草莓社区

As of February, Kiara Kiah is the first student from 草莓社区 (EMU) in over 20 years to audition in the Virginia National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition, a fierce contest between the state鈥檚 finest college-age singers. And the soprano vocalist will compete virtually in regionals next week. 

鈥淚t was a really good experience,鈥� Kiah said. 鈥淚t was just really good to be back in the competition realm and get feedback and hear things from an outsider鈥檚 point of view on things that I can work on.鈥�

Kiah performed four pieces in three different languages ranging in style from musical theater to stormundrang, and earned an 鈥渉onors鈥� distinction among some 500 competitors, allowing her to advance to the regional level.

鈥淚f you’ve heard Kiara sing, you recognize she’s uniquely gifted and brimming with raw talent. Her various music successes will come as no surprise,鈥� Professor James Richardson said. 鈥淜iara has a large and powerful, resonant, yet lyrical and versatile, soprano voice with a mature timbre for her age.鈥�

NATS requires more than just raw talent of a performer, though. The competitors must demonstrate intense vocal stamina.

鈥淚t’s one thing to be a fine singer, and it’s another to do it with polish when the pressure is on 鈥� making it all seem 鈥榚asy鈥� and 鈥榥atural鈥�,” said Richardson.

Kiah has been to these auditions before, when she competed at the high school level of NATS while a student at the Governor鈥檚 School for the Arts in Norfolk. And she earned advancement to the regional Mid-Atlantic competition several times while there, but didn鈥檛 have the confidence to actually go.

鈥淚t gets ten times more competitive. Now you鈥檙e competing with a bigger range of voices and people and regions,鈥� Kiah explained. But this year, 鈥淛ames, my voice teacher here, was like, 鈥榥o, you鈥檙e going!鈥欌��

These competitions 鈥渁re truly considered the gold standard of trained singing,鈥� Richardson explained. 鈥淪uccess at the state level and beyond 鈥� such as that of Kiara’s 鈥� speaks volumes to anyone who knows anything about opera, art songs, and music theater.鈥� 

This push and pull, whether or not to pursue the opportunities her talent brings, has been a pattern for Kiah since the beginning of her musical career. In middle school, she had a negative experience in choir. But Kiah鈥檚 aunt, who adopted her, saw her potential 鈥� and took the rising ninth grader to audition for the Governor鈥檚 School.

鈥淥riginally, I was like, I don鈥檛 care for opera. Who sings this? And so I went to the audition and purposefully bombed it. I just did not want to go,鈥� Kiah said. But her attempts to obscure her abilities failed 鈥� the school accepted Kiah, and she began rigorous school days that began at 7 a.m. and often ended at 10 p.m. after rehearsals.

While there, she saw an opera for the first time 鈥� The Magic Flute by Mozart, and was hooked.

鈥淚 just fell in love with it. The strength, and the stamina it takes to sing for two and a half, three hour shows, I was just amazed when I saw my first opera. 鈥� I want to learn how to do this.鈥�

After high school, Kiah was accepted into a number of conservatories, including the prestigious Julliard. She chose to attend EMU for music education. Kiah still wants to work with kids, and will graduate in December with a degree in vocal performance and social work. If a double major and singing competitions weren鈥檛 enough, Kiah is also involved in the community 鈥� serving on the Black Student Alliance and Destiny鈥檚 Daughters organization for young women鈥檚 empowerment, volunteering with Bethel AME Church, and working part-time at the Hallmark store and EMU鈥檚 fitness center.

Kiah and her husband, piano performance student Earnest Kiah, are considering moving out of state after graduation. But her ultimate dream would be to start a youth nonprofit in her hometown of Portsmouth, Va. 

鈥淲here I grew up, I鈥檝e seen a lot of people in trouble, and then they turned to music and it鈥檚 been a great outlet for them to put their energy into something positive,鈥� Kiah said. 鈥淚 want to do the same for youth that are cast away, labeled as bad kids, and I just want to be that person to show them music is powerful.鈥