NBC’s season premiere of “The Sing-Off” Sept. 19 featured a local talent.
Christie Dashiell grew up in eastern North Carolina and is the daughter of Carroll V. Dashiell Jr., director of jazz studies at East Carolina University.
Dashiell, a 2010 graduate of Howard University, headed straight to television with her college a cappella group Afro-Blue. The group is one of 16 from across the country that will be competing on this season of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” for the grand prize
of $200,000 and a Sony Music recording contract.
As of Sept. 20, when mixer spoke with Dashiell, Afro-Blue had made it through the first episode of the show.
“We advanced to next round so I’m so excited and happy about that,” she said.
Carroll Dashiell said his daughter has been involved in music much of her life, as well as her three siblings who are pursuing degrees and careers in music and performance.
“I knew I was going to be a musician at a very young age,” Christie said. “I’m thankful that I was brought up in a musical family because that’s the reason I decided to become a musician.”
Carroll also said that he and Christie’s mother are both very proud.
“She is gifted, but it is also due to a lot of work,” he said.
Christie’s undergraduate degree is in jazz studies and she started school at the Manhattan School of Music on Sept. 20 to continue her musical education.
According to the Howard University website, Afro-Blue is a 10-member ensemble who were all music majors. The group has won two awards from DownBeat Magazine and performed in several notable locations including the Smithsonian Institute and the Library of Congress. The group’s biography on NBC’s website calls Afro-Blue “a fun-loving jazz/pop a cappella ensemble” and says the group has “plenty of soul, and all 10 members meld together quite nicely.”
For their first performance the groups sang “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae arranged by Connaitre Miller, the Howard professor in charge of Afro-Blue. They performed for the show’s three celebrity judges: singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles; Ben Folds of the alternative rock group Ben Folds Five; and Shawn Stockman of the R&B group Boyz II Men; who a gave the group glowing reviews.
“That was great. I really love your sound,” Folds said.
“I was thoroughly entertained. I was sucked in from the beginning,” Bareilles said. “I also wrote down that you’re all very attractive.”
Not only did they speak positively about the whole group but Dashiell’s performance was pointed out.
“Christie, I loved your presentation. It’s so relaxed,” said Folds.
“Your voice feels like warm butter on grits,” Stockman said.
In this third season, the “The Sing-Off” will be two-hours long each Monday and is hosted by multi-platinum recording artist Nick Lachey. All episodes of the show are prerecorded except for the finale. It will be live in November and give viewers a chance to vote on the top three groups.
 
Contact Lynsey Horn at Lhorn@reflector.com or 329-9574.