Thursday, May 8, 2025
When the Milwaukee High School of the Arts Vocal Jazz Ensemble sings, audiences across America hear them.
DownBeat Magazine—the reigning authority on jazz music—bestowed two prestigious performance awards to singers in the MHSA Vocal Jazz Ensemble on Thursday, May 8:
- 2025 DownBeat Student Music Award in the blues/pop/rock soloist category for senior Lex V. Crump.
- 2025 DownBeat Student Music Award in the Latin Group category for 14 performers, including one first-time singer (see below for names).
Established in 1976, the DownBeat Student Music Awards are considered among the top student music competitions in the world. The 2025 awards mark the 14th time since 2014 that DownBeat has recognized members of the MHSA Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by educator-musician Raymond Roberts.
Rounding out MHSA’s spring awards season is a Grammy nod for Roberts, who has coached dozens of students to greatness in regional, state, and national vocal competitions. The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum just announced that Roberts is a quarterfinalist for its 2026 Music Educator Award.
Additional high notes from the ensemble’s 2024-25 performance season:
“Roberts is the perfect candidate for the teaching award,” said senior soprano Alani Eastman, who earned a 2025 Showcase Recital award from CIVIC MUSIC MKE, with Roberts accompanying her on piano. “He brings a different level of professionalism to the classroom and really makes us work for our dreams—opportunities I never even thought of.”
One example comes to mind. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Vesper Choir visited Roberts’ classroom for a vocal exchange in 2025. Eastman auditioned on the spot and earned a full-tuition scholarship to the HBCU, where she will major in business and continue singing.
More notes and quotes from the 2024-25 MHSA Vocal Jazz Ensemble are below. And yes, students call the choral director “Roberts.”
Lex V. Crump
Honor: 2025 DownBeat Student Music Award, blues/pop/rock soloist
MHSA Class of ’25; will be a Fisk University vocal performance major
In December 2024, Lex was celebrating a YoungArts Award and completing college applications. Since then, she’s earned two Wisconsin School Music Association exemplary performance recognitions, and DownBeat soloist honors. The soprano performed Minnie Ripperton’s “Loving You” and Adele’s “Water Under the Bridge.” Lex will soon audition for the famed Fisk Jubilee Singers, an a cappella ensemble that performs spirituals dating back to pre-Civil War America.
“I feel like every student, no matter what they go into after high school, deserves a Roberts in their life,” Lex said. “We’re not at all surprised. He’s an obvious candidate, and we’re so excited for him.”
Agustin Salas
Honor: 2025 DownBeat Student Music Award, Latin Group
MHSA Class of ’25; will be a Carroll University business major, choir member
This bilingual musician planned to spend four years at MHSA preparing for college and playing guitar: acoustic, classical, electric. Senior year, Roberts asked Agustin to try a new instrument: his voice. He and several other students earned DownBeat honors for their rendition of “Afro Blue,” a jazz standard composed by Mongo Santamaria, and two other selections.
“It meant a lot when Roberts asked me to sing for him,” Agustin said. “I didn’t think of myself as a singer.”
“Agustin has made such amazing progress as a singer this year,” Roberts said.
Agustin’s vocal and guitar arrangements fuse jazz and folk music from Guanajuato, his parents’ home state in Mexico. “Nice and soothing,” is how he describes his musical styling.
Amiracle Evans
Honor: Attending Kaleidoscope Vocal Academy at Yale University
MHSA junior
Early spring was a busy time for this MHSA soprano. She hit “send” on two performance videos—including an Italian piece by composer Francesco Paolo Tosti. She was in tech rehearsals for “The Wiz.” Now she’s rehearsing for the anniversary concert and preparing for finals. In late July, she’ll join 23 other singers for a week of master classes, chamber music workshops, and private vocal coaching from the Yale Glee Club and Kaleidoscope Vocal Academy. She aspires to become the second generation in her family to attend Yale University in fall 2026.
“Roberts is a one-man show. He handles three choirs, two jazz groups, ... and also helps us doing solos, individually,” Amiracle said. “Somehow, he manages to keep going. Us as the students? Sometimes, we be more tired than he is. I want to know his secret!”
MHSA DownBeat Latin Group Awardees
- Ta-Nya Carrington
- Lex V. Crump
- Nathanael Cueto
- Alani Eastman
- Amiracle Evans
- Axel Lauerano Charries
- Sequoia Lindsley
- Ner Way Ber Moo
- Tavariyae Moore
- Agustin Salas
- Eliezer Sanchez
- Denise Tharp
- Me'a Thompson
- Jayden Tyler