Hailey takes first place in singing competition

David John Hailey, of Raleigh, N.C., recently won first place in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Competition at Meredith College in Raleigh. Hailey is a Church Music major at Campbell University. The NATS is a competition judged by vocal teachers from the region and is graded on a scale of 1-30 points. In order to qualify for the regional competition, Hailey had to first compete in the North Carolina NATS competition, which was held in February at the University of North Carolina in Greenville. Campbell students Holly Taylor of Hampton, Va., and Erin Potter of Gainesville, Fla., also competed in this preliminary competition. David John Hailey emerged victorious with a score of 26.7 and advanced to the regional competition for Musical Theater, where he competed in the College Men Musical Theatre category with other singers from North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Hailey earned a winning score of 27 and received first-place in his category. Hailey, along with Taylor and Potter, is a student of Dr. Sally Thomas. Hailey’s passion for music springs largely from the church, where he often sang solos and in the choirs. Hailey began singing at the age of four and was heavily inspired by his family, who all sing and share a great appreciation for music. In high school, Hailey was very involved with the choir and was given lead roles in the high school musicals his junior and senior years. “I feel like God has given us all a marvelous gift and because He gave me a talent for singing. I feel it is a duty of mine to share my talent with other people,” he said. In the future, Hailey hopes to be working somewhere in the ministry, as a Minister of Music or otherwise. He is appreciative of his education and preparation for the future at Campbell University and comments, “I think that Campbell really has a great Music Department and I feel that with more support and a graduate program in music, Campbell could become the best music school in North Carolina.” David John is the son of Susan and Dr. David J. Hailey, who is the pastor at Hayes Barton Church in Raleigh, N.C.