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“Classical Music Filled the Air” -
Local Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists
By Barbara Tucker
Special to The Truth
On Sunday, March 26, 2017 classical music
filled the air as the Toledo Club and the Maumee Bay Club of
the National Association of Negro Business and Professional
Women’s Clubs, Inc. (NANBPWC, Inc.) joined in a partnership
to sponsor the Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists.
The program was held at the St. Paul Missionary Baptist
Church. |
Contestants, Accompanists,
Adjudicators, Members of Toledo Club and Toledo Youth Club,
Maumee Bay Club and Maumee Bay Youth Club |
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The Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging
Artists is the signature program of the NANBPWC, Inc.
established in 1982 under the leadership of Past National
President Mary E. Singletary. The purpose is to provide a
competitive arena for talented young vocal artists of
Africa-American heritage to showcase and demonstrate their
artistic abilities in classical vocal performance as well as
assist them with music scholarships. Scholarships are
awarded on the National Level as follows: $2000.00 for
first place, $1000.00 for second place, $500.00 for third
place and $300.00 for remaining contestants.
This year’s competition presented Autum
Cochran-Jordan, a soprano who is a junior studying Vocal
Performance with a minor in Entrepreneurship at Bowling
Green State University. Her voice teacher is Professor Myra
Merritt. Also competing was Taylor Hillary Boykins, who has
a master’s degree from Peabody Conservatory of John Hopkins
University. Her voice teacher is Denyce Graves-Montgomery.
Cochran-Jordan and Boykins performed
selections from a repertoire consisting of an aria from a
major opera, an oratorio cantata, a German Lied, a French
melodie and a Negro spiritual or work by an African-American
composer. Cochran-Jordan’s accompanist was Xi Li, born in
China, who is now a sophomore majoring in Piano Performance
at Bowling Green State University. Accompanying Boykins was
Stanley J. Zydek, a staff accompanist (specializing in
voice) at Oakland University.
The interlude entertainment was provided by
Tyler Mathis from the Positive Force Christian School of
Dance. Sheila Johnson, artistic director, is her instructor.
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The two contestants were adjudicated by Joan
Simonis, PhD; Patricia McCauley and Preston Wilson, who are
recognized in the Toledo area for their music expertise.
After being adjudicated and certified as qualified, the
winner will advance to the 52nd North Central
District Conference Vocal Arts Competition to be held on May
19, 2017 at the Toledo Radisson Hotel.
If successful there, she will represent the
North Central District of the NANBPWC, Inc. at the National
Convention in Fort Worth, Texas in July 2017. This year’s
winner was Taylor Hillary Boykins. The Toledo Club and the
Maumee Bay Club are proud to have her represent us.
The steering committee was composed of the
following members from the two collaborating clubs.
The Maumee Bay Club was represented by
President Linda Collins, 1st Vice President
Pattie Poston and 2nd Vice President Trevor
Black.
The Toledo Club was represented by Barbara
Tucker, chairperson; Denise Black-Poon, president; BJ
Tucker, 1st vice president; Frances Collins, PhD,
2nd vice president; Sarah Burkes and Mironda
Harris. Toledo Youth Club members Kevon Snodgras, Jada and
Jordan Collins and Carrington Kynard from the Maumee Bay
Youth Club served as escorts for the contestants,
accompanists and as program participants.
The Maumee Bay Club and the Toledo Club both
actively perform services to benefit the community under the
umbrella of the national program mandates: LETS: Leadership,
Entrepreneurship, Technology and Service that includes the
areas of Health, Education, Employment, and Economic
Development. Also mandated are Founders’ Day, Vocal Arts and
Women’s History. In addition, they now implement special
national projects: Get Ready! Stay Ready!, S.A.F.E.
Encounters, Triple the P.I.N.K.,
Heart, Think Health and
Domestic Violence on Lock Down.
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