When Grand Valley State University senior Robert McFletcher was in sixth grade, his teacher asked him to write a letter to himself, including what he wanted to be after graduating from college and why.

That sixth-grade boy knew exactly where his future passions would lie—in music.

Although McFletcher is graduating with his master’s degree in higher education administration, his future is in music. Along with GVSU senior Andrea Fleming, McFletcher will be performing April 20 at the Park Street Church to celebrate their journey through life.

During spring break, four GVSU students, including Fleming and McFletcher, traveled to New York and auditioned for casting directors and talent agents. The performance, which is free and begins at 7:30 p.m., is a thank you to everyone who has supported them, as well as a fundraiser for two of the students, who are now moving to New York to pursue career opportunities.

“Grand Valley had the opportunity to work with Dale Schriemer, who connected us with Access Connection, and we went to New York and had an opportunity to perform for talent agencies and casting directors…we got to do videos with the casting directors of ‘Homeland’ and she critiqued our videos,” McFletcher said. “We got to sing for the crew and casting director of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Broadway, and through that we did a showcase and we got to perform for talent agents and cast, about 30 talent agents and casting directors, inside of New York City and we had some really good response from that.”

The show, a tribute to McFletcher and Fleming’s hometowns and to GVSU, will display the transformation that each of the students undertook with the support of the people they have met. McFletcher, from Battle Creek, Mich., is singing his journey through his song choices.

“I grew up in church, so that is what I am starting off with,” McFetcher said. “It’s spiritual, and then even going beyond that, like doing some stylized show that has to deal with my history as an African American. I am doing stuff from ‘Porgy and Beth’ and ‘Showboat’ … and so with us having the journey of different shows that we have been in, like I played Tom Collins in ‘Rent’ at Grand Valley State University, so that is obvious I am going to do something from that because that made an impact on my choice of music.”

Their performance will range in pieces from Broadway shows to opera, to musical theatre, to just music they enjoy, such as Motown, McFletcher said.

“The journey is to celebrate and to thank the people who got us positions, like Dale Schriemer or Duane Davis in Grand Rapids, and Carolyn Ballard from Battle Creek, Michigan,” he said. “My mom, you know, my sister who got me on tours when I was in boys’ choir. And so celebrating that part of the journey we have had so far, but also the future of things to come.”

The opportunities have given McFletcher and Fleming further opportunities to, at least for now, bypass traditional employment positions, which they count as a blessing, McFletcher said.

He hopes to see the church filled with his professors, family members and peers, and if the variety of songs doesn’t attract people to the performance, a finale surprise announcement should, he said.

“A few of us will be moving on and doing some exciting things, (including me and Andrea), which we are going to announce on that day,” McFletcher said. “But it is just really good news and we are very excited for just the chance to do that, but to know that there is a light at end of the tunnel.”

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