Butler School of Music Well Represented at National NATS Conference

Faculty and students from the Butler School of Music made a strong showing at this year's National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) National Conference, showcasing the school's excellence in performance, teaching, and musical theatre.

The Butler Musical Theatre Workshop gave a featured recital during the conference, showcasing the versatility of its student performers. The program opened with "A Step Too Far" from Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, performed by Taylor Nguyen, Xavier Williams, and Bethanie Williams. Students then presented the dramatic sequence "Giants in the Sky/Your Fault/Last Midnight" from Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, featuring Presley Mathis, Isabella Thornton, Janae Johnson, Taylor Nguyen, and Xavier Williams. The recital concluded with the moving duet "What About Love?" from The Color Purple by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, performed by Janae Johnson and Bethanie Williams.

Butler School's Musical Theatre Workshop 

Assistant Professor of Voice Lily Guerrero was selected as a competitor for the prestigious Barbara Hill Moore Emerging Teaching Artist Award, recognizing promising voice educators from across the country. In addition to competing for the award, Guerrero presented and performed selections from MILAGROS, the recently released album she recorded with pianist James Maverick.

Lily Guerrero is singing in the Barbara Hill Moore Emerging Teaching Artist competition.

Butler students Sydney Becktold and Ashton McKenzie also represented the school, competing in national vocal competitions alongside some of the country's most accomplished collegiate singers.

The conference concluded with a sextet featuring Leonard Bernstein's Songfest, the 12-movement work commissioned for the United States Bicentennial. The nationally featured performance brought together singers Page Stephens, Mikhail Smigelski, Steven Brennfleck, Afsoneh Esfandiari, Lily Guerrero, and Butler student Ashton McKenzie, highlighting both faculty and student talent from the Butler School of Music on the conference's closing program.