Trey McLaughlin and The Sounds of Zamar

Trey McLauglin and The Sounds of Zamar are known for their expressive vocals and intricate arrangements of classic gospel hymns, but they have gently pushed the boundaries of gospel to add fresh adaptations of contemporary gospel, pop and musical theater. Their viral videos on YouTube have millions of viewers and they have performed with gospel greats like William McDowell, Kierra “Kiki” Sheard, Brian Courtney Wilson and James Fortune. They are recent competition winners for their rendition of “Chasing After You.” This win led to a featured appearance of Grammy nominated artist Vashawn Mitchell’s Triumphant DVD. Their single, “I Will Praise,” taken from the debut album, Limitless, is on the Billboard Gospel Charts. In 2018, they embarked on their first national tour, “The Zamar Experience.”

Behind the sound is Trey McLaughlin, a passionate vocalist, educator, composer and arranger. Known for fusing together an eclectic mix of musical genres, he performs original works with the ensemble he created. He also serves as director of worship and arts at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia and is the artistic director of the non-profit performing arts youth group, Creative Impressions, of which he was once a member and student director. He serves as adjunct faculty at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, teaching graduate level courses in conducting, vocal technique, composing, arranging and piano.

A native of Augusta, Georgia, McLaughlin attended the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, where he was a member of the University Singer and Chorale and placed second and third in Georgia’s National Association of Teachers of Singing competition for two consecutive years. He holds a Bachelor of Music Performance degree with emphasis on vocal pedagogy. He is a member and past president of the professional music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and is a former director of G.E.N.E.S.I.S, the Columbia State Gospel Choir.

In 2014, McLaughlin had the honor of conducting a Master Class and performing at the L’Opera de Massy in Massy, France. In 2015, he conducted a 300-voice choir on Krakow, Poland as a guest clinician. He often serves as guest clinician for Honor Choruses throughout Georgia.

Trey McLaughlin and The Sounds of Zamar are known for their distinctive gospel style and their new arrangements of musical theater tunes. They bring a fresh perspective to their songs, but always capture the essence of the original piece.

Zamar is from the Hebrew and means sing or praise. You will hear songs of praise that will inspire and bring joy to the heart. As the group prepares to produce a second album, the future is “Limitless.”