We’re excited to host our first-ever PRIZM College Audition Preparation workshop on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019! High schoolers interested in auditioning for a college-level music program or music scholarships can gain insider’s knowledge of the audition process, from selecting appropriate repertoire, preparing for skills-based assessments and overcoming those performance nerves. Attendees will learn directly from college professors and admission counselors themselves!

Meet our dedicated workshop panelists below and register today for this FREE one-day workshop. The event is open to vocal and instrumental students and their parents.

Keva Duckett
Rhodes College

Keva is the senior assistant director of admission at Rhodes College in Memphis. She previously served as the orchestra manager for the Memphis Youth Symphony. Keva will share her insight on the college and scholarships application process.

Gavin Wigginson
LeMoyne-Owen College

Dr. Wigginson is the concert choir director at LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis and a fellowship coach for the Memphis Music Initiative. He carries both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and earned his doctorate in musical arts from the University of Kentucky. He regularly performs professionally across the United States and is a member of the acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble.

Marcin Arendt
University of Memphis

Dr. Arendt is an active chamber musician, soloist and teacher. He recently joined the faculty of the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis where he is a member of the Ceruti String Quartet. He is also on the violin faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp and plays with IRIS Orchestra, regularly serving as concertmaster chair. He has performed alongside renowned artists including Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, Jaime Laredo, Yo-Yo Ma, Martin Short, Edgar Meyer, Clay Aiken, Dawn Upshaw, Joshua Bell and Harry Connick Jr.

Martin McCain
Texas State University

Martin is a third-generation musician. The bass trombonist and Global Music Award Gold Medal Winner regularly performs as a soloist, recording artist, chamber, orchestral, jazz and commercial musician, and college-level educator. He’s an associate professor of music and trombone instructor at Texas State University where he directs the Trombone Choir and Jazz Trombone Ensembles.

Carole Blankenship
Rhodes College

Dr. Blankenship is the vocal coordinator and chair of the music and theatre program at Rhodes College. She performs regularly in recitals, chamber music concerts and oratorio performances and has led voice masterclasses at Wheaton Conservatory in Melbourne, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Missouri State University, among others. Dr. Blankenship currently serves as president of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, after serving two terms as the vice president for auditions for NATS. She received her bachelor of music from Rhodes College and a master’s and doctorate in voice performance from the University of Memphis.

Artina McCain
University of Memphis

Dr. McCain is an active solo and chamber performer, educator and lecturer. She won the Austin District Music Teacher Association award for collegiate teacher of the year. Her recent lecture topics include a variety of pedagogical topics, arts entrepreneurship and performance injury. Dr. McCain is an assistant professor of Piano at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis. She has also served on the faculty at Texas Lutheran University, Huston-Tillotson University, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music and the University of the Incarnate Word.

Selim Giray
University of Mississippi

Dr. Giray is director of orchestral studies at the University of Mississippi. He previously served as the concertmaster and assistant conductor at the Ohio Light Opera. He has been featured on numerous album recordings and has performed and offered master classes at the Florida State University, Louisiana State University and the University of China in Beijing. Dr. Giray recently presented at The Midwest Clinic and performed two recitals at Carnegie Hall.

William Plenk
University of Memphis

Dr. Plenk is the director of athletic bands at the University of Memphis. He previously served as director of marching/athletic bands at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is currently a member of the College Band Directors National Association, College Music Society, the National Association for Music Education and the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was assistant conductor of the UCLA Symphonic Band, associate conductor of the UCLA Wind Ensemble and associate conductor of the UCLA Brass Ensemble.