Washburn A and B had talent seeping out of the room on Sept. 30, 2021. Students of all different majors and backgrounds were encouraged to come and sing their hearts out at Washburn’s “The Voice”.

The event was hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Development and kicked off the first of four rounds with auditions. Fifteen out of seventeen people were able to impress the judges.

To build their teams, judges used their skillfulness and ears to determine who to turn on. Dr. Joseph DeSoto, Dr. Eric Grospitch and Dr. Julie Noonan fought over the voices of contestants, many of whom were very talented.

“They did great, there were some voices that I had never heard before on campus that really surprised me. I was really excited to hear such great voices tonight,” said Dr. DeSoto.

With a strong field of competitors, the decisions of who to turn around for were different for each judge.

“It was more of going with my gut, just sort of what sounds great in the moment and what moves you,” said DeSoto.“Music is such an interesting thing to judge because there are some moments that really move you and others where you start to question things a little bit, and so sometimes the decisions are really hard to make.”

This event also brought students together in a way that showed shared interest. “This is a great way to get students involved, get students to meet other students on campus that maybe they haven’t met before and also it has a prize involved,” said DeSoto.

The judges were very impressed with the talent. “I thought the singers did a great job tonight representing themselves and Washburn really well, it was great to hear them,” said DeSoto.

The energy that spectators brought helped those who auditioned feel welcomed. Along with those who came to support, the host also made participants feel comfortable.

“I thought that this event went wonderfully. I know a lot of people backstage were nervous but really excited. Obviously, the students really got into it and were really loving it. Being on stage hosting, I had a blast, it was a lot of fun.” said Kathrine Cook, a junior and host of the event.

Though the nerves of some people were prominent backstage, they faded away as participants performed.

“I was honestly shocked by the talent we have here, you know it’s just one of those things that you just forget the talent that is really hidden here at Washburn. It was so lovely to be able to see this and see the confidence come through. Their confidence and personality really just shined through in their song and I love that. I believe that 100%, this event should be an annual thing,” said Cook.

After all performers had sung, they were able to meet their judges and the others who were on their teams.

Hunter Woodyard chose to be on Dr. DeSotos team and explained his reason for partaking in the event.

“My friend knew that I could play guitar so she told me to join and I did,” said Woodyard.

His performance drew praise from the audience, who also loved the presence of Woodyard, though he was not as satisfied. “I sang ‘Let Her Go’ by Passenger, and I’d give myself a five out of ten because I did not practice at all,” said Woodyard.

The Voice will continue for the next three weeks with the next performances held on Thursday, Oct. 7. Anyone who is looking to support the vocalists or just hear great performances can attend in Washburn A and B room.

Edited by: Simran Shrestha, Kyle Manthe