Oxbridge Academy sophomore Allison Taylor can add another credit to her impressive list of musical accomplishments. The talented singer was named one of just 10 finalists from the southeast region in the 2013 Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook High School Vocal Academy and Competition. Taylor will now advance to the regional competition on May 11 in Atlanta, where she’ll attend master workshops and go head-to-head with the nine other finalists from North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
Taylor was among more than 100 high school hopefuls from 22 states to enter this year’s vocal competition by submitting audio recordings of two contrasting songs from the Great American Songbook. The entries were reviewed by an esteemed panel of judges made up of music educators and industry professionals and narrowed down to 10 finalists in each of the five regions across the country.
Two singers from each regional event will move on to the last round of the competition, a five-day “boot camp” running July 21-26 at the Feinstein Initiative’s headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. Singers will be instructed by Michael Feinstein and other top music industry professionals on interpreting and performing the music of the Great American Songbook before taking center stage at the 1,600-seat Palladium Concert Hall at the Center for the Performing Arts for the final performance of the competition.
The first-place winner will receive $3,000 and the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to perform with two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer and founder of the Feinstein Initiative, Michael Feinstein. The first-place winner will serve as the Great American Songbook Youth Ambassador for one year and will have opportunities to perform throughout the year. Second place will receive $2,000 and third place will receive $1,500.
In addition to being an accomplished singer, Taylor, a West Palm Beach resident, is a talented violinist, actress and pianist. In November, she was one of approximately 72 students in the state in grades 9-10 selected to perform in the Florida Orchestra Association’s All-State Orchestra. This was her second time to perform as a member of the All-State Orchestra, having been a selected violinist in seventh grade as well. Taylor has performed with a number of other renowned musical groups throughout the state, including the Florida Youth Orchestra in Davie, the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County and the Boca Raton Symphonia. She was also selected to attend the premier Interlochen Arts Camp last summer.
For more information on Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, call (561) 972-9600 or visit www.oapb.org.
ABOVE: Allison Taylor
