For members of the Oxon Hill High School Choir, there were three things to remember before taking to the stage for the school's second annual Gospel Fest: walk correctly on the risers, make a sharp right turn before entering the stage and smile like you've just won the lottery.
The choir members were all smiles during their fundraising concert Oct. 15 at the Oxon Hill school, on the heels of news that the choir and its director, Emory Andrews, were nominated for a Stellar Award, the highest award given in the field of gospel music throughout the nation, that will be given out in January.
Ticket sales from the concert generated more than $2,000 and will be used for the choir's operating costs and by the school's PTSA to award students college scholarships.
The fundraising event was organized by the high school's PTSA, and the choir performed in front of a crowd of about 300, including U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Dist. 4) of Fort Washington and Leslie E. Johnson, wife of Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D).
And as the choir prepared to perform, students said they were equally excited about being nominated for the national music award.
"Getting a Stellar Award is like getting a Grammy," said Jacob Cogman, 15, student direct of the choir, as he drilled students before taking the stage. "I'm really honored. I watch the Stellar Awards every year."
But the 80-member choir has a few hurdles to cross before making it to the awards ceremony telecast in Nashville, Tenn., in January. The school must be voted through several rounds by a combination of open-voting from the public and votes from the Stellar Awards Gospel Music Academy. The choir has already made it through to the second round, and Andrews said he is hopeful that the choir can take the award.
SAGMA members nominated the choir after Andrews submitted two songs for consideration at the request of a parent.
"I feel so blessed," he said. "The Stellar Awards are the highest gospel award you can get," adding that choirs that receive the awards are invited to perform frequently across the country.
But the choir has already built a national, if not international, name for itself. In April, the choir performed in a music festival in Italy. The choir has also jetted to performances in Toronto, New Orleans, Jamaica and the Bahamas to participate in the International Adjudicated Choral Festivals, their traveling costs paid for with the help of fundraisers like Gospel Fest.
Andrews said the choir isn't just about singing gospel or Christian music but also about music education. The choir is versed at singing in Italian, show tunes, and even 1950s doo-wop. Several of the choir's students go on to study music in college and pursue careers in music.
Choir president Selina Lovelace, 17, said she knew very little about music before joining the choir as a freshman. She said she now plans to attend Florida A&M University and major in vocal performance and wants to pursue a career in music direction.
"[The choir] developed my love for music—being in Oxon Hill opened me up to a whole different genre of music," she said. "It basically set my career for the future."
Parents, too, are singing the praises of the choir.
"These kids work hard — [Gospel Fest] is a wonderful celebration of their work," said Michelle Gaston, president of the school's PTSA. "We're just proud to have talent of that caliber in the school."
Principal Jean-Paul Cadet started at Oxon Hill High School at the beginning of the school year not fully knowing how renowned the choir was until news of the Stellar Award spread in the school.
"I was pleasantly surprised," he said. "The whole school knows about [the nomination]. The choir is unique."
In just a few moments after taking the stage, the choir began charming the crowd as they belted out songs, enacting call-and-response with the audience, and cheering and waving as they danced to the music.
Eunice Goodwyn of Oxon Hill, whose granddaughter was performing in the choir, was busy clapping and stomping her feet as the choir belted out song after song.
"This is the next generation," she said. "[Andrews] is making a deposit into the [students'] lives."
