By: Sydney Franklin Photo courtesy of Amanda Florian/NBC.com
If you’re a triple threat, they’ll like you — at least that’s what Milligan freshmen Amanda, Brianna and Tiffany Florian said about their careers as singing triplets.
The trio from Charlotte, N.C., known collectively as “The TBA Girls,” has been singing, acting and dancing since age five. Their latest achievement is performing on NBC’s newest vocal game show “The Winner Is” over the summer.
After graduating early last December from the Central Academy of Technology and Arts (CATA) in Monroe, N.C. with backgrounds in theater, the Florian sisters received a call from NBC producers asking them to audition for the show in Raleigh.
“We early graduated because then we would be free for opportunity and to focus on our music,” said Tiffany, a film studies major. “We knew God had a purpose and a plan.”
Last March, the girls competed in Round 1 of the show in Los Angeles. They were paired against a mother-daughter duo and judged by a panel of 101 expert judges. The host, Nick Lachey, asked both sets of contestants if they thought they had lost or won the battle and presented them with an offer of money. Though they lost the round and rejected the money, the sisters came away with no regrets.
“We didn’t want to take that chance because we didn’t want to doubt ourselves,” said Amanda, a digital media and film studies major interested in broadcast journalism. “But it was an amazing experience.”
The show aired in July.
Voted most involved in high school, the Florian sisters plan on taking advantage of several opportunities at Milligan as well as continuing their music careers. All three want to be involved in the theater program, student government and possibly venturing abroad on the sophomore humanities tour.
“When we first came to Milligan, there was so much peace and we loved the sense of community amongst the students and even teachers,” said Amanda. “Everyone was so open and friendly and Milligan offered all of our majors. We love getting involved.”
Due to their Puerto Rican ancestry and ability to sing in foreign languages, the girls were able to receive Goah Diversity Scholarships. Classically trained since age eight, combined they sing in Italian, Spanish, Chinese and English. They regularly perform at events in the Charlotte area, at the Billy Graham Library and annual festivals. They have also spent several summers training with voice, dance and acting coaches in New York City and studying at the Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan.
“Singing is one of our main passions,” said Amanda. “We will always do it no matter what we decide to go into. But we want to do other things in the entertainment industry. We are trying to make ourselves a little more marketable.”
To learn more, check out their website tbagirls.com and watch their performance on “The Winner Is” on NBC.com.
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