Kudos to PSU music, theatre, and dance programs! Lindsey Brunelle ’23, Kyle Sidders ’23, and Thomas “Teddy” Wilkin ’24 earned top awards this spring in their categories at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Boston Chapter and New England Region Student Auditions.

Students must do a great deal of extra work to prepare for the auditions and in return receive valuable feedback from competition adjudicators, who are all voice teachers and very knowledgeable about their craft.

“It is a really big deal, and we are all so proud of their hard work and of their vocal instructor, Brendan Buckley,” says Program Coordinator for Music Education Harmony Markey.

Music program faculty Zi Liang, collaborative pianist, and Adam Mayon, coordinator of piano and collaborative piano, both spent many hours rehearsing and preparing students for the competition, and the students’ achievements shine a bright spotlight on the University’s music program overall, notes Buckley. “What is really important about this process is how collaborative it is for everybody involved,” he says. “The trust that we have in each other allows our students to make this kind of progress.”

Brunelle and Sidders both earned first place in their respective categories, and Wilkin placed second in his. In addition, Sidders has qualified to go on to the national competition in Chicago, to be held in July.