ULM Division of Music students and faculty performed in the 2010 Southern Region National Association of Teachers of Singing Convention at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, earning several distinctions.

Clark	Nabors
Vangelisti	Bennett
Seiler

Approximately 530 students competed in the event held Nov. 10-13, with ULM entering 14 students in the preliminary student auditions. The students were selected from the studios of Dr. Mark R. Clark, Mr. Louis Nabors and Dr. Claire Vangelisti, and from the 14 entries, 11 advanced to the semi-finals where the highest rated 30-40 percent of students competed.

ULM had one finalist rated in the top 7 percent when Elizabeth Boston Bennett earned a second-place award in the Upper Division of Musical Theater. Dr. Richard Seiler, who invested much time coaching and rehearsing with the students to prepare for the conference, was ULM's collaborative pianist for all 14 student entries.

In addition, Nabors and Vangelisti were active adjudicators during the three-day convention, and Clark served as guest clinician for the entire conference. Clark also delivered a master class on Friday, Nov. 12, entitled Singer-getics, the title and the subject of his recently published book.

On Thursday, Nov. 11, Vangelisti, accompanied by Seiler, performed a movement from a song cycle by 2009 ULM Composer-in-Residency, Libby Larsen, during the Southern Region. Vangelisti and Seiler performed this piece in January 2010 at the composer's home in Minneapolis as part of a Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation grant Vangelisti received to research the work of Larsen.