Pat Kelly Is Still In The Limelight

Pat Kelly, a freshman cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, is keeping his passion for music alive as a new member of the Glee Club while staying on course in his officer training program. According to cadet music director Dr. Robert G. Newton, it is rare for a freshman cadet to pass the competitive audition for the academy's 40-member singing group and earn a spot in the even more select chorale.

Pat was born in Newport News, Va., and lived in Massachusetts and Florida before his father, U.S. Coast Guard officer Capt. William G. Kelly, brought the family to Stonington when Pat entered sixth grade.

Middle school gave Pat the opportunity to hone his vocal talents as a member of the school's select chorus. In eighth grade Pat was the only one from his school who made the cut to perform at Carnegie Hall with a group of talented student singers from other schools.

At , Pat worked his way into bigger stage roles. In his sophomore year he landed the part of Marcellus in "The Music Man" and later that year took a leading role in "A Tough Act to Follow."

Finishing his high school stage career with a bang, Pat won the leading role of Horton in "Seussical the Musical" and took the part of the narrator in the drama "Our Town."

By then, his passion for the stage and music was clearly established.

"It's a rush when the curtain first opens and you go onstage for the first time," Pat said. "I know that every Friday night before a performance, my stomach was in knots. But when you're done, it's a real sense of achievement."

Pat, who is still a big fan of the hit television show "Glee," was also inspired by the show to try to emulate its over-the-top Broadway style.

"I think it's pretty awesome. In my senior year in high school we started our own version of  'Glee' at our school and we started to do the dancing and all that.  Actually a lot of guys wanted to do it, which was very surprising. People who didn't really get involved in chorus really started to get involved."

During swab summer, the academy's boot camp, Pat had to endure a temporary musical withdrawal, which only confirmed his desire to pursue music at the academy.

"Over swab summer it was kind of painful. I hadn't sung or listened to music in six weeks so I knew when I came here I definitely wanted to get involved in music. It's definitely a big part of my life."

After passing the audition for Glee Club, Pat was chosen for the even more select academy chorale. Being a part of the smaller chorale group has taken him on the road to performances in Florida, New Hampshire, Times Square and even the Meadowlands to sing the national anthem at the start of a New York Jets game.

"To make it was a really big achievement and I'm really proud of it.  It made my academy experience a lot better because of the places we've been able to go and the things we've been able to do being in chorale I don't think I would be able to get at a normal college."