NATCHEZ — As soon as Damien Henderson closes his eyes, the courage to sing in his three church youth group choirs, the Natchez High School choir and any offbeat performances around his house soon follows.

Henderson, 15, will join 120 students from 19 churches across the Miss-Lou today to form the PowerHouse Choir that will perform at the third-annual Back-To-School youth powerhouse explosion at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.

And even though he has participated in both of the previous events, Henderson said he will still be nervous when he takes the stage today.

“In the morning of a day I have to sing, my heart will be beating like crazy,” Henderson said. “Once I get up on stage, the whole time, I’m singing, I close my eyes.

“If I just close my eyes, I’ll be fine.”

That tendency has stuck with Henderson since he began signing in 2010, when his mother, Barbara Henderson, got him involved in the youth choir at Pilgrim.

“I didn’t really want to do it at first, but after a while I really started to like it,” Henderson said. “I never would have thought I had the voice that I do.”

And it’s not uncommon to find the tenor singing multiple solos during a regular church service, but Henderson said he will only be leading one song today — “Nobody Greater” by VaShawn Mitchell.

Also returning to the stage this year is Vidalia High School senior BreAnna Pollard, who said she is excited to participate in the event again this year.

“Since I go to Vidalia, this event gives me a chance to meet a lot of people from Natchez and other areas,” Pollard said. “I’ve made a lot of friends from singing in the past two events.”

And Pollard said she uses her own technique to fight off nerves when she gets up on stage — no matter the size of the crowd or event.

“I just look straight at the back door the whole time,” Pollard said. “It doesn’t matter where or what I’m singing, I’ll be looking at that back door.”

Terri McGruder, youth ministry chairperson, said the church uses the event to get kids excited to go back to school, but to also bring together students and parents from across the Miss-Lou.

“Prayer is the best way to start anything, so why not try to get all the parents and students under one roof?” McGruder said. “It’s power in the house of God — it just makes sense.”

The event is free to the public and will start at 7 p.m. tonight at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church on 117 Pilgrim Blvd.