Studio Recital 2020

Santa Fe from Newsies. 

By Alan Menken

or

Moving Too Fast from The Last 5 Years

by Jason Robert Brown

Matías Hernandez is a a sophomore from Westminster who has  been studying with Erin for a little more than two years. Last year he won first place at Southeastern Region NATS in the Lower High School MT Division. This year he got 2nd place in PACA’s Lower High School MT Category. When he first started working with Erin she told him  he might have nodes. It turns out she was right! Thanks to her, he started going to voice therapy and was able to get a clean bill of health within a year!. She was also instrumental in helping him slowly change his technique and finally have healthy vocal folds. Matías would also like to thank his parents and his Chorus/Drama teachers that have helped him along his journey.

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No One Else from Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of  1812. 

By Dave Malloy

Moira Poh is a rising junior, and has been studying with Erin for the past two years. Moira was most recently almost seen as Carrie in Carrie the Musical and garnered a Shuler Nomination last year for playing Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family. Moira discovered her love for theatre after moving back to America from Malaysia and she hopes to use her multi-cultural background to continue bringing diverse and unique voices to the stage. She would like to thank her family, friends, and of course her dog for their support and love. She would also like to give a word of advice to anyone considering giving themselves a drastic haircut in quarantine: Don't be like Moira - use actual scissors intended for hair. 

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The Singer, an anaccompanied song

by Michael Head

or 

O del mio dolce ardor by Christoph Willibald Gluck

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Piper Bjerke is 15 and has been studying music with Erin Shepherd Murray for five years. She is interested in all music genres, specifically Musical Theatre and Classical, which are her main points of study and development. Recently, Piper has placed 3rd in SERNATS for classical, and will be moving on toward nationals. She also placed 1st in the PACA Compete for a Cause competition for lower high school general entry, and 2nd for lower high school classical. Piper is infinitely grateful to Erin Shepherd Murray for her constant support and guidance, as well as her mom and dad, who have always been loving and encouraging figures in her life. 

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Ring of Keys from Fun Home . 

By Jeanine Tesori

OR

Daryl is a Boy

By Michael Mitnick

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Camila Hernandez is in the 7th grade and has been studying with Erin for 2 years. Camila loves being on stage and has recently been seen as Banzi  in The Lion King, Nancy in Oliver, and an Oompa Loompa in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Camila loves dogs and baking with her friends. She is thankful for her parents for supporting her throughout her musical journey from a young age. She also would like to thank Erin for being the best teacher and a great friend to rant to. 

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Bois épais byJean Baptiste Lully

Austin is 17 years old and has been taking lessons with Erin for 3 years. He is the Assistant Director of Lakeside’s Advanced Mixed Chorus and attended both All State Honors Chorus and All State Reading Chorus this year. He has participated in choir since preschool. Austin would like to thank his parents, Mr Dale Duncan, Mr Tom FitzStephens, and Erin for supporting his musical journey.

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Watch What Happens from Newsies

By Alan Menken

Mallory Barnes is 15 and has been studying with Erin for almost 3 years. Mallory loves to be on stage and most recently performed in Carnegie Hall for the second time with the Honors Performance Series. She loves theatre so much and hopes to be on a broadway stage one day like her idols! She is so thankful for her family and best friends for keeping her going and always being so supportive. She would also like to thank Erin for being such an amazing voice teacher and person to talk to!

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The K'e  by  Celius Dougherty

Katherine Beale, 17, has been studying voice with Erin for 3 years. She won first place in her category at the Georgia NATS competition in 2019, and won second place in Late High School Classical Music at the 2020 PACA voice competition. She would like to thank Erin, her parents, her grandparents, her church choir director Kathy Fletcher, and her school chorus director Tom Fitzstephens for supporting her musical journey.

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Little People from Les Miserables

by  Boublil and Schönberg

Seth Guarnizo is finishing up his freshman year at Lakeside High School where you may have seen him in his first leading role - Michael in Mary Poppins! He has also been in Cinderella, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. When not performing, you can find Seth working on cars or building amazing things out of legos. He also runs cross country for the Vikings. Seth would like to thank Miss Hayes, Erin, and his parents for supporting him on his musical journey. 

