![]() ![]() As has been repeated many times, Tucker will need to become a more effective outside shooter and decision maker before he takes the next step as a player, but if he does, he could likely find himself a niche in the NBA.Ī player weve watched pretty closely the past two days has been DePaul sophomore Dar Tucker. ![]() A 6-4 monster athlete who recently declared his intentions to test the NBA draft waters this spring, Tucker is a player we need to pay extra attention to. He was in foul trouble for most of the first half against Cincinnati, but then put on a pretty impressive performance over the next three halves, finishing with 17 points and 8 rebounds against the Bearcats, and then 30 points and 8 rebounds in a loss to Providence. It is pretty obvious why Tucker is considered an NBA draft prospect, at least using a pretty loose definition of the term. Hes a long, chiseled and incredibly athletic shooting guard who puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses with the aggressiveness he shows when he attacks the rim. I remember the first time I received a letter from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation inviting me to audition for the Sara Tucker Study Grant.He gets to the free throw line at a great rate and has finished some extremely acrobatic shots in the paint, showing a great first step, terrific leaping ability, and the ability to hang, take a hit, and still finish strong amongst the trees. The letter invited me to the 92nd St Y on the Upper East Side of New York City, where I would sing an audition for a panel of judges comprised of casting directors, music directors, and senior artistic administrators from opera houses around the country. I soon learned that this invitation was a very coveted and special one: only a handful of young American singers deemed the most promising were selected for these auditions. I never learned who nominated me the years I was invited to audition for the Sara Tucker Grant. All I understood was that it was based on the recommendations of operatic gate keepers and tastemakers who served in the administrations of the nation’s top opera houses.Įach Spring, I was granted a special release from my employment in the Houston Grand Opera Studio in order to fly to New York to attend these auditions, which I was told were important. Many artist managers, casting directors and artistic administrators who were not serving as judges would observe these auditions from the balcony of the 92nd St Y to keep track of rising talent. Exposure was the primary benefit of these auditions. ![]() Because this opportunity to be seen and heard through the lens of these auditions was so important, I was told that it almost didn’t even matter whether I won or not. I never did.Īccording to the list on the Tucker Foundation’s website, the Sara Tucker Study Grant has been awarded 96 times since it began in 1998. It has been awarded to only 1 Asian-American singer: tenor Andrew Stenson in 2011. Of those 96 Sara Tucker Grant awards, only 9 went to black singers. All six of the most recent round of Sara Tucker Grant winners in 2019 were white. ![]() This is just the lowest level of award given by the Foundation. Its top prize, the Richard Tucker Award, which comes with a $50,000 award and a gala concert that is one of the primary highlights of the New York opera season, has been given 39 times since 1978, and only once to a Black singer: tenor Lawrence Brownlee. ![]()
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