Anticipation fills the room as the music starts playing and the colorful lights flash over the red velvet curtains. Moments later, as the curtains slowly open, the crowd eagerly takes in the scene. The risers are barely visible as smoke machines fill the stage, and the fun, bright backdrop that accompanies the performance number is on full display. Finally, powerful vocals fill the room as The Holmes Community College Connection! bursts onto the stage, singing and dancing with gusto.
An outstanding performance requires those involved to have talent and a strong work ethic; two qualities The Holmes Connection! members possess. Additionally, the show could not go on without superb leadership, and Holmes Community College has had just that from the beginning.
Dr. Jan Reid Bunch came to Holmes in August of 1992 and started from the ground up.
“When I was hired, Dr. Starkey Morgan (Holmes’ president at that time) had seen my work at Ole Miss,” Dr. Bunch said. “I’d led Spirit of Ole Miss and a group called Ole Miss Spectrum the year before, he wanted something similar at Holmes. I wanted 10 singers and two soundmen, and we were going to sing and dance. That original group included 10 of the best singers I’ve ever heard; five girls, five guys.”
Although the group hit the ground running, it was not without their fair share of challenges.
“They had a corded mic, so they had to do choreography with that; it was tough,” Bunch said. “That’s how it all started though. No props, no lights and one costume: guys in tuxes, girls in a blue dress. The second year is when it exploded. The next year, I had over 100 students audition to be in the group. It was very exciting.
“We were very fortunate that we got to travel a lot, not just in the district, but around the country and even the world.” Dr. Bunch said. “The bonds, the relationships: they were so strong, and still are among alumni today. When I started at Holmes, I wasn’t married yet and they became family. They worked so hard for me, and for Holmes. They performed on cruises, in the Governor’s Mansion, at the international Phi Theta Kappa Convention and more. So many hours went into preparing for the shows. People started expecting more and more each year, so that’s what we gave them.”
Dr. Bunch, who later served as an assistant to the president (overseeing many areas, including marketing) named the group Connection because she wanted it to be a group that recruited alongside performing.
“I was at Holmes from 1992 to 2003,” Bunch said. “I named the group Connection because we would be the connection between potential students to the college, alumni to the college, the local communities and those in Holmes’ nine-district area. Still today, they interact with the audience during and after the show. It has grown over 30 years and has changed. It has become what it needs to be today. There’s nothing else around like it. Mike Yates, the current director, was one of my first soundmen. He came back and worked with me (he was a soundman and taught guitar at the college). Basically, he’d been with me all along.”
Michael “Mike” Yates took over directing the ensemble in 2007, coming in after Dr. Rudy Gatlin led in 2007 and Dr. Doug Browning from 2004-2006. He has been the longest director in Holmes’ history, and he is also over the Holmes Coachmen Singers, as well. The Coachmen Singers are a select advanced choral ensemble who perform challenging music of all styles, with special emphasis on collegiate a cappella, sacred choral music and gospel. When Connection began, the students were required to be in all three groups: Connection, Coachmen and the Holmes Concert Chorale, which is directed by Drew Trautman. As Dr. Bunch put it, “they were great students, there were high standards and it’s the same today.”
Dr. Bunch was also happy to share that the charter group loves coming back to watch them and can’t believe what it is today.
“Mike’s done a great job keeping alumni connected from the original and early members to today’s group,” Dr. Bunch said. “Each year, that group of students in Connection brought their unique personalities and stories to help it become the spectacular group it has become today. Mike has done a fabulous job with the ensemble. We started way back in the ‘90s packing out McDaniel Auditorium on Homecoming for that first performance of the year. I love that that it is still a tradition; it truly is special.”
The high-energy ensemble performs approximately five shows in the fall and three-four in the spring. They perform at Homecoming, Major Experience (a recruiting day for high school juniors and seniors) and different groups in the community are invited to come for other shows, as well. The Coachmen singers go out to community churches and some high schools to perform, but Yates said that production for Connection is too much to take on the road.
“What sets Connection apart from other similar groups is that Connection is more of an entertainment pop group than a traditional show choir,” Yates said. “The energy on stage, the production value…this just doesn’t exist anywhere else. Audience interaction is a key component as well. I work hard to make sure it is a show for all ages. When I choose the music, my aim is to appeal to every generation at some point in the show and we cover most genres; pop, country, rock n’ roll, etc.
“The most enjoyable part for me, though, is putting it all together and seeing the outcome,” Yates said. “It’s not just me; everyone has a voice to input their ideas. The creative process and the end result are the best part.”
Students who enjoy building and creating through hands-on projects can also be part of Connection by joining the stage and road crew. Backstage crew duties include working behind the scenes of Holmes’ ensembles and fine arts programs. The crew members collaborate with the director to create a professional, exciting visual and aural show.
Yates’ son, Evan, is a freshman at Holmes and has looked forward to being a part of the group for years. A graduate of Kosciusko High School, he is now a communications major on the Goodman Campus. In addition to Connection he is part of the Coachman Singers and has served as a drummer for the wedding band Stylish with his father for over three years.
“I wanted to join The Holmes Connection! because I’ve been exposed to it for nearly 18 years,” (Evan) Yates said. “I have basically grown up watching Connection, and with that, I’m very thankful that I get to be a part of this year’s group. I am also thankful that I have become great friends with each member in The Holmes Connection! It is so rewarding to get on stage with people you truly have chemistry with and perform an incredible show. I’m really looking forward to performing at the 2023 Homecoming show on Oct. 26. It’s going to be very exciting, not only for us, but for all of the Holmes students, faculty, staff and alumni.”
Nikki Merchant Boutwell, the recruiting specialist and Ambassador sponsor on the Goodman Campus, is one of many Holmes employees who returned to work at her alma mater after a delightful experience with Connection.
“During my senior year of high school, I knew I wanted to attend Holmes and get involved during my college years, but I was not sure what organization was the best fit for me,” Boutwell said. “I remember visiting the Goodman Campus for Homecoming and seeing the Holmes Connection! perform and thinking it looked like so much fun. I went to a small private school that did not offer many options for those interested in music and dance at the time, so the auditions for Connection! intimidated me. I felt so at ease once I made it to auditions, though, and the current members were so encouraging and welcoming.
“I was so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and auditioned. Being a part of an organization like Connection! helped me meet other students and faculty whom I have maintained relationships with to this day. Connection! is truly like a family, and a large part of my fondest memories at Holmes. You never know what all you can accomplish until you try.”
Another Connection alumna, Shelby Turner Sones, also looks back on her time in the group fondly. Sones’ positive experience at Holmes inspired her to want to work for the college. She is a biological sciences instructor on the Goodman Campus.
“The Holmes Connection! gave me the opportunity of a lifetime,” Sones said. “I loved to sing and dance but I did not have the background or the self-confidence to explore it on my own. Joining The Holmes Connection! family allowed me to break out of my shell and do what I loved with a talented group of lifelong friends. Joining this wonderful group was one of the best decisions I have ever made!”
The Holmes Connection! members are selected by audition and receive scholarships for their disciplined commitment to rehearsals and performances. For potential (or current) Holmes students interested in joining Connection!, Coachmen singers and/or the Concert Chorale, Holmes is holding an event called The Big Audition on Nov. 10. Students can audition for all three ensembles for the following school year.
For more information about the Big Audition or Holmes’ ensembles, contact Yates at (662) 472-9061 or myates@holmescc.edu.
