SWBTS student advances to next phase of competition on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Lachune Boyd, a talented master of music student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, has seized the spotlight on “America’s Got Talent.” Boyd, specializing in voice, received a standing ovation and glowing reviews from the competition’s four judges during her audition.
A pastor’s child from South Carolina, Boyd chose an inventive arrangement of Coldplay’s song “Yellow” for her audition, thrilling the audience with her reinterpretation of the 2000 hit. Her performance garnered unanimous approval from the judges, guaranteeing her progression in the televised competition.
Simon Cowell, the music industry executive notorious for his exacting standards, lauded Boyd’s vocal prowess. “You have a beautiful, beautiful voice, and I am really fascinated by you. It was a fantastic audition,” he enthused, as the seminary noted on its website.
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Comedian and judge Howie Mandel followed suit with equally enthusiastic praise. “You showed us that these walls that people feel like they’re stuck behind, you make them yourself,” Mandel opined. “You tore down that wall and luckily you did because you made your way right here, and your life is about to change.”
The life-altering change he referred to was moving forward in the competition. Judges Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara mirrored the sentiment, quickly granting Boyd the coveted “yes” vote required to advance.
Apart from her recent "AGT" appearance, Boyd, who has only one semester remaining for her graduate degree, has already made her mark at SWBTS. She has been a prominent figure in the Cowden Hall Band and the Southwestern A Cappella Choir.
“Lachune is nearly finished with her master’s in vocal performance,” noted Joseph Crider, the dean of the School of Church Music and Worship at Southwestern Seminary. “And not only is she gifted as a singer, she is a deep well in her understanding of aesthetics and the biblical foundations of her art as a singer/musician.”
Despite growing up in a pastor’s home in South Carolina and earning her undergraduate degree from North Greenville University, Boyd initially had reservations about seminary. She shared that she didn’t feel particularly drawn to local church ministry, and was more passionate about pursuing her musical career and developing her creativity.
During her time at SWBTS, Boyd also worked as an artist of residence in Fort Worth and even released her first recording project, “Sing Hallelujah!” She currently serves as a vocal coach for Shine by Carey Lewis, an intensive training program for aspiring performers. Her passion lies in nurturing singers at all levels, with a focus on contemporary commercial music genres, including gospel, Christian contemporary, pop, R&B/soul, and music theater.
This recent development in Boyd’s musical journey marks a departure from her previous ensemble auditions, as she noted: “Unlike auditioning for an ensemble, you are really alone when you are auditioning for AGT. Because it is you, not a group, it was a bit lonelier of an experience for me compared to when I audition for a band.”
