Quest For A Gentleman

About the Book

Sheila is about to venture into a world of the unknown: Her first semester in college. A music major fresh out of high school, she expects her studies to be easy, her friendships to be plentiful, and her opportunities to be endless. However, she is not prepared for the hurdles that await her ahead at Plantation Grove. In its light-hearted delivery, Quest for a Gentleman involves the struggle of an African American girl attending a historically Black college who simply wants to meet her Mr. Right. Holding dear to her religious teachings, God and the Bible are all she needs in her quest. But as life would have it, she encounters her share of deceit among her new friends, isolation from campus social cliques, and utter dismay from her college professors. It is a difficult lesson to learn as she ponders whether she is really ready for this journey after all.

About the Author

Sheila L. Ramsey, is a native of Jackson, Mississippi and is currently a graduate student at Jackson State University, pursuing the Master of Music Education degree. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Jackson State University in 2007, where she studied Vocal Performance under the direction of Phyllis Lewis-Hale. She currently performs with Opera Workshop, and was the recipient of the William A. Brown Scholarship. She served as President of the Jackson State University Concert Choir, and has given lecture/recitals in the community about African American female opera singers in this country. Miss Ramsey has performed master classes held by Dr. George Shirley and Faye Robinson. She has also performed with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and the Jackson State University Orchestra. She participated in a duet performance for the Opera/South Reunion Benefit Gala, in which she performed on the same stage with Barbara Conrad, Curtis Rayam, Emma Goldman and Chester Patton to name a few. Sheila has been featured as an artist for the Opera/South presentation of Opera and all that Jazz, as well as From Mozart to Motown. Sheila was a 2nd Place winner in the NATS vocal competition in 2010 held in Monroe, Louisiana. She has understudied the role of Pamina in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, and studied with the OperaWorks Advanced Artist program in Los Angeles, California. Among ensemble performances, Sheila has been a featured artist for the internationally acclaimed group Jerry Smith & The Children of Israel, as well as Dathan Thigpen & Holy Nation. In 1990, Miss Ramsey studied with Larry Robinson at Tougaloo College, where she received the Bachelor of Arts degree. She completed the Master of Public Policy & Administration degree in 2000 from Jackson State University. She is presently an elementary school music teacher, and middle school choral director in the Hinds County Public School District.