Meet 1aChord - UNCG Stories

UNCG TRIO SHINES ON AMERICA’S GOT TALENT

It was pure coincidence that College of Visual and Performing Arts students Tavis Cunningham, Christoff Hairston, and Julian Kennedy sat at the same table one afternoon in Fountain View Dining Hall at UNC Greensboro, and bonded over their shared talent and musical idols.

UNCG prepared them for the national stage

“If it weren’t for UNCG, I never would have met Julian and Christoff, and 1aChord wouldn’t exist,” said Cunningham, a sophomore musical theatre major.

The three musicians and talented vocalists chose UNCG to develop their craft because of its diverse student body, broad liberal arts education, and talented faculty who have helped them develop invaluable technical and performance skills.

“Our professors have helped us become the musicians that we are, taking the time to be diligent teachers and help us grow,” said Hairston, a sophomore music major with a concentration in voice.

Cunningham echoes that sentiment.

“They have helped us by teaching us the basics of what we need to do on that stage when we perform – connect with ourselves and the audience – and to share our talent.”

Aside from their UNCG professors, the trio points to their musical influences and inspirations such as Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, The Clark Sisters, Whitney Houston, Céline Dion, and more.

Julian Kennedy

A 2022 Alumnus Story

There’s a place where Julian Kennedy goes that belongs to him, and him alone.

It’s a place inside himself, within his artist’s soul, where his gift lives. It’s where the music exists, waiting for him, coursing through his veins and biding its time.

And when we’re lucky, Kennedy taps into that secret place, opens up and shares his gift with the rest of us.

It’s magic.

READ MORE