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What If from The Addams Family 

by Andrew Lippa

Bo is in 9th grade at Chamblee Charter High School. He has enjoyed voice lessons with Erin Shepherd Murray since the beginning of his 8th grade year. Bo has had a busy year with musical theater. He was cast in Chamblee’s one-act musical performance of Sunday in the Park with George (Franz) this past fall. This spring Bo was cast in Chamblee’s musical production of The Drowsy Chaperone and Glenn Church’s musical production of Curtains: The Musical. This summer Bo has auditioned for the full production of Godspell with Forefront Arts and is eagerly awaiting casting decisions. In 7th and 8th grade Bo was cast in Chamblee Middle School’s production of Hairspray (Link) and Legally Blonde Jr. (Emmitt) respectively. Bo has also been cast in Once Upon a Mattress, Twelfth Night, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmations, and Lion King Jr. At Chamblee Middle School Bo was awarded “Outstanding Soloist” in the DeKalb County Chorale Music Festival for his performance of My Shot from Hamilton. Bo is awaiting induction into the Thespian Troupe at Chamblee Charter High School, sings in the Honors Chorus there, in the Glenn Church Youth Choir, plays piano, and swims.

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Vado ben spesso by Giovanni Bononcini

Jimmy Cyganek is wrapping up his junior year in the Kennesaw Mountain STEM Magnet Program. He’s been studying voice with Erin since January and is really missing those amazing in person lessons at Lakeside and the east side dining adventures that followed. He attended the Governor’s Honors Program last summer as a voice major and is a member of the KMHS Chamber Chorus, KM Capella, and award-winning Literary Team Barbershop Quartet. He’s sung with the Georgia All-State Chorus since middle school and this winter he had the amazing opportunity to participate in Georgia’s All-State Reading Chorus. He is also a percussionist (marimba) with the KMHS marching band, percussion ensemble and other ensembles and is a Life to Eagle Scout in Smyrna Troop 11 and a member of National Honor Society. He would love to thank all of his incredible music teachers for their support and guidance throughout the years: Mrs.Chase, Ms. Rabun, Ms. Cole, Ms. Kathryn, Fitz, the Dietrichs, and, of course, his current voice teachers Ms. Erin and Mrs. J. He is looking forward to singing in Eric Whitacre’s next virtual choir.

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Amarilli by Giulio Caccini

Alexa is a graduating senior at Holy Innocents' and has been studying with Erin Shepherd Murray for six years! She has had so many amazing experiences including participation in SERNATS, Schmidt, BOLD, and PACA Vocal competitions, as well as performing at Carnegie Hall with the Honors Performance Program. Some of her highlghts are winning 1st place in Musical Theatre at the BOLD Competition in 2017 and winning 3rd place at the PACA Competition this Spring. Through the Holy Innocents' Fine Arts Program, Alexa has played in ten productions throughout seven years. Most recently she has portrayed Morticia  in The Addams Family Musical, Madame in Cinderella, and Lion in The Wizard of Oz. She absolutely adores the theatre and all things music, and will be continuing down the path of musicianship at Belmont University next Fall where whe will be majoring in Music Therapy! Alexa has so many people to thank for supporting her along the way, but she would especially love to thank her incredible family for all their patience and encouragement, the wonderful Erin Shepherd Murray (practically Alexa's best friend), and her little theatre family who share so many great memories with her from their times at HIES. Sending good vibes.  

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Like Love from Charlie Girl 

By David Hechner

or

Summertime from Porgy and Bess

By George Gershwin

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Arin Francis is 16 and has been studying with Erin for three years now. Through geeking out over Natalie Weiss and learning about vocal folds, Arin is so thankful for all that Erin has taught her over the years. In the fall, Arin placed 2nd in her Musical Theatre division at GANATS and amidst the quarantining won 2nd for Musical Theatre and 3rd for Classical at (virtual) SERNATS as well as 2nd in MT and 1st  for Classical in the virtual PACA competition (a big change from not even placing at her first competition two years ago). Now, she sits awaiting the National NATS results, as patiently as one can expect. Though having thoroughly mastered the self-tape, Arin did have some live performances this year as she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz this spring at Holy Innocents’. Though a yellow brick road and a country lane are a bit different, you can now hear her singing about all of the wonders of love. Speaking of love she’d like to thank her family for all of their love and support this year. Through all of her endeavors they’ve stood by her side, and without their support (and reminders that she needs to shut up and stop singing every once in a while) she’d be a very different, far less driven person. Please enjoy the virtual recital!

