Downbeat Award to Singcopation! and Vocal Soloists of Mt SAC Vocal Jazz

May 22, 2025 - 11:14 AM

We are excited to share Mt. San Antonio College’s recognition in the Downbeat Magazine Student Music Awards announced today!  For 90 years, Downbeat Magazine has been the most prestigious magazine for "jazz, blues and beyond.”  Mt. San Antonio College Singcopation was recognized as the top community college vocal jazz ensemble in the country, with two soloists being recognized in Brittney Tang and Lyric Guidry.  

 

Also, two of our students earned DB recognition as Jazz Voice Soloists, Brittney Tang and Daniel Muñoz. We are especially thrilled for these students, as it is the first time in Mt. SAC’s history that solo singers have entered and been recognized by this magazine. With such a robust and growing Jazz Voice program – and with Alex Robinson, Loren Battley, and Dr. Jeremy Fox on our team of Jazz Voice faculty – we are certain this is the first of much recognition to come for Mt. SAC's solo jazz singers.

 

The entry that was submitted to Downbeat Magazine included Bruce Rogers’ final Singcopation ensemble recordings from Spring ’24.  An extra congratulations goes to Bruce for what we believe will be his last Singcopation Downbeat recognition, unless he himself enrolls at Mt. SAC and auditions for Singcopation as a singer!  The numbers represent quite a legacy in what he built at Mt. SAC. Over the past 25 years, Singcopation was recognized by DB as the top vocal jazz ensemble fourteen times and earned outstanding performance on four other occasions. Many of these honors were before Downbeat started offering a “community college” specification, and in those years Mt. SAC topped all other 4-year undergraduate and graduate music programs in the country.  It’s simply remarkable, and without a doubt this tradition of excellence will continue for many years at Mt. SAC.

 

Again, congratulations to all of our Mt. San Antonio College music students for their well-deserved recognition!