Our student spotlight for October is music business, senior, Sydney DeVoe!

Q: Introduce yourself! What are you studying? Where are you from? How did you choose Lee?

A: I am a senior studying Music Business and Jazz Studies with a vocal emphasis from Birmingham, Alabama. I was introduced to Lee by my vocal coaches who are all Lee alum, and they brought me to visit campus for the first time when I was sixteen. I remember feeling an instant peace that I was where I was supposed to be.

Q: What ensembles are you involved in?

A: Since coming to Lee, I jumped right into different ensembles to diversify my musical portfolio. I have spent the past five semesters traveling with the Ladies of Lee and singing with our Small Jazz Ensemble. In the past year I joined Handbells to push myself outside of my comfort zone, and I’m so glad I did! I instantly loved the community and atmosphere within the group to work together to create excellent music.

Q: What was the recording project you worked on?

A: I recently worked on a demo with songwriter Mike Bridges and producer Randy Miller. When I first heard about the project, I coordinated with Mike to learn about his vision for the song, and after I felt confident with the material, I met with Randy in the studio. We ran the song a few times and patched different places to create the best sound possible. I’ve worked in the studio recording background vocals in the past, but it was a completely new experience recording as the solo vocalist. Randy was excellent to work with and even though I walked in fairly nervous, he encouraged and motivated me right from the beginning. We both walked away very proud of the final product.

Q: Are there any specific ways the music business program at Lee has prepared you for this experience?

A: The music business professors here have helped prepare me for opportunities like this by having high accountability and expectations for their students. After graduating, I aspire to create a company invested in writing and producing music to uplift and impact people.I’m so thankful for this experience in my musical and academic journey at Lee!

Click here to listen to Sydney DeVoe sing “Raisin’ Cain” or visit mikebridgesmusic.com!