L to R: John Small, Rebecca Travis, Bates O’Neal, Courtney Pourciaux, Joseph Tan, McKenzie Anderson, and Josh Avant

Seven College of Charleston music and vocal performance majors have been nominated to compete in the National Student Auditions competition of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). These Cougars were among the 460 students from the Mid-Atlantic region of NATS who competed at the Regional Student Auditions held March 18-19, 2016, at the College of Charleston’s School of the Arts. The seven winning students from the College are now eligible to compete in the NATS National Student Auditions semi-finals and then possibly at the National Student Auditions competition in Chicago during NATS’s national convention in July.

The winners from the College are:

  • McKenzie Anderson of Hickory, N.C. (student of Professor David Templeton)  – 1st place, Sophomore Women
  • Rebecca Travis of Sumter, S.C. (student of Professor Kim Powell) – 2nd place, Freshmen Women
  • Bates O’Neal of Brentwood, Tenn. – 3rd place, Sophomore Men
  • Josh Avant of Walterboro, S.C. (student of Professor Deanna McBroom) – NSA winner, Senior Men
  • Joseph Tan of Spartanburg, S.C. (student of Professor McBroom) – NSA winner, Senior Men
  • Courtney Pourciaux of Goose Creek, S.C. (student of Professor McBroom) – NSA winner, Junior Women
  • John Small of Inman, S.C. (student of Professor Powell) – NSA winner, Freshmen Men.

Visit the School of the Arts for more information about majoring in music at the College.