Community Corner
West Chester University: Wells School of Music's Voice Program Represented
The Wells School of Music's Voice Program was represented at this year's National Association of Teachers of Singing conference.
July 13, 2020
The Wells School of Music’s Voice Program was well represented at this year’s National
Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) conference. NATS is a bi-annual event that
attracts voice teachers, professionals, and students from around the world to share
in educational programs, demonstrations, lectures, master classes, and competitions
that help celebrate the art of singing. This year’s conference was held virtually
from June 24 – 30, 2020.
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Three voice students were chosen as semi-finalists for the National Student Auditions,
a program of NATS that is an annual adjudication process where singers perform and
receive written feedback. Via video audition, the three vocalists from West Chester
University were selected as the top 14 in their respective categories.
The students first competed in the NATS Regional Auditions, with Kravets and Quarles
placing first and Bilik placing second. The three were then invited to submit recordings
to compete in the national round. Bilik is earning a master of music in vocal performance,
Kravets is a Senior music education major, and Quarles just completed his freshman
year as music education major. Karvets and Bilik study with associate professor of
voice, Stephen Ng, and Quarles is a student of Mary Ellen Schauber.
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Also at the conference, Stephen Ng participated in the panel discussion “The Ethics
of a Profession: Diversity and Inclusivity.” The panel discussed ways to create and
sustain access for all in the voice profession through targeted efforts to remove
barriers, promote diversity and inclusivity, and ensure a future where all voices
are valued, welcomed, and appreciated.
Ng says, “It was my huge honor to be invited as part of this important panel with
singers of all diverse backgrounds, including people of color, different culture and
believes, and the LGBTQ+ community. Through sharing personal stories and experiences
of our own in building our teaching and performance careers, lots of difficult questions
were asked and answered, and I learned so much about appreciating differences, and
about how important it is for us to work together, and to let ourselves be heard.”
For more information about NATS and the National Student Auditions, please visit:
This press release was produced by West Chester University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
