Third-annual “Sing and Play” student musical competition set for February

SILER CITY, N.C. — “Sing and Play,” the third-annual musical competition for students from elementary through high school, will be held next month at Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City.

Instrumental and vocal acts will compete for a $50 prize awarded for the best performance in each of three age categories — elementary, middle school and high school. Acts may be individuals or ensembles up to four people, with all performers being full-time students in a North Carolina public, private or home school.

Auditions will be held at Jordan-Matthews on February 4 beginning at 3:30 p.m., when a panel of judges will select four to six acts in each age category to perform in the competition. Each act selected during auditions must pay a $10 registration fee to enter the competition. Individuals and ensembles wanting to audition must register online by January 28.

The “Sing and Play” showcase competition concert will be February 20, at 6:30 p.m., in the Jordan-Matthews Auditorium. Immediately after the performances, winners will be selected by audience vote. General admission is $5 per person and includes one vote in each category.

An overview of the competition — including rules and a link to the registration form — is available online at jmarts.org/s/SingAndPlayRules20.pdf.

“Sing and Play” is a fundraiser for JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, a nonprofit created to provide what student artists need to excel.

Money raised by the competition will be used by JMArts for educational projects, including its third-annual New York Arts Adventure. Scheduled over spring break, the educational trip to New York City gives a group of upperclass musicians, actors and visual artists an opportunity to explore one of the world’s great cities, experience the very best in the arts and gain new perspectives and experiences that will influence their lives and work. Several world-class actors, musicians and critics will meet with JM artists during the five-day adventure.  

More information about JMArts and other events scheduled for this season is available at jmarts.org.

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Winners of Sing and Play ’19 celebrate with master of ceremonies Sydney Suits. Selected as winners by audience vote were, from left, Jennifer Trejo Benitez from Jordan-Matthews High School, Buck and Maggie Thornton from Chatham Middle School, master of ceremonies Suits, and Jack and Jillian Dixon from Silk Hope School. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Sing and Play logo

Registration opens for Sing and Play '20 musical competition

SILER CITY, N.C. — Registration is now open for Sing and Play ’20, the third-annual musical competition scheduled for February at Jordan-Matthews High School.

Sing and Play highlights musical talent in separate competitions for elementary, middle and high school musicians. Vocalists and instrumentalists who are students in a North Carolina public, private or home school may register through January 28 to receive an audition appointment and perform either as an individual or in an ensemble of up to four musicians.

Acts selected during auditions on February 4 will participate in the Sing and Play ’20 Showcase Competition on February 20, where audience members will select the winner in each age-based competition. General admission to the showcase is $5 per person. Each of the three winning acts receives a $50 cash prize.

Rules and registration information are available online at JMArts.org/events/.

“It's such a pleasure to be part of Sing and Play each year,” said Greg Burriss, who returns as director of this year's competition. “To see these young people learn and grow through this process brings all of us a lot of joy. Sing and Play gives these young performers a chance to experience the audition process and to perform in front of supportive mentors. It's a wonderful educational opportunity."

Sing and Play ’19 winners were Jack and Jillian Dixon of Silk Hope School, Buck and Maggie Thornton of Chatham Middle School and Jennifer Trejo Benitez of Jordan-Matthews High School.

Sing and Play is produced by JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation. All proceeds from the event are used by JMArts to help high school artists thrive. More about the foundation and competition is available online at JMArts.org.

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Jennifer Trejo Benitez, now a senior at Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City, won the Sing and Play ’19 high school competition back in February. She recently performed on stage as the Witch in the school’s production of “Into the Woods." (Photo by Chip Pate)

Winners of Sing and Play ’19 celebrate with master of ceremonies Sydney Suits. Selected as winners by audience vote were, from left, Jennifer Trejo Benitez from Jordan-Matthews High School, Buck and Maggie Thornton from Chatham Middle School, master of ceremonies Suits, and Jack and Jillian Dixon from Silk Hope School. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Brooks, Rains take top honors at JM art show

SILER CITY, N.C. — Tiana Brooks and Rilee Rains received top honors at Path to the Woods, a juried art exhibition held on November 4 at Jordan-Matthews High School.

Brooks was awarded first place and the $100 prize for her mixed media work, “Flower for your thoughts.”

Rains received second place and a $50 prize for “Through the Trees," an acrylic painting on canvas.

Local artists Barbara Hengstenberg and Bronwyn Watson, who served as judges for the show, also selected two works for honorable mention: Madelyn Eubanks's “Freedom” and Diana Ocampo's “Two Paths to the Woods” — both acrylic paintings on canvas.

Path to the Woods was inspired by “Into the Woods,” the Broadway musical being performed at the high school from November 14 to 16 by a large student cast.

Art teacher Rahma Mateen-Mason said students from beginners in Art I through advanced artists in Art IV chose how to interpret the “path to the woods" theme. Some chose a literal interpretation, while others focused their work on some other element of the musical, such as incorporating fairytale characters or landscapes.

The fall art show was presented with assistance from JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with more than 80 members and five organizational partners working to provide what JM artists need to excel.

More information about JMArts, including how to become a member, is available online at JMArts.org. Tickets for “Into the Woods” are now on sale at JMArtsTickets.com.

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Award recipients, from left, honorable mention Diana Ocampo, second-place Rilee Rains and first-place Tiana Brooks celebrate with art teacher Rahma Mateen-Mason after the Path to the Woods art show. Madelyn Eubanks also received an honorable mention award.