These students are among those who will be auditioning for membership in the National Fraternity of Student Musicians on Saturday, May 12. Pictured are (sitting, from left) Ryan Pattat and Jacob Levy; (standing) Anne Marie Sceals, Katie Dedmon, Emily Elston and Katie Lewis. Not pictured are Kaitlyn Schwarz, Morris Tritt, Elizabeth Tritt, Katherine Tritt, Morgan Reeves, and Hannah Conway. They are the students of Jane Blackburn and Rachel Conway.

Local Pianists to Participate in National Piano Guild Auditions

Twelve Brownsville piano pupils, from the studios of Jane Blackburn and Rachel Conway, have registered as candidates for membership in the National Fraternity of Student Musicians. The organization is sponsored by the National Guild of Piano Teachers, Teacher Division of the American College of Musicians. Blackburn and Conway are both members.

Students auditioning are Hannah Conway, Katie Dedmon, Emily Elston, Jacob Levy, Katie Lewis, Ryan Pattat. Morgan Reeves, Anne Marie Sceals, Kaitlyn Schwarz, Elizabeth Tritt, Katherine Tritt and Morris Tritt.

The young pianists will perform in the National Piano-Playing Auditions on Saturday, May 12, 2007, at First Presbyterian Church. The American College of Musicians will evaluate the students’ performances based on their presentation of baroque, classical, romantic and modern works. Students will perform in the presence of a professional adjudicator chosen by the national organization.

This year’s adjudicator is Dr. Terry McRoberts, Professor of Music at Union University in Jackson, where he teaches applied and class piano and related courses, as well as coordinating concerts, recitals and keyboard studies. McRoberts performs frequently as a soloist and collaborative musician, and is pianist with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. He has presented sessions for the American Matthay Association for Piano, the Southern Chapter of the College Music Society, Tennessee Music Teachers Association, and the Society for American Music. A church organist for over twenty years, he currently plays at First United Methodist Church in Jackson, Tenn.