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Students from the local area of Advance and Clemmons earned their National Federation of Music Clubs Festival gold cups from the NCFMC Junior Festival for 2021. The event is held annually on the campus of Wake Forest University, but due to the restrictions of COVID this year, all participating students submitted YouTube performances of their competition music for judging and evaluation. The Wake Forest district virtually hosted a successful Junior Festival with over 600 music events and entrants. There are 13 NFMC Junior Festival events held across the state of North Carolina each year with over 4,000 students participating. The events are sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs and are designed to give musicians of all levels and abilities the opportunity to perform and receive yearly evaluations in a non-competitive environment. Participation in the NFMC festivals promotes music study, stimulates interest in the musical literature of both the U.S. and the world, and encourages each student to reach a high standard of musical achievement. Their NFMC Festival Gold Cup program is nationally recognized and honors outstanding and excellent musicianship skills in all areas of music. Festival gold cups are earned in three-year increments if a student earns a score of superior for each of the three consecutive years.

Since its founding in 1898, NFMC has become the largest nonprofit organization in America to promote and support American music, performers and music education. It is chartered by Congress, and is the only music organization that holds membership in the United Nations. NFMC provides opportunities for musical study, performance and appreciation to more than 135,000 senior, student and junior members in 6,500 music-related clubs and organizations nationwide. Among its members are professional and amateur musicians, vocalists, composers, dancers, performing artists, arts and music educators, music students, music patrons and benefactors and music lovers of all ages. Through its Junior Festival program, with more than 117,000 participants nationwide, it offers more than $750,000 in state and national scholarships.

The following students earned their NFMC Festival gold cups for 2021.

Mallory Andrews is a rising sixth-grade student who will be attending Ellis Middle School in the fall. Her parents are Adam and Allison Andrews of Advance. Andrews earned her first level (15 points) NFMC Festival gold cup in the event of 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. Andrews 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 when she gets older because she loves animals. She is a member of Clemmons Methodist Church.

Elijah Beadle, 14, is entering the ninth grade this year as a home school student. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Beadle 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 the events of musicianship/theory, American patriotic/folk songs and vocal art songs. He is on track to earn his first level gold cup in the event of musical theater in 2022. Beadle enjoys learning new songs, creating his own lyrics and collaborating with his sister. In his spare time he enjoys biking, fishing, hiking and playing outdoors. His family resides in Clemmons and 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 currently teaching herself to play the ukulele and guitar. Beadle is the daughter of David and Jeanette Beadle of Clemmons. She has earned four NFMC Festival gold cups this year in the events of 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. Beadle 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 this year in home school.

Ryan Madison Fussell earned three NFMC Festival gold cups in the events of 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 her vocal art event. She is a member of Pinedale Christian Church and is the daughter of Matt and Alison Fussell of Advance. Fussell 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 this coming school year and attends Clemmons Presbyterian Church. Gardner has participated in the Wake Forest NFMC Junior Festival for the past four years and earned his festival gold cups in the events of piano solo and musicianship/theory for 2021. He is currently 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. Gardner loves playing and watching anything about baseball, basketball and football. He also loves to go trout fishing with his father in the mountains, as well as reading, swimming and running.

Layla Hazlip is a rising fifth-grader from Advance, and is the daughter of Chris and Christine Hazlip. Hazlip 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 currently taking tennis lessons. She has also been very active in her home school co-op program over the past three years. For 2021, Hazlip 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 the events of piano solo, hymns and American patriotic/folk songs. These high scores earned her festival gold cups in all of her piano events for 2021. She is a rising sixth-grader and will be attending Ellis Middle School in the fall. 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 attending Davie High School this fall and is also a member of Clemmons Presbyterian Church.  Hedrick 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. Hedrick 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 honor roll student and a rising junior attending Davie High School and has previously earned five NFMC festival gold cups during her years of festival participation. 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. Hedrick enjoys playing the piano, reading, crafting and playing the clarinet. She writes for the school newspaper at Davie High School and is a member of the Davie High School band. She earned her 15-point cup in the event of musicianship/theory for 2021. She enjoys traveling with her family and also works at Mediterraneo Pizza & Grill in Clemmons.

Sean Lane will be attending Davie High School in the fall as an incoming freshman. He is a member of River Oaks Church. His creative arts interest include music and photography. Lane is the son of John and Jackie Lane of Advance and he has been a four-year member and participant of the NFMC. Lane earned his festival gold cup for 2021 in the event of musicianship/theory and has previously earned three 15-point cups in the events of piano solo, AP/FS and hymns. He is now in the middle years of working toward his 30-point cups in each of the piano performance events. In addition to these NFMC awards, Lane 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 in the fall as a sixth grader. He is the oldest son of Grant and Alicia Lunde of Advance. Lunde has been a participating member of NFMC for three years and earned his festival gold cups in the events of piano solo, American patriotic/folk songs, hymns and musicianship/theory. He has earned all superiors in all events for his first three years in piano performance as well as theory. Lunde 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. Lyons attends West Forsyth High School where he will be an incoming junior. Lyons 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 gold cups include seven gold cups in piano performance. He was also this year’s Wake Forest District winner in the class III hymn event. Lyons plays tennis on the West Forsyth tennis team 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. Lyons 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 Queen and participating in the Junior Festival sponsored by NFMC for each of the past three years. Moore has consistently earned a rating of superior in each event, each year. For 2021, she has earned three festival gold cups in the events of piano solo, American patriotic/folk songs and hymns. Moore is in the middle years of earning her first gold cups in the events of piano duet and musicianship/theory. Outside of school and piano, Moore is very artistic and enjoys painting with acrylic paints and creating miniature sculptures with modeling clay. Moore also enjoys cartwheels and often chooses 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 patriotic/folk songs. This year, he added the events of piano concerto and piano duet to his festival performing events. For 2021, Moore has earned his 30-point cup in the event of piano solo, which reflects six years of a perfect score of superior. Moore also studies Taekwondo 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 its day school, where she will be an incoming junior in the fall. She acquired an interest in music and wanted to learn more about singing when she began voice lessons four years ago with 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 the events of 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 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 this year earned her first level cup in the event of musicianship/theory. Giulianna previously won three NFMC festival gold cups in her piano performance events and is the middle years of working toward her 30-point cups.  Besides piano, Steuart loves swimming, basketball, volleyball, reading, drawing and playing with friends.  She is a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Winston-Salem. Steuart has also earned the music studio award of “personal best memory” for the past four years with 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 also her piano duet partner. She will be entering high school as a freshman in August and her family belongs to Center Grove Baptist Church in Clemmons. Yaroszewski has won four previous 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 the musicianship/theory event. Yaroszewski’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 previously earned four festival gold cups in his 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. Yaroszewski earned his 15-point cup for this year in the event of musicianship/theory. His hobbies include Airsoft and RC car, plus cross country and track.

The above listed 18 students are members of the music studio of Teresia Ann Queen, local piano and voice teacher, recently named again as having the No. 1 ranked federated music studio in the state of North Carolina by the NFMC.  This is indeed a high honor from within a national organization that has more than 135,000 members across the U.S.  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 to the state and national ranking for Queen’s studio.

Queen is 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. Other students who contributed to the state and national ranking (but who are in the middle of gold cup years and not pictured here) include 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.