NJCU Student Receives NJNATS Honor for Opera

Al-Jabril Muhammad, a senior in the Music Program of NJCU’s Music/Dance/Theatre Department, earned top honors at NJNATS (New Jersey National Association of Teachers of Singing) Festival of Singing. Earning first place in the Senior Men category, Muhammad’s performance piece was “Avant de quitter ces lieux,” an aria from the opera Faust. The NJNATS Festival is an annual statewide event open to all New Jersey colleges and universities with accredited music programs. This year’s festival, held at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), featured more than 100 competitors in all age categories. Five students from NJCU, led by Dr. Donna Connolly, Coordinator of Vocal Studies, took part in the festival. Muhammad, a featured member of NJCU’s Opera Workshop, trains with Vocal Teacher John Hancock and Vocal Coach David Mayfield. Upon graduation, he plans to pursue a teaching career.