Community Corner
Singing a Winning Tune
SSHS alum Crystalyn Winter wins county singing competition; looks to turn vocal prowess into a career.
Though South Side High School graduate Crystalyn Wynter's talent was first noticed while singing "Silent Night" during a holiday show held at her pre-K school, her voice has been far from silent over the past 15 years, most recently earning her first place in this summer's Nassau County Reach for the Stars Talent Showcase.
Wynter first competed in the competition two years ago, but she didn't make the finals and vowed to compete again. After withdrawing from the 2009 competition due to a scheduling conflict with another performance, Wynter returned for the 2010 showcase, where her rendition of Everything I Know from the musical, "In the Heights," championed performances from the other 25 county finalists.
"When they first announced my name, I was speechless," Wynter said. "I couldn't believe that what I had strived to accomplish in Reach for the Stars just a few years ago was now actually happening, and that I was now being named a first place winner."
Wynter's vocal teacher and coach, Dominique Gizelle, has worked with Wynter for the last year and said she's not surprised by her latest achievement.
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"Crystalyn is definitely someone who the whole world is going to know about," Gizelle said. "She works very hard and has the level of determination that it takes to pursue a career in the music field. I have no doubt that she will end up becoming a professional singer on a very high level."
Wynter was also one of 250 contestants out of 15,000 who advanced to the second round of American Idol season 10 auditions held at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Although Wynter did not advance beyond that round, she said the experience was worthwhile.
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"Some people have been heartbroken and disappointed, but not me," she said. "For me, it was a learning experience. It was also a forum for meeting a lot of fabulous singers who were there pursuing their dreams, just like me."
Wynter has also performed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and was recently invited back to the Apollo for Amateur Night. She will begin her freshman year at Five Towns College on August 25 and study Jazz/Commercial Music with a concentration in music business.
