COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A&M-Central Texas students recently won big at a South Texas singing competition.

Competing against students from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas State University and more, they won in three divisions.

A&M-Central Texas students are leaving their mark on music education. For Kaiya Fowler, music is an escape.

“When I was in high school, which is the grade I want to teach, that was just kind of the way that I got through my day,” Fowler said. “And I would love to provide that for other students.” 

Her passion inspired her to pursue an undergraduate degree in music. Fowler enrolled at Temple College and has plans to complete her degree at A&M-Central Texas. The shared music program between the two institutions began in 2018.

Professor of voice Teri Johnson says they’ve experienced significant growth ever since.

“We are just blossoming and coming into our own as basically a new music department,” Johnson said. “And so the fact that this year we were able to come and do so well and represent this new program is a real verification of the hard work.”

She talked about their big win at the South Texas Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition. Fowler won first place in the Upper-Level Women’s Musical Theatre Division. Hope Ash won first place in the Junior Women’s Classical Division.

“It’s a really big deal because you’re competing against singers out of, like, all of South Texas,” Ash shared. 

David Perez-Guerra won first place in the Student Accompanist Division.

“It’s a little bit of a benchmark,” Perez-Guerra said. “It’s significant for Texas in that it is a place where we can go and listen to and experience the work of our peers.”