Music students earn Junior Festival Gold Cups

Published 9:05 am Thursday, August 5, 2021

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Students from Advance and Clemmons earned National Federation of Music Clubs Festival Gold Cups from the NCFMC Junior Festival for 2021.

Students submitted Youtube performances for judging. The Wake Forest district virtually hosted more than 600 Junior Music events and entrants sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs.

The Gold Cup program honors outstanding and excellent musicianship skills.  Gold Cups are earned in three-year increments if a student earns a score of Superior for each of the three consecutive years.

The following students earned their NFMC Festival Gold Cups for 2021:

• Mallory Andrews is a rising sixth grader at Ellis Middle School. Her parents are Adam and Allison Andrews of Advance. Mallory earned her first level (15 points) NFMC Festival Gold Cup in f Musicianship/Theory. She is in a middle year working toward earning the 30 point cups in Hymn Playing, American Patriotic/Folk Songs and Piano Solo and scored a Superior in all of her 2021 events.   She is on track to earn her 15 Point cups in Piano Duet in 2022.

Mallory loves dancing and has been taking dance since she was 3 at In Motion Dance Studio. She loves spending time with friends and family. She wants to be a veterinarian because she loves animals. She is a member of Clemmons Methodist Church.

• Elijah Beadle, 14, is entering the ninth grade as a home-school student. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Eli started singing at a young age and began private voice lessons three years ago with Teresia Queen. His accolades from the Wake Forest festival for 2021 include gold cups in Musicianship/Theory, American Patriotic/Folk Songs and Vocal Art Songs. He is on track to earn his first level gold cup in Musical Theater in 2022. Eli enjoys learning new songs, creating his own lyrics and collaborating with his sister.

He enjoys biking, fishing, hiking, and playing outdoors. His family resides in Clemmons. He is the son of David and Jeanette Beadle.

• Katelynn Beadle, 13, has been playing piano since she was 7 and enjoys creating music. She is often found playing around on the piano and is teaching herself to play the ukulele and guitar. Katelynn is the daughter of David and Jeanette Beadle of Clemmons.  She has earned four NFMC Festival Gold Cups this year in Piano Solo, Hymns, American Patriotic/Folk Songs and Musicianship/Theory. She is in the middle years of Piano Concerto and a new event, Sacred Piano Music.  Katelynn scored a total of six Superior scores for the 2021 festival, and won the Wake Forest Division for Hymns Class I.

She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and will be entering eighth grade in home school.

• Ryan Madison Fussell earned three NFMC Festival Gold Cups in Vocal Art Song, Vocal American Patriotic/Folk Song and Musicianship/Theory as a graduating senior from Davie High School.  She also was the Wake Forest district winner in Vocal Art.  She is a member of Pinedale Christian Church and is the daughter of Matt and Alison Fussell of Advance.

Ryan presented her graduating Senior Recital program in June and will be attending UNC Charlotte in the fall.

• Jaxon Gardner is a resident of Clemmons and the son of Ryan and Tiffany Gardner. He will be in the seventh grade and attends Clemmons Presbyterian Church.

Jaxon has participated in the Wake Forest NFMC Junior Festival for the past four years and earned his Festival Gold Cups in Piano Solo and Musicianship/Theory for 2021. He is in a middle year of earning points towards his next level cups in the piano events of   American Patriotic/Folk Songs and Hymn Playing and scored a Superior on all of his 2021 events.

Jaxon loves playing and watching baseball, basketball and football. He loves to go trout fishing with his dad in the mountains, as well as reading, swimming and running.

• Layla Hazlip is a rising fifth grader from Advance, the daughter of Chris and Christine Hazlip. Layla and her family are members of Hillsdale United Methodist Church, where she is a regular volunteer.

Along with her interest in piano, Layla enjoys recreation league softball and basketball, swimming, and she is taking tennis lessons.  She has also been active in her home school co-op program over the past three years.

For 2021, Layla has earned two Festival Gold Cups from NFMC in the events of American Patriotic/Folk Songs and Hymn Playing.

• Anna Hedrick has participated in the Wake Forest Junior Festival for three years and earned all consecutive superiors in Piano Solo, Hymns and American Patriotic/Folk Songs. These scores earned her Festival Gold Cups in all of her piano events.

