March Musical & April Aviation

Madison Akridge

A lot has happened in the past two months, and I thought I might fill everyone in. At the beginning of March, Seda Voca, one of the choirs I am a part of, went to Jazz Contest and received a gold rating. Our set consisted of Till There Was You by Meredith Wilson (Arranged by Kirby Shaw), Chili Con Carne by The Real Group (Music and Lyrics by Anders Edenroth), and Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima (Arranged by Anita Cracauer). I was also awarded the Outstanding Solo Award for my solo in Sing, Sing, Sing. Next, I took my final bow in my last high school musical theater production in Seussical the Musical on March 17th, 18th, and 19th. As I mentioned, I was cast as Mayzie La Bird, the manipulative, self-centered bird originally from Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hatches the Egg. I had such a blast with this incredibly diverse production. The show has so many different musical styles including Latin, pop, swing, gospel, R&B, and funk. My character sang the Latin songs, Amayzing Mayzie and Amayzing Horton, and the swing songs, How Lucky You Are (Mayzie’s Reprise) and Mayzie in Palm Beach. Finding the contrast between the two styles of music within my character was a fun challenge, especially since I didn’t have a whole lot of experience with swing or Latin coming into the first rehearsal.

On to some very exciting news…At the end of March, I accepted my offer to attend Purdue University. I have officially committed to studying Professional Flight Technology at Purdue’s Polytechnic Institute. I have also submitted my audition for Purdue Musical Organizations and am excited to move forward with both music and aviation in the fall.

Purdue Aviation Day was this past weekend, and I had the opportunity to talk with representatives from all across the aviation industry, including Piedmont, Allegiant, Jet Access, FedEx, SkyWest, MAF, and so many more. The endless opportunities are making me even more excited to start making progress toward my private.

As for the rest of the school year, I will be performing this weekend at two events: Jazz n’ Cakes with Seda Voca and Threading Lafayette with Encore. Jazz n’ Cakes is a fundraiser for our band program and it will feature my choir, the Cardinal Red Jazz Band, and Victor Lee and the Locals. We will be singing the previously mentioned contest songs and other Jazz pieces. Threading Lafayette is an event happening at our local park, Columbian Park, to collect food, clothing, hygiene products, and more for different charities around town. Encore will be performing a collection of songs from this school year, including I’m Still Standing, Once Upon A Dream, and I’ve Got the Music in Me. Encore will also be performing at State Qualifications Contest on April 28th so be on the lookout for those results in the upcoming week.