Eastern Student Ryan Michaud of Ellington Participates in National Singing Competition

2017 Dec 19

In early November eight students from Eastern Connecticut State University participated in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Connecticut Chapter competition in Storrs. The singers are students of Emily Riggs, associate professor of music at Eastern and president of the Connecticut Chapter of NATS. The event included a day of singing and workshops that included 100 singers from Connecticut.

Ryan Michaud '19 of Ellington, a baritone, was one of the participating vocalists. Michaud's major is Music.

Singers performed and received written feedback as part of the organization's longstanding tradition. NATS student auditions have been an integral part of the association, allowing singers to receive important evaluation and teachers the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with colleagues and hear a variety of musical styles through live performance.

A singer must be a student of a current NATS member in order to participate in NATS student auditions. The singer's participation category is determined by a variety of factors including musical style, the amount of time they have studied voice, age and other factors. More than 80 NATS chapters from the organization's 14 regions hold student auditions each year.