SUNY’s West reaches finals of ‘The Voice’
Lucas West is pictured in this photo courtesy of “The Voice.”
Lucas West, a State University of New York at Fredonia senior, was in the national spotlight on Monday and Tuesday after reaching the “The Voice” finals.
West, a senior majoring in Music with a concentration in Jazz Studies from Fairport, was the lone male finalist in the contest. NBC said West “brings a singer-songwriter vibe to the stage that could give him the edge.”
The show was televised at 9 p.m. Tuesday on WRGZ-TV.
During his performance on the show Monday, “The Voice” noted: “West showed off every facet of his voice singing Paul McCartney’s ‘Maybe I’m Amazed.’ …
“For his performance, West accompanied himself on the piano and was backed by a choir, creating a sound so full that (Kelly) Clarkson told him he could ‘crush’ a stadium gig. Now, he’s one step closer to making that happen.”
While at SUNY Fredonia, West has immersed himself in the College of Music, Theatre, and Dance. He plays trombone and piano in the Fredonia Jazz Orchestra and New Jazz Flextet, and sings in multiple ensembles in the vocal jazz program. He studied classical piano during his first year at Fredonia with Fr. Sean Duggan, jazz piano his second year with Dr. Nick Weiser and now studies jazz voice with Professor James Harrington. Their guidance, he said, helped shape both his technical skills and artistic identity.
“I always say Fredonia is conservatory training for the price of a state school,” West said. “You just can’t find that anywhere else.”
West also has sung the national anthem for regular- and post-season Buffalo Bills games in the past.





