Three Grambling students have stunned the school with their voices in hopes of having a brighter future. Sophomore Katrice Mcmullen and freshmen Jhaiya Davis and Trinity Dulaney, who sing in Grambling State Choir, have plans to form a vocal group of their own.
The three initially met on social media, but became friends in the choir. In November, the three students posted a video of doing a cover of “Rain” by SWV.
Mcmullen, a music major, said that after choir practice the three girls were singing gospel songs while finding their harmony. One of the group members started playing another song and their harmonies started flowing.
After practicing, they decided to record themselves. Within hours, VO1CE’s video went viral with the support of students giving praise via Twitter and Instagram. The video attracted huge numbers with a repost of HBCU Buzz. “We didn’t expect that but we were very thankful and we decided to keep going,” Mcmullen said. Through the end of the semester, the trio posted a couple of more videos on social media and received the same amount of love as their first video. With their similar background of singing in church and their beautiful harmony, the students decided to officially name themselves VO1CE.
Jhaiya Davis from Pine Bluff, Arkansas thought of the play on words to stand for one voice. Mcmullen said that includes their harmonies as they sing in unison.
On Jan. 14, the group was asked to sing the national anthem for Grambling’s first basketball game of the spring semester. After the song was finished, the group received a standing ovation.
"It was not the easiest because that was our first time together singing in front
of an audience that size,’’ Mcmullen said. “But it was a really great experience, we felt the warmth and the support for Grambling students.”
After that experience, the group was asked to sing “Lift Every Voice'' at an event at the T.H. Auditorium. The group sees that as a sign they could go even further after many GSU students have recognized VO1CE’s potential. Whether it’s recording music or creating poetry, the group says it has great expectations for the future. “We like the fame, but at the end of the day, we just like to sing. We just want to make music and make people feel good.” Mcmullen said. She says she believes the group’s success can go far as a girl group. The group plans to do more covers this month in recognition of Black History Month and said it is currently looking for opportunities to branch out more.