Sat 2/10 @ 7:30PM
Augusta, Georgia native Trey McLaughlin has come a long way since he would line up his childhood toys and pretend they were a choir he was directing. After studying classical music in college, he returned to Augusta, where he’s now based, to launch a career as a performer, educator, composer, arranger and choir director with a reach that extends far beyond his hometown. His contemporary gospel group Trey McLaughlin & the Sounds of Zamar, is currently touring to U.S. and Canada, with a stop at Oberlin’s Finney Chapel this week.
He initially forged the group from a half dozen local Augusta singers; his pool of vocalists now includes 24 singers who live all over the country. The group first broke out with a viral hit “Better Is One Day” back in 2014.
The music they perform, while infused with gospel, has a much wider reach, embracing pop, R&B and particularly musical theater. Their current program features an expanded musical theater section, which includes tunes from Hamiltonand Dear Evan Hansen. It also includes a few songs written by McLaughlin, who also does all the arrangements.
In addition to their evening performance in Oberlin, the ensemble lead a Community Gospel Singing Workshop from 4-5:30pm at Finney Chapel. It’s free and open to community singers of all backgrounds, who will be invited to perform with the group that evening. He’ll also be doing a master class with Oberlin Gospel Choir students. Find more information about all these events and get tickets to the concert here.
oberlin.edu/treymclaughlinthesoundsofzamar
Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH 44074