DECATUR, Ill. – congratulates students and faculty members on their success at the .
Morgan Reckamp, a Vocal Performance major through the , took first place in the Lower College Classical (treble voices) division and Croix Baker, a Musical Theatre major through the , took second place in the Lower College Musical Theatre (tenor/baritone/bass voices).
The NATS National Student Auditions is an audition-only event, extended to students from 14 regions across the United States and Canada who study with a NATS member teacher. Hundreds of participants arrived at Temple University in Philadelphia, Penn., in June to compete over a four-day period. Reckamp and Baker rose to the top of their respective categories to take first and second place among the nation's top candidates.
"Winning first place in my division was a dream come true, and something I'd been working endlessly toward since last October," said Reckamp. "I'm so excited to keep working as hard as I can to compete again this coming year!"
"When my name was called, I just gave out a huge breath of gratitude and relief. I was grateful to just make it to the finals. To place second was more than I could have asked for. It was an honor to be able to represent Millikin in such a cool way! It is also a reminder that you can achieve anything if you put your mind, body and soul into it," remarked Baker.
Reckamp and Baker were accompanied by their voice instructor, Millikin School of Music Professor, Dr. Troy Castle. Castle currently serves as the Coordinator of Vocal Studies at Millikin and is a NATS member teacher.
"It's difficult to overstate the significance of this accomplishment," he said. "I am tremendously proud of these students and their work!"
