By Christi Mays
When Kenneth McCall walked off the stage at Sam Houston State University with two regional singing awards in hand – First Place in the Edward Baird Singer of the Year Competition and the Linda Poetschke People’s Choice Award – it was more than just a win. It was the culmination of a winding, often uncertain journey through music, faith, family and perseverance.
“I was completely blindsided by the win. I just wanted to sing on the big stage,” Kenneth said of the two highest awards a singer can receive at the Texoma Region National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition (NATS). But it was a defining moment in Kenneth’s life as a vocal performance major at UMHB.
Kenneth’s path to this point wasn’t linear. After graduating high school in 2015, he began a music education degree, hoping to become a high school choir director. But college wasn’t what he expected, and he soon switched his major to vocal performance at the suggestion of a teacher who saw potential in him.
Then life shifted again. He left school for three years, got married, worked manual labor jobs – including at the H-E-B distribution center – and even ran a business. When he and his wife, Emma, discovered they were expecting their first child, Kenneth knew it was time to finish what he started. “I came back thinking I’d do music ed again,” he said. “But it felt like trying to put a square peg in a round hole.”
After facing roadblock after roadblock, Kenneth chose to trust his instincts and returned to vocal performance. “We prayed about it, and I felt like God was putting me where I needed to be.”
Dr. Samantha Balboa, former assistant professor of music and Kenneth’s voice teacher, saw the results of that decision.
“Kenneth has achieved outstanding success,” she said. “His accomplishments not only highlight his hard work and dedication, but through them, he is actively living out his purpose and delivering on the mission of UMHB.”
Now the father of a two-year-old son, Mason, Kenneth celebrated his perseverance and determination as he walked across the stage this past May to receive his diploma in vocal performance. He recently accepted an offer into Baylor University’s Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance program with a full tuition waiver, a graduate assistantship and a stipend. He has also been contracted to play The Count in "The Marriage of Figaro" for Opera of the Plains early next fall.
“I feel that God has led me every step of the way, especially when I was looking the other way. The amazing connections that I have made academically, musically and through church have given me so much. I truly am blessed beyond belief.”
