SILER CITY, N.C. — Two Jordan-Matthews High School students will study music at UNC Greensboro this summer as JMArts Scholars thanks to a grant from the Fearrington Village Singers.
The community chorus based in Fearrington Village is a longtime partner with JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation. They have funded JMArts Scholars for several years and, in December, musicians from the Jordan-Matthews Chorus performed with the Fearrington Village Singers in “Light a Candle,” their annual holiday concert.
This $1,270 grant will allow two of 13 JMArts Scholars to spend one week at UNC Greensboro studying music and performing with large ensembles featuring talented musicians from across the United States and beyond.
Since being launched in 2012, JMArts Scholars has awarded 101 scholarships to 70 students for intensive study over the summer, usually at weeklong, residential workshops offered on university campuses. JMArts Scholars develop their talent and explore artistic options before making their college decisions and bring what they learn back to share with other Jordan-Matthews students.
Tavvy Gray was one of last year’s JMArts-Fearrington Village Singers Scholars and was grateful to everyone for making that possible. “It was an amazing experience and I had so much fun,” she said. "I also got to learn a couple of new things about singing and a new way to control my breathing while I was there — which was an incredible experience.”
Anne Hummel, president of Fearrington Village Singers, says there are all kinds of benefits for students — everything from individual instruction by exceptional music professors to what often is the first experience many JMArts Scholars have on a college campus. “We are hoping this experience will help them return to their high school invigorated by what they have learned,” she said. “And that it will also motivate them to apply to college to further their education after they graduate.”
The ongoing relationship between JMArts and Fearrington Village Singers has been important for students — not just while they’re in high school, but also for long after. “We really appreciate the support the Fearrington Village Singers have shown our students,” said JMArts President Rose Pate. “They are an inspiring example of the lifelong impact music can have, and it’s wonderful to see them provide a real opportunity for others to follow that same path.”
JMArts Scholars is just one of those opportunities. This school year, JMArts introduced its new Pinnacle of the Arts series, where more than 30 students attend world-class arts events and learn directly from the world-class artists. Thanks to local nonprofits and individual contributors, those entire experiences — including outstanding seat locations, transportation and even dinner — are offered to students free of charge.
Performances this year included contemporary music legend Herbie Hancock, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the North Carolina Symphony, “The Nutcracker” at the Carolina Ballet, “Kimberly Akimbo” with the national Broadway tour and “Behind the Scenes at the North Carolina Museum of Art.” All but the first included private conversations with the professional artists who had just performed and were responsible for bringing art to life.
Pinnacle of the Arts was modeled on the JMArts New York Arts Adventure, where eight Jordan-Matthews students spend five days in New York City over spring break exploring world-class arts, experiencing the city and learning directly from Broadway cast members on stage or backstage after one of five performances.
More information about JMArts — including JMArts Scholars, Pinnacle of the Arts, the Sing and Play student music competition and other events throughout the arts season — is available at JMArts.org.
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Twelve Jordan-Matthews arts students were honored last year as 2024 JMArts Scholars. This year’s scholars will be announced in May. (Photo by Chip Pate)
Members of the Jordan-Matthews Chorus performed as guest artists with the Fearrington Village Singers late last year in “Light a Candle,” their annual holiday concert. (Photo by Chip Pate)
Fearrington Village Singers has been a longtime partner with JMArts, creating educational and performance opportunities for Jordan-Matthews High School musicians.
