Blessed With Success
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
Like all gifts, the gift of music is a gift from God. Music can penetrate our hearts and pull emotions we may not realize we are capable of feeling. If God grants you the gift of voice, you should use it for His glory. One Greenup County teen understood this better than most and took his God-given gift and sang his way right into an international championship. Ayden Davis, a Raceland-Worthington High School graduate of the class of 2023, attends Gateway Church of God and recently had the opportunity to represent his church in the International Teen Talent Program.
The International Teen Talent Program emphasizes using the phrase, “Our talent for His glory,” and highlights young people from across the Church of God through the Bible, drama, art, music, and multi-media. Davis has always been drawn to performing. Growing up, he was heavily involved in his school’s music program, a member of the mass chorale for six years, and a member of the chamber choir for four years. He also participated in several productions at the Paramount Arts Center over the years.
“I enjoy singing because it allows me to create scenes to an audience. Depending on how you articulate a song, you can convey countless different emotions and send listeners to wildly different states of mind. Music, to me, is the most important form of art; you can allow the consumer to temporarily feel a variety of different emotions and memories all while having their eyes closed. You can direct the most incredible movie ever made, but if it doesn’t have music, the emotional connection to the audience is never made,” explained Davis.
Singing isn’t the only thing that Davis adores. “I adore going to church, not just because I get to see my friends, but because I can learn about the Lord and how to better myself as a person. When I started following Jesus, I gained an eternal friend, lifeline and mentor, and that’s something I will forever cherish,” Davis shared.
In the summer of 2019, a good friend invited Davis to attend church with her. “I obliged and enjoyed my time there, but it wasn’t until I went to Kentucky Youth Camp that I devoted myself to Christ. While there, I had an encounter, and I understood that the Lord gave me a purpose, and I needed to follow the path He set for me with the same grace, kindness, and love that He showed me,” noted Davis.
Church became a very large part of Davis’ life. Davis shared, “Over the next four years, Gateway Church of God became my second family. So many amazing people showed their support for me in every step of my journey. I was involved in youth worship groups, but around this time last year, our praise and worship leader formally asked me to join their entourage.”
It was because of his relationship with our Lord and Savior, his majestic voice, and his desire to serve that young Davis found himself singing for the Lord at the International Teen Talent awards program. “Earlier this year, one of my youth pastors informed me about the Church of God Teen Talent competition, and that he wanted me to enter. I had heard about the competition previously, but I didn’t know exactly what to expect. He gave me a song, ‘King of Kings,’ performed by Chandler Moore, and I fell in love with the song instantly. It reminds me of the old hymnals that my great-grandmother would sing but had a modern twist that captivated me in the best way possible. That April, we traveled to Lexington to participate in the state competition. I performed with flying colors and won first place, allowing me to advance to internationals,” Davis explained.
Once he arrived at internationals, Davis found himself amid some fierce competition. Hundreds of teens and young adults from all over the world showed up to compete in the program's many areas of competition such as photography, sculpting, interpretive dance, music and so much more. In the category of male solos, Davis found himself going up against over 40 of the most talented voices from all over the Western Hemisphere.
Davis has developed quite a unique approach to singing. Davis elaborated on his approach, “When I sing, I think about a multitude of different things depending on where I am. If it’s in a concert setting, I’m usually fully focused on things like dynamics, vowel articulation, and overall artistry. However, in a more casual setting, I like to imagine a scene, i.e., a landscape, character, or something else that I believe conveys the feeling of the song, and I try and use my voice to put that image into other people’s minds.”
This unique approach served Davis well at the international competition. “I stepped onstage and gave it my all, focusing on conveying the mental image of Jesus on Calvary, and the sun beaming into his tomb as the stone rolled away. Later that week, awards were held, and I was announced to be the first-place winner,” Davis noted.
In addition to earning the title of International Male Vocalist, Davis was also blessed with a scholarship to his college of choice… Lee University. Davis is now in his first semester. Davis shared, “Lee University is a faith-based school with a heavy focus on their liberal arts. I was granted the opportunity to join the Voices of Lee, an extremely prestigious a cappella group with only 16 members. They travel internationally and have done some pretty incredible things, such as singing at President Obama’s inauguration. I plan on working heavily with the ensemble during my time at Lee, and I’m blessed to have the ability to sing with them. As of right now, I don’t have any concrete plans after I graduate. What I will do; however, is follow the Lord, and He will put me where I need to be.”