Unless a vocal major leaves Columbus during the summer, they don’t often get a chance to sing in front of a big audience.
The vocal majors who stayed for the “Maymester” this year do have that opportunity Sunday for the Opera and Musical Theater Sampler.
Vocal professors Joseph Golden, Kimberly Cone and Dian Lawler-Johnson listened to the students as they auditioned and then chose musical numbers that suited their vocal range and experience.
Lydia Jackson, a 20-year-old sophomore from Newnan, said she’s very pleased with the program.
“They (the vocal professors) chose songs that were best for our voices,” Jackson said. “They were not too above our level or below our level.”
Gudbjorg Hilmarsdottir, a 20-year-old freshman from Iceland, is here on an international Rotary Club scholarship. She says she loves Columbus and CSU, and will return in the fall.
In fact, out of the dozen students, only two are Columbus residents, the rest are from other Georgia cities.
The reputation of the Schwob School of Music is spreading as graduates either go to graduate school or start working, and they help recruit younger students.
Byron Mayes, another 20-year-old sophomore, is from Houston, and his choral director told him to check out the Schwob School.
Hilmarsdottir said even with the scholarship, she still had to audition for the Schwob School. All vocal students have to sing in front of the vocal professor to prove they can sing, but can sight read music, and know music theory. They also have to go through an interview process.
As a result, the students say they’ve become closer because they all have the same goal of becoming better singers.
“For this program, I like the combination of musical theater and opera,” Hilmarsdottir said. “It’s uplifting music.”
“And it’s really fun,” said 19-year-old freshman Ashley Seldon, who is from Upatoi.
Because the school year is over, there isn’t the hustle and bustle of the usual semester, the students said.
“It’s peaceful,” said Brianna Gilliam, an 18-year-old freshman from Tyrone, Ga.
“It’s definitely a pleasure,” said Carrie Crawford, a 21-year-old junior from Alpharetta, Ga. “It’s so much less stressful than the rest of the year.”
Tamika Dunn, 25, a senior from Columbus, transferred here after graduating from Andrew College, the junior college in Cuthbert, where she received her associate’s degree.
The professors are also more relaxed now than during the year. They are all excited to see the students excited about the show, Lawler-Johnson said.
They also enjoy working with students they don’t know as well as the ones from their own studios.
“We get to work with other students,” Cone said. “The ones we don’t know so well. We get to see their personalities. They are so happy. That’s the best part for me.”
Two collaborative pianists, Yien Wang and Janie Lee Bullock are working with the students. “They are two of the best,” Golden said.
Another crucial part of the show are the costumes. Golden said they are working with Kimberly Garcia from the department of theater. Garcia has had to adjust costumes so the students can breathe in the costumes, especially for the operatic arias. Opera singers must be able to take deep breaths that some regular musical theater costumes will not allow.
The other students are Jessica Milner, 21, a senior from Columbus; Elizabeth Gaines, 21, a sophomore from Albany, Ga.; Cedricia Thomas, 20, a sophomore from Augusta; Phillip McIntyre, 21, a senior from Roswell, Ga.; April Jacobs, 29, a graduate student from Smiths.
