyone who has advanced.”

Six more CVCC music students — Madison Saunders, Bethany Spears, Emma Norris, Allison Furr and Tamara Kuykendall — recorded scores in the 90s.

“These are incredible scores and are not giving lightly,” Simyon said. “I am so proud of all of our students who have worked especially hard this semester to achieve such high praise and scores from the judges who are professors at the major universities in North Carolina.”

Kuykendall, Spears and Norris are all taught by CVCC voice instructor David Clark.

"I am beyond proud of the hard work and dedication our students have shown in their preparation for North Carolina NATS this Fall,” Clark said. “Each of them has shown resolve during a difficult semester and their outstanding results at NATS reflect their commitment to excellence."

All nine students now prepare for the five-state regional NATS competition, which takes place in the third week of April and involves college and university music students from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

For more information about the music program and the Associate in Fine Arts in Music degree at CVCC, please contact Simyon at csimyon@cvcc.edu.

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