Student musicians take top prizes in JMArts’s seventh-annual “Sing and Play”

SILER CITY, N.C. — Seven local students — a soloist, duet and four-member band — took top prizes last night in “Sing and Play ’25,” the seventh-annual student music competition at Jordan-Matthews High School. From auditions through the showcase concert, the event is designed as an educational experience for young musicians and a fun benefit concert for JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation.

Audience members voted Madilyn Brown of Bonlee School as best performance in the elementary division for her vocal rendition of “Mean,” a song by Taylor Swift.

Avery Jenkins and Craven Smithwick of Margaret B. Pollard Middle finished on top of the middle school competition with their vocal performance of “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better),” a song by Irving Berlin from the musical, “Annie Get Your Gun.”

And in the high school competition, Street Mob of Jordan-Matthews High School took the prize for singing “Mi Vicio,” a song by Eslabon Armado and T3R Elemento. Members of the band were Alexander Hernandez Rivas, Ciro Garcia, Emanuel Nolasco Bautista and Gianni Ocelot.

The winner in each of the three divisions received a $50 prize.

Rose Pate, president of JMArts, said there were four more acts than in last year’s show with musicians representing 10 different schools. “Student interest for ‘Sing and Play’ keeps growing,” she said. “And they keep coming back! We now have student musicians who have competed over several years in all three age divisions!”

All money raised by the competition is used by JMArts to expand opportunity for high school artists. That includes JMArts Scholars, the nonprofit’s flagship initiative that allows high school actors, dancers, musicians and visual artists to study over the summer — usually at weeklong, residential workshops on university campuses. Since being launched in 2012, JMArts Scholars program has awarded 101 scholarships to 70 students.

Musicians from Chatham County and across the state were eligible for “Sing and Play.” Contestants in the showcase concert were selected during open auditions by judges Greg Burriss, Matt Fry and Sandra Gisel Lopez, the Sing and Play ’24 high school champion who also performed as guest artist at this year's showcase concert.

Pate expects “Sing and Play” to return next year with registration for auditions opening sometime around December 1. JMArts is already looking at possible dates for next year’s competition, which is likely to be held once again in mid- to late-February.

More information about “Sing and Play” and other arts events scheduled this season is available at jmarts.org. Photos from this year's showcase concert will be available online at facebook.com/JMHSArts.

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Champions of “Sing and Play ’25” with the show’s co-hosts are co-host David Ta’Bon, high school champion Street Mob (Alexander Hernandez Rivas, Ciro Garcia, Emanuel Nolasco Bautista and Gianni Ocelot), middle school champion Avery Jenkins and Craven Smithwick, elementary champion Madilyn Brown and co-host Samantha Wieber. (Photo by Chip Pate)

High School Champion: Street Mob of Jordan-Matthews High School. Band members are Alexander Hernandez Rivas, Ciro Garcia, Emanuel Nolasco Bautista and Gianni Ocelot. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Middle School Champion: Avery Jenkins and Craven Smithwick of Margaret B. Pollard Middle School. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Elementary School Champion: Madilyn Brown of Bonlee School. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Contestants Set for ‘Sing and Play ’25’ Student Music Competition on February 20

SILER CITY, N.C. — Showcase contestants have been selected for “Sing and Play ’25,” the seventh-annual music competition hitting the stage later this month at Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City.

The showcase concert on February 20 at 6:30 p.m. highlights talented student musicians throughout the area and raises money for JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to provide what student artists need to excel.

General admission is $5 per person and includes one vote in each age-based competition. Tickets will be available at the door.

Judges Greg Burriss, Matt Fry and Sandra Gisel Lopez selected 20 musical acts during open auditions to perform in separate elementary, middle and high school competitions. Winners will be selected by audience vote and each receives a $50 cash prize.

Elementary contestants are Emily Bingle of Chatham Charter School, Madilyn Brown of Bonlee, Harley Gaddis of Silk Hope and Mariah McCrimmon and Samuel Melgar of Virginia Cross Elementary.

Middle school contestants are Shanita Asamoah Abetia of George Moses Horton, Emilia Culton of Margaret B. Pollard, the duet of Avery Jenkins and Craven Smithwick of Margaret B. Pollard, Avery Oldham of Chatham Middle, Emilia Smith Pumalpa of George Moses Horton and Madison Wilmoth of Chatham Middle.

