When Kidist “Kitti” Taye ’25 opened TikTok after posting a vocal cover last year, she never imagined it would change her life. She started uploading videos simply to make singing a more intentional hobby, experimenting with styles, watching engagement trends, and having fun. Then one of those clips caught the attention of a casting director from American Idol.
A direct message became a call; that call became an audition. Soon she found herself standing before judges on one of the biggest music stages she has ever performed with her WashU family, Mosaic Whispers, right behind her, literally backing her up.
“Getting to American Idol was an unexpected journey,” said Taye. “The support from my WashU community has meant so much to me and my success.”
That’s because the roots of that opportunity trace back to rehearsal rooms across the Danforth Campus, where Taye found her voice, her confidence, and community through WashU’s oldest all-gender a cappella group Mosaic Whispers.
“I think one of the most consistent forces on campus for me was the a cappella community,” Taye said. “It was a place where I could escape, reset, and connect with people who felt like family.”
Taye joined Mosaic Whispers early in her first semester, drawn to the challenge of complex arrangements, the joy of performance, and the warmth of students who immediately included her. Rehearsals were demanding—seven hours of singing, dancing, arranging, and refining each week—but she never saw them as a burden. Instead, they became her grounding ritual.
“It’s really a place where I could receive and not just give,” said Taye. “Musically, emotionally, creatively, there was always someone there supporting me with Whispers.”
That sense of belonging only deepened through their competition seasons. Mosaic Whispers didn’t just sing; they crafted full stories through movement, harmony, and set design.
By her senior year, Taye was co–music director, leading rehearsals, shaping arrangements, and mentoring younger students. The group traveled, competed, and continued nurturing the community they built.
“Something that I love most about Mosaic Whispers is the alumni network,” she said. “I know that this is something I can always come back to. That support doesn’t end after four years. It stays with you.”
American Idol may be the biggest stage she’s ever stepped onto, but for Taye, this moment is the natural continuation of a story that began at WashU, where she learned that community doesn’t fade. It harmonizes, grows and follows you long after the final chord.
Student Engagement & Belonging is one of the Division of Student Affairs’ five anchors that deliver a transformative student experience. Student Affairs helps create a community where students feel at home and are empowered with the tools to grow, learn and flourish.