She is a rising sixth grader at Ellis Middle School.  She is the youngest daughter of David and Kathy Hedrick of Advance and attends Clemmons Presbyterian Church where she has sung with the CPC Children’s Choir and played with the Middler Hand Chime group.  She has also provided music for worship services as a soloist and pianist.

Her hobbies include dance, competition dance, reading, traveling with family, spending time with friends and music.  Her music interests include:  singing, piano, church chimes and flute in next year’s band at school.

• Will Hedrick will be an incoming freshman at Davie High School and is also a member of Clemmons Presbyterian. Will enjoys playing Lacrosse, baseball, trumpet, traveling with family and fishing.  He will also be a member of the Davie High School Band in the upcoming school year.  He is a former member of Sources of Strength peer support at North Davie Middle School.   

Will is the winner of four previous NFMC Festival Gold Cups in piano performance and this year earned his first level cup in the event of Musicianship/Theory.  He is the son of David and Kathy Hedrick.

• Holyn Hedrick is an academic honor student and a rising junior at Davie High School and has earned five NFMC Festival Gold Cups.  She is a member of Clemmons Presbyterian Church where she sings with the Youth Choir and rang for two years with the Middler Chimes.

She is the oldest daughter of David and Kathy Hedrick of Advance.  Holyn enjoys playing the piano, reading, crafting and playing the clarinet. She writes for the school newspaper at Davie High and is a member of the Davie High School band.   

She earned her 15 point cup in Musicianship/Theory for 2021.  She enjoys traveling with her family and also works at Mediterraneo Pizza & Grill in Clemmons.

• Sean Lane will be a freshman at Davie High School. He is a member of River Oaks Church.  His creative arts interest include music and photography.  Sean is the son of John and Jackie Lane of Advance and he has been a four year member and participant of the NFMC.

Sean earned his Festival Gold Cup for 2021 in Musicianship/Theory and has earned three 15 point cups in Piano Solo, AP/FS and Hymns. He is in the middle years of working toward his 30 point cups in each of the piano performance events.

Sean has also earned the “Personal Best” award in piano memory from Queen’s studio for the past two years.

• Beckett Lunde is a home school student and will be entering middle school as a sixth grader. He is the oldest son of Alicia and Graham Lunde of Advance.

Beckett has been a participating member of NFMC for three years and earned his Festival Gold Cups in  Piano Solo, American Patriotic/Folk Songs, Hymns and Musicianship/Theory.  He earned all Superiors in all events for his first three years in piano performance as well as theory.  Beckett also added a new event for 2021, Piano Trio, in which he performed with his brother, Pierce, and friend Jed Flippin.

He enjoys soccer, basketball, baseball, golf and TaeKwondo.

• Jeffrey Lyons is the son of Michael and Karen Lyons of Clemmons. Jeffrey attends West Forsyth High School where he will be a junior.

Jeffrey has been a member of NFMC for seven years and earned his 30 point duet cup for 2021 with his sister Natalie as his duet partner. His previous NFMC Festival God Cups include seven gold cups in piano performance. He was also this year’s Wake Forest District winner in the Class III Hymn event.

Jeffrey plays tennis at West Forsyth and enjoys biking. He is an active member of Clemmons Presbyterian Church and the Youth Choir.  He also regularly provides service music for the worship services.  Jeffrey hopes to study and pursue a career in environmental science.

• Leela Moore is a rising fifth grader at Saint Leos Catholic School and is the daughter of Jason and Lee Moore of Advance. She has been taking piano from Mrs. Queen and participating in the Junior Festival sponsored by NFMC for each of the past three years. Leela has consistently earned a rating of Superior in each event, each year.

For 2021, she earned three Festival Gold Cups of Piano Solo, American Patriotic/Folk Songs and Hymns.  Leela is in the middle years of earning her first gold cups in Piano Duet and Musicianship/Theory.

Leela is artistic and enjoys painting with acrylic and creating miniature sculptures with modeling clay.  Shw also enjoys cartwheels and often choses to cartwheel around the house instead of walking.

