Alex Manfredo, a senior vocal commercial music major from Marion, IL, is one of Millikin’s top vocalists in the School of Music. She is a member of Millikin’s top choral ensemble, University Choir, as well as Millikin’s elite jazz choir, One Voice.

Manfredo is the only returning member to One Voice. This year, there are ten members as opposed to the recent years’ eight members because “Holmes just likes to switch things up from time to time,” Manfredo said.

One Voice is the perfect fit for Manfredo because the style of music she does best is jazz. “I like jazz because it is so different. Jazz is honest and I feel that a lot of music isn’t right now,” Manfredo said. “Jazz is not really limited. It has continued to change and grow, but it still continues to stand as jazz,” Manfredo said.

Manfredo was inspired by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. Manfredo said, “They were easily two of the best vocalists since recorded music. Holiday had so much emotion in her music. You could hear what mood she was in. She was the best at portraying that in her music. Fitzgerald could just flat out sing. She could sing all the high notes and all the low notes. She could sing better than most instrumentalists could play their instruments. It was like her voice was another instrument.”

Manfredo is set apart from other vocalists on Millikin’s campus because she has created her first cd. Manfredo said, “I spent all last semester on it. I wrote all the songs, got into the studio and recorded them.” Manfredo and Mitch Crain, her mixer, continued their hard work on the CD this summer as well.

“Originally, the cd was set to release this past summer, but we took extra time to get everything perfect and right. I am very excited about this cd. The product that has come out is really great. We really put our whole heart into it and I really hope it reaches someone out there,” Manfredo said.

Manfredo’s cd, The Ocean EP, is already digitally released. The hard disc copies will start being handed out at Manfredo’s CD Release Party Friday night, September 27. Manfredo has already released a single, called Devil’s Smile, and that can be found on the Alex Manfredo artist Facebook Page.