Antoine Barnes
CCBC alumnus,
Music, 2009

“I would not have become the musician I am today if I had not made the stop at CCBC.”
In his mid-30s, Antoinne Barnes might be considered a late bloomer in the music world. Far from it. The performance seed was planted when he began singing as a child in his church choir. Music has been a rich part of his life ever since. 
 
After graduating from high school, Barnes headed off to college. Unfortunately, the school was a bad fit and he opted to instead spend the next 10 years in the workforce. But that wasn’t satisfying or fulfilling for Barnes.

“I needed to go back to school,” he said. This time he came to CCBC. 
 
“CCBC offered a high-quality education at an affordable price, and it gave me the opportunity to work with Choral Music Professor Monica Otal,” Barnes recalled. “That was the icing on my cake!” 

This time both the school and the program were a perfect fit. Barnes graduated from CCBC with his Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree concentrating in Music in Spring 2009 and went on to major in Music Voice at the University of Miami (Fla.) 

A series of critically acclaimed performances in area operas have proven this late bloomer is indeed a perennial. Barnes has applied to the graduate program at the University of Miami and hopes to major in choral conducting, his longtime dream. 

“I would not have become the musician I am today if I had not made the stop at CCBC,” he explains.
CCBC Alumni, Antoine Barnes