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She Used To Be Mine from Waitress

by Sara Bareilles

Elana Katz is 16 years old and has been taking voice lessons for 8 years. Three of those years have been with Erin, the best voice coach in the world. She loves to write music, hang out with her friends, but most importantly she loves to sleep. Elana would like to wish all of the mothers a happy mother’s day, and thank everyone in her family, including Erin, for helping her to become her best self. 

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Being Alive from Company 

by Stephen Sondheim

or 

Her Voice from The Little Mermaid 

by Alan Menken

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Alex Newberg is a sophomore in high school  and has been studying vocal technique with Erin for the past 2 years. His favorite credits include -- Atlanta: Fun Home, Falsettos (Actor’s Express); Elf the Musical (City Springs Theatre). Educational: The Addams Family (Holy Innocents’ School); Seussical The Musical, Peter Pan, The Lion King (The Davis Academy). Other: Magic in Atlanta (Jerry Farber’s Side Door); Daytime Magical Entertainment (The Magic Castle LA). Alex was awarded second place at the Southeast Region NATS competition this year and is going on to compete at the national level this summer. A rising 11th-grader at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, Alex has made Headmaster’s List Honor Roll in all 4 semesters of his high school career, receiving straight As. Alex would like to thank his family and friends for their continuous love and support in all his endeavors.

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Apres un rêve by Gabriel Faure

Cara Jensen is graduating from Decatur High School this year,  and has been studying with Erin for one year. She is also a singer-songwriter who has won second place in her school's "Decatur Idol" singing event, as well as first place in the singer-songwriter category at PACA last year. Cara will be attending Georgia State University in the fall to pursue a degree in music education. She would like to thank her family as well as Erin for their support and guidance.

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Chi vuol la zingarella by Giovanni Paisiello

Ana Soriano is a graduating senior at Chamblee Charter High School.

Ana has been part of Atlanta Young Singers for 8 years and she competed in the World Choir Games in 2014 in Riga, Latvia. In 2016, she sang at the World Premiere for Eternal Light at Carnegie Hall from composer and conductor Cristian Grases. In the summer of 2018, she traveled to South Africa as part of Ihlombe, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela. 

Ana was awarded third place at the Southeast Region NATS competition this year and is going on to compete at the national level this summer. 

Ana has been conducting for 6 years in the Children’s Choir of Holy Cross Catholic Church. She teaches music to kids in her Hispanic community as part of her desire to help parents who can’t afford music and voice lessons.

As daughter of an immigrant parent, Ana knows the necessity of learning to succeed. She will be the first person in her family to go to college as she attends Georgia Southern University to major in Music Education this fall. 

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Make Someone Happy from Do Re Mi

by Jule Styne

or

It Will Be Chloe from Bubble Boy the Musical 

by Cinco Paul and  Ken Daurio

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Sam Greene is 18 years old and with a sigh of relief, finally approaching the end of his gap year. He's been studying voice with Erin for the last three years now, and has loved it! After spending four years performing in and helping vocal direct Lakeside High School's fall one acts and spring musicals, he graduated in 2019 ready to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre. To stay busy during his gap year, he continued to work multiple jobs, joined two outside choirs, vocal directed two shows, and focused on preparing for college auditions. In the last few months, Sam has auditioned for over 30 musical theatre programs around the country, through a program called CAP. Along with these auditions, he's gotten the opportunity to compete for a second year in the National NATS competition for Classical and Musical Theatre! He's now choosing between some of his top BFA programs including LIU, Wright State and Point Park! Before starting voice lessons, Sam was almost sure he'd go to college for a degree in science like biochemistry or pre-med. Erin helped him grow as performer, but more importantly, as a person, giving him the courage to follow his heart and chase his dreams. He can never thank her enough for the impact she's had on him!! And of course he wants to thank his family for all the love and support they've given him throughout this long and stressful process!! "Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong."- Ella Fitzgerald

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