MCC music ensemble members conjure memories in anticipation of reunion
Twenty years ago, MP3 players were all the rage, Titanic dominated the Oscars, and Google appeared on computers.
Two decades ago, Meridian Community College's Dimensions were making a musical impact on the local community that would have lasting effects today.
To celebrate this anniversary, the Dimensions will host a 20-year reunion on April 25 at 7 p.m. at the Mississippi State University Meridian Riley Center.
For former Dimensions members and many others, the group was much more than just a musical ensemble. It was a place to connect, grow, and learn skills that would benefit them throughout their lives. And on April 25, they will come together to celebrate that legacy and the impact that Dimensions has had on them.
Take, for example, one Dimensions alumnus, Telvin Lewis. "I joined the Dimensions in the Fall of 2010. I always had a huge passion for music and performing, and I was a fan before joining. I knew that Dimensions would help perfect my craft as an artist," he said. It was his instructor, Tammy Miles, who Lewis said helped him. "My absolute favorite memory in Dimensions was always during rehearsal with Mrs. Miles because she would make us go over certain phrases in a song over and over and over again until we got it right.”
Lewis, a singer and songwriter who's written for artists including Zara Larsson, Kehlani, and Nicole Scherzinger, has appeared on American Idol, Netflix's Sing On, and Season One of Fox's I Can See Your Voice, where he was the secret voice winner on the series' premier. Recently serving as the playlist coordinator at Disney's Music Group/Hollywood Records, Lewis is now the record label coordinator at New Wave Entertainment.
While in Dimensions, Lewis gained respect for showmanship on the stage and truly learned how to connect with an audience while connecting to the lyrics of a song. After attending MCC, Lewis transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi.
Another member, LeAnn Naylor, joined Core/Encore her freshman year in 2003 because of her passion for singing and dancing. In her sophomore year, the ensemble's name changed to Encore. "It gave me confidence and taught me many other skills to allow me to grow in many areas," she said. Today, Naylor is celebrating her 15 years of teaching in the Lauderdale County School District as a third-grade teacher at West Lauderdale Elementary.
Noah Hancock, who joined Dimensions in the Fall of 2016, today works as a mortgage lending loan processor at the Pensacola, Fla., based Navy Federal Credit Union. He performs in shows organized by the City of Orange Beach, Ala., twice yearly. "It's a way of continuing doing what I love," Hancock said.
“It's an opportunity that would not have arisen if not for the connections I made in Dimensions," he said.
For Camora Mosley, joining Dimensions in the Fall of 2016 was a way for her to learn
about music performance so she could teach in her own business – something that she
does today. "Without the leadership of Mrs. Tammy Miles and my experiences with the
Dimensions group, this actualization of my dream would not have happened. I am so
thankful for the experience," Mosley said. 
"I also learned how to teach others by watching Mrs. Miles do it so effortlessly,” Mosley added.
Mosley noted that her favorite memory from being in the group was experiencing the group's diversity. "Dimensions brings together students from different ages, races, economic backgrounds, geographic locations, religions, and more,” she said. Mosley noted when she was a member of the ensemble, she was 28, dancing with 18-year-old performers. Regardless, the group was unified through music and dance.
If you ask Brett Stewart's favorite memory of being a part of this MCC musical ensemble, he'd tell you it wasn't the performances. “My absolute favorite memories were made before and after each performance. The preparation for certain events, jokes, pranks, breathless laughing, and overall bonding filled my heart with so much joy," he said.
Stewart joined in the Fall Semester of 2004. At that time, Encore and Dimensions were initially separate groups, but the two ensembles often performed together. "I gained what I believe is the greatest of all experiences: life-long friendships,” he said.
Today, Stewart is an instructor at Camp Shelby's Youth Challenge Academy, fire chief at the Sharon Volunteer Fire Department, and a youth and music director at Lebanon Baptist Church.
If you know of a former member who would want to be contacted about the reunion, contact Tammy Miles at tammy.miles@meridiancc.edu or call 601.484.8648.