• Tyler Moore is a rising sixth grader at Saint Leos Catholic School and is the son of Jason and Lee Moore. He has been taking piano lessons since kindergarten and has participated in the NFMC Wake Forest Junior Festival all six years receiving a score of Superior in Musicianship/Theory, Piano Solo, Hymns and American Patriot/Folk Songs. This year he added t Piano Concerto and Piano Duet.

For 2021, Tyler has earned his 30 point cup in Piano Solo which reflects six years of a perfect score of Superior.

Tyler also studies Taekwando with Family Kicks School and has recently been promoted to Red Belt.  His favorite outside of school activities are playing video games and watching YouTube.

• Kristen Roberts is a member of Calvary Baptist Church and attends their Day School, where she will be an incoming junior.  She acquired an interest in music and wanted to learn more about singing when she began voice lessons four years ago with Mrs. Queen.  She has been a member of NFMC, and has just completed her third year of Junior Festival participation for the Wake Forest district.  She has earned Festival Gold Cups in Vocal Art Song, American Patriotic/Folk Songs and Musicianship/Theory.  She is the daughter of Kim and Neal Roberts and is on track to earn her 15 point cup in Musical Theater in 2022.  She has been a multiple year winner of Mrs. Queen’s Studio Award for “Personal Best Memory”

• Giulianna Steuart is a rising sixth grader and the daughter of Michael and Kristen Stueart. She has been a member of NFMC for four years and earned her first level cup in tMusicianship/Theory. Giulianna won three NFMC Festival Gold Cups in her piano performance events and is the middle years of working toward her 30 point cups.

Giulianna loves swimming, basketball, volleyball, reading, drawing, and playing with friends. She is a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Winston Salem. Giulianna has also earned the music studio award of “Personal Best Memory” for the past four years with Mrs. Queen.  She is on track to earn her NFMC Gold Cup in Piano Duets with her duet partner, Mallory Andrews in 2022.

• Arabella Yaroszewski is the daughter of Susan and Joseph Yaroszewski of Advance, and the twin sister to E.J., who is her piano duet partner. She will be a freshman in August and her family belongs to Center Grove Baptist Church in Clemmons. Arabella has won four NFMC Festival Gold Cups in piano performance and is on track to earn her 30 point cups in 2022.

For 2021, she has earned her first level cup in Musicianship/Theory.

Arabella’s hobbies include  music, reading volleyball and church activities. She is the 2021 winner of the NFMC Music in Poetry Contest for the southeastern U.S.

• E.J. Yaroszewski  is the twin brother to Arabella and son of Susan and Joseph Yaroszewski. He has been a participating member of NFMC for five years, earning a score of superior each year in all events. He has earned four Festival Gold Cups in piano performance categories and is on track to earn his first gold cup in Piano Concerto cup in 2022, as well as his second level gold cups of 30 points in his other piano events.  E.J. earned his 15 point cup for this year in the event of Musicianship/Theory.

E.J.’s hobbies include Airsoft and RC car, plus the sports of cross country and track.

The above 18 students are members of the music studio of Teresia Ann Queen, piano and voice teacher, recently named again as having the No. 1 ranked federated music studio in North Carolina by the NFMC.

“This is indeed a high honor from within a national organization that has over 135,000 members across the U.S.,” she said.

The studio is a junior club which participates annually in the NFMC Junior Music Festival. Although many other factors contributed to this honor, the participation and success of her students at Wake Forest was the largest contributing factor.

“I am honored to be affiliated with such a dedicated musical organization on the state and national level and all the opportunities it provides students for challenge and growth in their musical education,” she said. “Thank you to all students who contributed to being named No. 1 in the state of NC for another year. You contributed with your festival participate scores, sharing music in your churches, performing at nursing homes and talent shows, letters of recognition from congressional leaders in your areas, and all those students who were named state finalists, as well as state title-holders in your respective events.”

Other students who contributed to the ranking but who are in the middle of gold cup years and not pictured e:  Aaron Clodfelter, Jed Flippin, Sarah Hardin, Garrison Hewitt, Viola Hewitt, Ashley Holly, Ava Lagle, Pierce Lunde, Natalie Lyons, Jenna Scully, Marion Shelton and Landon Vick.

“Each student is to be congratulated for all they have accomplished, shared and contributed to this statewide recognition as well as their own individual perfect scores and awards.”