Armuchee High School graduate Jamie Barton was one of six winners of the Metropolitan Opera's 2007 National Council Auditions, a program designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers. Jamie and the other finalists were featured live from the Met in the competition that was aired on NPR (National Public Radio) stations nationwide.  Jamie was one of only 11 semi-finalists who participated in the Grand Finals.  She was the only Mezzo-Soprano to be selected a winner in the auditions.

Jamie received a $15,000 prize and an opportunity to audition with the Metropolitan Opera.  She will be able to audition for the Met - one of the world's top opera companies - once per year for the next three years.  Jamie said, "I'm exhausted, but deliriously happy.  I received great feedback from the Met and I plan on returning a few times over the next few years to sing for them."  Jamie attended Glenwood and Armuchee schools growing up in the Armuchee community.  She graduated from Armuchee High in 2000.  Jamie added, "Perhaps one day little ol' Jamie Barton from Armuchee , Georgia will be doing some work there on a consistent basis." 

Jamie earned her Bachelor of Music in voice performance from Shorter College in Rome in 2004; she is currently in graduate school at Indiana University .