Sing Song hosts and hostesses gather to prepare for the university’s 70th year of Sing Song.

Each performance is about three and a half minutes, presenting months of preparation of costumes, choreography and sets. 

The 2026 Sing Song’s group consists of the following:

• • Tamil Adele, senior criminal justice major from Midland
  • Cierra Zamora, senior music teaching major from Caldwell
  • Barrett Roberson, sophomore psychology major from Abilene
  • Elliot Hembree, junior physics major from Southlake
  • Laci Jackson, senior theatre major from Grapevine
  • Brinkley Fecci, junior communication disorders major from McKinney

Courtney McGaha, director of student productions, said Sing Song is important because it’s a chance for the campus to come together, as it invites not just current students, but alumni, faculty, staff, parents, friends and the Abilene community. The event draws more than 900 participating students every year.

“Sing Song is one of ACU’s biggest and most loved traditions,” McGaha said. “There’s always going to be a very special place in my heart for the upstage acts, the actual competition itself, and class acts specifically because that’s where my experience was in.”

Originally, the hosts and hostesses were called the masters of ceremonies, who introduced and bridged the gap between acts. More recently, they began adding songs to the group performance that followed. Now, the host and hostesses entertain the audience with their own performances to fill time. 

McGaha said the audition process is very thorough and aims to see how the hosts and hostesses perform holistically. 

“We want to see their solo voice, who they are as a performer, but we also want to see their stylistic range,” McGaha said. “We need to be able to have people that fit any song genre.” 

Around 12 students are called back to perform for a larger panel of judges. They are taught a new song on the spot to see how they perform in a group. Once chosen, they hit the ground running with rehearsals and voice lessons. 

“This group of hosts and hostesses is actually very different from the last couple of years. They have a lot more distinct styles,” McGaha said. “Their solos are a lot more unique this year. We have very wide genres being performed.”

Barrett Roberson, sophomore psychology major from Abilene, will be a host for the first time this year.

“There’s the class acts, there’s the sorority and fraternity acts and that’s usually what most people seem to be interested in,” Roberson said. “In between those, we have our numbers to make it one cohesive show.”

Roberson said he signed up because he missed high school theater and wanted to experience a similar, fun opportunity. He recalls what the process was like and points out that you can change the song you’re performing from what you audition with.

“You sing two songs that are different stylistically,” Roberson said. “I did a song from a musical and an Elvis song.”

He said when you get called back, it’s a completely different environment and audition process.

There are six hosts and hostesses this year, and they have to rehearse collectively.

“You have to see if you can blend with each other vocally, how well you can sing different parts, read music, dance, and how quickly you can learn those things,” Roberson said. “You have to be able to be with them as a unit.”

Roberson said he did not expect anything out of the audition, but he made the cut.

“I almost took my name off the list because of the prospect of having a chance of getting it,” Roberson said. “It was a huge shock, especially being a sophomore.”

Roberson will perform “Cry Me a River” by Michael Bublé, but with a surprise twist.

Laci Jackson, a senior theater education major from Grapevine, said she directed the class act her freshman year and the Ko Jo Kai act her junior year. She always knew that she wanted to direct it, especially having grown up attending Sing Song. Being a hostess, however, was an idea that came from her college bucket list.

“It was the last thing I had to accomplish,” Jackson said. “I didn’t really think I would get it, to be honest, because a lot of people audition. It’s just been the most wonderful experience.”

While directing and hosting both require hard work, Jackson said they’re quite different.

“It’s a different type of work. I had to do a lot more prep work for Ko Jo Kai,” Jackson said. “This time around, it’s more self-focused. It’s definitely less stressful in the sense that I’m not carrying the weight of a whole act; I just have to worry about myself.”

While Jackson said she loved directing Sing Song, she is grateful for the opportunity and is glad to be able to just have fun this time around.

“I’m very blessed to be with a group of people that are excited to be there, and we’re putting in a lot of work,” Jackson said. “It’s really full circle.”