UVMC Voice Students Place in New Hampshire Singing Auditions
Sixty-seven participants sang in the competitive musical theatre divisions of the Granite State National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Auditions in November, and two students of UVMC Voice Faculty Julie Ness placed in the Upper High School level: Gabe Nelson and Elizabeth Chambers.
The Granite State chapter holds two competitions annually. Voice students prepare two or three pieces for a performance, which is evaluated by a panel of judges using a rubric. The top three ranked singers win prize money and are invited to compete in regional and national competitions.
“It’s a chance for vocal students to get feedback from experienced teachers who have extensive training in the art of teaching voice,” said Julie Ness, performer, voice instructor at UVMC, and national NATS member. “I may have been working with a student for several years, so it’s great to have a fresh set of eyes and ears on a student’s performance. It validates what we do as teachers.”
Gabe Nelson, a student of Julie Ness, placed first. A junior at Kearsarge Regional High School in North Sutton, New Hampshire, Nelson, 16, is involved in youth theater throughout the Upper Valley and Central New Hampshire as well as professional shows at The Palace Theater in Manchester. He will use his experience to help him prepare for auditions to college music theatre programs next year.
Elizabeth Chambers, also a student of Julie Ness, tied for second. Chambers, 17, a senior at Hanover High School, is currently auditioning and applying for college music theatre programs.
“An accomplishment like this is a credit first and foremost to the students’ work and their families support, but it also speaks to the impact of transformative teaching and the value of a master teacher in our community,” said UVMC Executive Director Ben Van Vliet.