Alumni Achievements

MSU Fine and Performing Arts Alumni -- Where are they now?

Kenneth Alston, counter-tenor

Class of 2006, appeared in several of our productions including The Medium as Madame Flora and severed as choreographer for our Broadway Review in 2005. Mr. Alston is a member of the renowned singing sensations Three Mo’ Tenors and is currently pursuing his Master of Art in Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York.

Leah Brown, mezzo-soprano

Class of 2006, Mrs. Brown at native of Trinidad completed her M.A. in voice through our program and appeared in several of our productions including The Medium as Madame Flora and Treemonisha as Monisha. Leah has earned the Doctoral Musical Arts in voice and world music at the University of Connecticut in Storrs and now an Assistant Professor in Voice at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. 

Jay DeVaughn, baritone

Class of 2006 appeared in Highway One, USA as Bob and in Gianni Schicchi in the title role. Mr. DeVaughn has appeared as Amateur performer and winner of the Showtime at the Apollo on tour at the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference in the Landmark Theater in Richmond Virginia and was Amateur performer at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. Currently he is the Minister of Music at Payne Memorial Baptist Church in Baltimore and in January will assume to position of Minister of Music at Second Baptist Church in San Antonio, TX.

Joanna Ford, soprano

Class of 2008, appeared in our production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha in the title role and Menotti’s The Telephone.  Ms. Ford was a 2008 recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship and studied German in Berlin for one year and also performed the role of Despina in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with the Weimar Opera in 2009. She has earned  Master’s of Music degree in voice from the Michigan State University and was mentored there by renowned tenor Mr. George Shirley. She is now in New York City pursuing a professional career on the stage. 

Soloman Howard, bass

Garrett P. Jackson, baritone

Class of 2006, Mr. Jackson appeared in our production of Douglas Moore’s one-act soap opera Gallantry. He is now living in Chicago, IL where he is been employed with GIA Publishing in the Black Church Music Division since graduation from Morgan. He has been an active performer in the Greater Chicago are and producer of concerts and events for GIA. Garrett earned his Master's in Public Policy from George Washington University and is now a Consultant at Deloitte and Senior Analyst at Penn, Good, and Associates.

Ronald S. McFadden, baritone

Class of 2009 also earned the Master of Art in Teaching here at Morgan. Mr. Scott made his professional solo debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Gershwin’s Blue Monday as Mike. For the past four years Ronald has served as the Director of The Golden Voices of Booker T. Washington & Arts Team Lead at Booker T. Washington Middle School for the Arts, Educator at Baltimore City Public Schools and Founder at Saturday School for the Arts.  

Shana Powell-Oshiro, soprano

Class of 2008, Mrs. Oshiro was the 2007 Miss Maryland and competed in the Miss America Pageant appeared in several of our opera productions in leading roles including; The Medium and The Telephone by Menotti, Gallantry by Douglas Moore and a soloist in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s “Holiday Spectacular”. She studied abroad in Florence, Italy and performed the role of Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with the Weimer Oper in 2009. Shana has earned master’s degree in music therapy and voice at Shenandoah University. She is a Music Therapist for the Foundation Schools in Frederick, Maryland where she is married and raising a family. 

Shannon Ramsey, mezzo-soprano

Class of 2006 appeared in Gianni Schicchi as Gherardino. Ms. Ramsey, singer/song writer is an emerging young artist in the R & B industry and winner of several awards. She hit single “Emotional” on the Twist of Fate Soundtrack and a new single “Memory” featuring Jazz of Dru Hill.

Derrick L. Thompson, baritone

Class of 2010 appeared in The Telephone by Menotti as Ben and in Dream Lovers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor as Prince Torado. Mr. Thompson made his Maryland debut in November 2008 as the baritone soloist for the world premiere of the oratorio The Chartered Course celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the City of Annapolis. Immediately following his completion of the Master of Art in Music from Morgan, Derrick served as the Artistic Director of the Tianjin Concert Halls Mulan's Children's Choir from 2010-2011 Season in Tianjin, China. Derrick is a Teacher in the Charlotte County Public School System.  

Morgan's Alumni Flute Ensemble, Anita's Flutes, was chosen for the second year in a row to give a full recital at Baltimore's Artscape Festival. The former students of Morgan State music faculty member, Dr. Anita Thesen, were also selected to perform at the National Flute Association's 2016 Convention in San Diego, CA.

Are you a Morgan State University Fine Arts Alum?  If so, please fill out our Alumnus Update Form