Oglethorpe University Singers are usually seen on the Conant Performing Arts Center stage for beloved traditions like Boar’s Head or their end-of-year concerts. The Singers recently took their talent off campus to Gwinnett County high schools and Charlotte, North Carolina, showcasing the benefits of an Oglethorpe education while pursuing music.
Led by Dr. Tom FitzStephens, visiting assistant professor of Music, the Singers performed five musical pieces, including widely-known songs like “Drunken’ Sailor.” The high school performances were followed by a Q-and-A session between the University Singers and high school students and an opportunity to talk one-on-one about Oglethorpe and the college experience.
“We spread the word about the value of an Oglethorpe education to schools and communities far and wide with those best able to articulate its value—OU students,” says Dr. FitzStephens. “Most of all, the tour raises the profile of our excellent music program and lets possible future applicants know that, if they decide to go to Oglethorpe, they can still sing or play their instrument in excellent ensembles.”
As a co-curricular offering, University Singers carries a one-semester hour credit and allows students to step up as leaders on the Singers executive board. Jason Neeley ’26, a theatre major hoping to get into primary education after graduating from OU, serves as the choir manager and helped coordinate the tour.
“It has been great preparation on the path towards being an educator myself and the ways to interact with students in this less structured way,” says Neeley.
“Being able to interact and mingle with students who have a genuine interest in continuing their musical knowledge after high school means that I can get a better grasp on how to meet them where they are and help answer questions that they may not know how to fully verbalize as someone who has also been in their shoes and was unsure on what to do after graduating from high school,” says Neeley.
The music minor makes Neeley’s career aspirations possible, allowing students to study other academic areas while pursuing their passion for music. Music students can share their talent with the OU community, take it around the city, or cultivate their love for music by experiencing it themselves.