The competition will conclude with nine high school performances. Six are by Jordan-Matthews musicians: Brianna Balderas, Felix Banks, Delaney Clark, Ari Ibarra, Natalie Morales Zagada and the quartet of Alexander Hernandez Rivas, Ciro Garcia, Emanuel Nolasco Bautista and Gianni Ocelot. Rounding out the high school roster will be Leesie Frosio Nelson of Chatham Early College, Ayana Lupoli-Rojas of Woods Charter and Kayle Maxfield of Chatham Early College.

This year’s showcase will feature a guest performance by Sandra Gisel Lopez, a JMArts Scholar, recent graduate of Jordan-Matthews and winner of last year’s high school competition.

The concert will be cohosted by Jordan-Matthews actor-musicians David Ta’Bon and Samantha Wieber.

“We are excited by the broad representation from across the county,” said JMArts President Rose Pate, who noted that performers from outside Chatham also were eligible. “And we are planning to offer translation services during the showcase so our Spanish-speaking families can fully enjoy the show!”

All money raised by the competition will be used by JMArts for educational projects, including its flagship JMArts Scholars. Since being launched in 2012, the JMArts Scholars program 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, explore artistic options before making their college decisions and bring what they learn back to share with other Jordan-Matthews students.

More information about “Sing and Play” performers will be published on JMArts social media. Details about JMArts and other events scheduled for this season are online at jmarts.org.

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Sandra Gisel Lopez, a JMArts Scholar and recent graduate of Jordan-Matthews, won the high school competition at last year’s event and will return to perform as guest artist for “Sing and Play ’25” on February 20 at Jordan-Matthews High School. The annual competition was created as a performance opportunity for student musicians and a fundraiser for JMArts. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Seventh-annual Sing and Play student music competition set for February

SILER CITY, N.C. — Sing and Play ’25, the seventh-annual music competition for students from elementary through high school, returns next month with auditions and its popular showcase concert 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 by appointment in the Jordan-Matthews Auditorium on Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m., when a panel of judges will select four to six acts in each age category to perform in the showcase competition. Auditions are held with an educational focus, providing an opportunity for young, aspiring performers to experience the audition process in a supportive environment. Individuals and ensembles planning to audition must register online by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31.

The Sing and Play Showcase competition concert will be Thursday, Feb. 20, at 6:30 p.m. Immediately following all performances, winners in each age category will be selected by audience vote. General admission is $5 per person and includes one vote in each category.

Last year’s winners were Ella Stewart of George Moses Horton Middle School in the elementary division, Josephine Chen of Woods Charter School in the middle school division and Sandra Gisel Lopez of Jordan-Matthews High School in the high school division. Sing and Play ’24 was hosted by JM actor-musicians Andrey Ureña-Seceña and Karsyn Vann. 

An overview of this year’s competition — including rules and a link to the registration form — is available online at jmarts.org/s/JMArtsSingandPlayRules25.pdf.

Sing and Play is an annual fundraiser for JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, a nonprofit created to provide what student actors, artists, dancers and musicians need to excel.

All money raised by the competition will be used to expand opportunity for high school artists, including students honored as JMArts Scholars. Since being launched in 2012, JMArts 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, explore artistic options before making their college decisions and bring what they learn back to share with other Jordan-Matthews students.

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

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Champions of Sing and Play ’24 with the show’s co-hosts are, from left, elementary champion Ella Stewart, co-host Andrey Ureña-Seceña, middle school champion Josephine Chen, high school champion Sandra Gisel Lopez and co-host Karsyn Vann. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Sandra Gisel Lopez of Jordan-Matthews took the prize in the high school competition at Sing and Play ’24 for her vocal performance of the Lauren song, “From the Start.” (Photo by Chip Pate)

Josephine Chen of Woods Charter School finished on top of the Sing and Play ’24 middle school competition with her vocal performance of “Rolling in the Deep.” (Photo by Chip Pate)

Audience members voted Ella Stewart, then a fifth-grader at George Moses Horton Middle School, as best performance in the Sing and Play ’24 elementary division for her vocal rendition of “When Will My Life Begin,” a song from the film “Tangled.” (Photo by Chip Pate)