Help Music and Theater Major Make Final Cut in Vocal Competition

Vote early and often! Cassondra Conrad, a junior, is a semi-finalist in the Voice of McDonald’s competition.

Conrad, who is pursuing dual majors in music (vocals) and theater, was chosen to be one of 22 finalists out of 5,000 entrants in the competition. Conrad, a songwriter, said, “When I first entered, I sent them a video of me performing a song I wrote called ‘Broken.’ It’s about how the singer is picking up the pieces at the end of a relationship.” She accompanied herself on the piano.

After seeing—and hearing—her performance, the contest organizers asked her to submit a second video. They asked her to sing either Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” or “I Drove All Night,” by Celine Dion. “My sister told me to pick the Celine Dion song,” said Conrad, “so that’s what I did.”

After seeing the second video, McDonald’s flew Conrad to Chicago, where she recorded the version seen online. Winners will be selected, in part, on the number of five-star votes received online, according to Conrad. “You can vote as many times as you want,” she said, “so please, do!”

Conrad, an RA in Porter Hall, is a five-year employee of McDonald’s in Arcade. “I work as a cashier and crew member,” she said. “It’s a very friendly place to work, and they’re very flexible with my college schedule.”

As a little girl, Conrad loved to sing, but it wasn’t until high school that she got serious about her gift, thanks to encouragement from her music teacher, Elwyn Roll. “He told me that I could do this,” she said. She played Gabriella in High School Musical and Dorothy in The Wiz while in high school. Since then, she has been active in local theater, playing in several productions including Annie at the Lancaster Opera House.

Conrad’s next goal is to be invited to the Voice of McDonald’s final rounds in Orlando in April 2012 as one of the 12 finalists selected from countries all over the world. The top prize is $25,000. “I would definitely buy a keyboard, and maybe study abroad,” said Conrad, “but no matter what, I will finish college. I really want my degree.”