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)

JM Arts Students to Explore World-Class Art with Grant from Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund

SILER CITY, N.C. — More than 60 Jordan-Matthews High School arts students will have an opportunity to experience world-class performances this spring thanks to a grant from the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund.

The contribution made to JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, funds two of the five events in this inaugural season of Pinnacle of the Arts, a series allowing Jordan-Matthews students to experience world-class arts regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

All events — including outstanding seating locations, transportation and a meal — are offered to students entirely free of charge. Most also provide personal interaction with the performers, who answer questions and provide expert perspective illuminating the artistic work students are encountering.

The Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund grant makes it possible for more than 30 Jordan-Matthews artists to attend the North Carolina Symphony’s upcoming performance of Beethoven Symphony No. 9, one of the world’s most renowned works of classical music. It also makes it possible for another group to attend the national Broadway tour of “Kimberly Akimbo,” winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

“We are grateful for the continued support of our Galloway friends,” said JMArts President Rose Pate. “Providing ‘pinnacle’ arts experiences for our students at no cost to families is one of our most important projects.”

Pinnacle of the Arts began in September with an international tour stop in Chapel Hill by contemporary music icon Herbie Hancock. Two events will be offered in December: a daylong, behind-the-scenes look at the North Carolina Museum of Art and opening night of Carolina Ballet’s renowned production of “The Nutcracker.” Those also are offered free of charge with contributions from another community foundation and two longtime JMArts members.

Becky Spence, chair of the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund grant committee, said it is a privilege for her group to award a grant for Pinnacle of the Arts. “The five art experiences for 30 students will broaden their knowledge of the arts and enrich their lives for years to come. What a great educational opportunity,” she said. “We at Galloway Ridge are happy to be a part of this special experience.”

More information about JMArts — including Pinnacle of the Arts, JMArts Scholars and other events throughout the arts season — is available at JMArts.org.

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JMArts launched their new Pinnacle of the Arts series earlier this fall when a group of JMArtists heard jazz legend Herbie Hancock perform in Chapel Hill. (Photo by Rose Pate)

More than 60 Jordan-Matthews High School arts students will experience world-class art this spring thanks to a grant from the Galloway Ridge Chatham County Charitable Fund.

JMArts Expands Opportunity With Chatham Arts Council Grant

SILER CITY, N.C. — JMArts, the Jordan-Matthews Arts Foundation, recently expanded arts opportunity for local high school students and professional artists thanks to a grant from the Chatham Arts Council. The $1,925 grassroots grant will be matched by JMArts to provide full funding for two major arts activities at Jordan-Matthews High School.

Most of the award will be used to provide a pit orchestra for “Matilda: The Musical,” the school’s spring theater production with three performances on March 14-16.

A collaborative effort among student and professional musicians, the “Matilda” pit orchestra provides live music for the production, giving student musicians the experience of performing in a theatrical production and student actors the opportunity to work with live musicians and deliver a richer performance. Professional musicians drawn primarily from music teachers in Chatham County Schools receive a small stipend for the considerable time and expertise they invest in the school musical.

“When we produced the North Carolina school premiere of ‘Frozen’ last spring, one of the things that received a lot of praise was our pit orchestra,” said JMArts President Rose Pate. “It was the first time in more than a decade we could offer live music and everyone loved it — audiences, actors and especially the musicians themselves. But it’s something we need financial help to do, so we couldn’t be happier that Chatham Arts Council has become an essential part of our musical.”

The rest of the award has recently been used to offer a free, three-day art workshop open to all Jordan-Matthews students. The afterschool event led by local artist Ric Harber taught basic leatherworking skills, giving students an opportunity to work in a medium they had not used before and create a final work of their own. Events like the leatherworking workshop also help support local artists and the region’s active artistic community.

“We try to offer at least one free student arts workshop every year,” Pate said. “Not long ago, it was a songwriting workshop and public concert. This year it was leather art. Students absolutely loved the experience working with Ric earlier this fall. We really appreciate Chatham Arts Council for helping us offer events like these that do so much for students, professional artists and uniting our entire creative community.”

JMArts has a vibrant portfolio of projects — all designed, as the organization puts it, to help students interested in the arts reach their dreams, whether that means a career in the arts or a lifetime of artistic expression.

Its flagship initiative, JMArts Scholars, has awarded 101 scholarships to 70 students since 2012 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 students.

But that’s just the start. JMArts’ most visible project may be producing the annual musical. Last year, it was the statewide premiere of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical” that sold out almost a week before opening night and received acclaim well beyond the immediate community.

This year, JMArts launched Pinnacle of the Arts, a new series giving Jordan-Matthews students the chance to experience world-class art entirely free of charge. Earlier this fall, about 30 students saw legendary musician Herbie Hancock perform at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in an event that included transportation and a meal before the concert.

Four more Pinnacle of the Arts events are scheduled this school year. In December, students will spend a day behind the scenes at the North Carolina Museum of Art and will attend the Carolina Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” at Raleigh’s Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. In February, students will be in Raleigh again to hear the North Carolina Symphony perform Beethoven’s iconic Ninth Symphony. The inaugural series concludes in April with the Broadway tour of “Kimberly Akimbo” at the Durham Performing Arts Center. JMArts includes a meal with every event and works to provide an opportunity for students to ask questions and learn directly from the world-class artists during a post-performance conversation.

JMArts also produces the annual “Sing and Play” student music competition for K-12 musicians throughout the area — auditions for this season’s competition are in late January with the showcase performance scheduled for February 20 — and offers a variety of public concerts and events.

“Our members and community partners are working hard every day to expand opportunity for our students and give them meaningful experiences that can help them understand the world and shape their futures,” Pate said. “Nobody can ever do this alone. That’s why we appreciate organizations like Chatham Arts Council and their commitment to arts education and improving lives.”

More information about Chatham Arts Council is online at chathamartscouncil.org and more about JMArts is available at JMArts.org.

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Clara Rojas (Elsa), from left, Karsyn Vann (Anna) and Sandra Lopez (Olaf) performed last spring in the North Carolina school premiere of “Frozen: The Broadway Musical,” a completely sold-out run produced by JMArts with the Jordan-Matthews High School fine arts department. (Photo by Chip Pate)

Yazmin Cobos, left, and Gisele Lopez Hernandez begin their leatherworking project on day one of a free afterschool art workshop led by local artist Ric Harber. The three-day event was offered by JMArts with a grassroots grant from the Chatham Arts Council. (Photo by Rose Pate)

Projects to offer live music at “Matilda” and a free art workshop for Jordan-Matthews High School have been supported by a grassroots grant from the Chatham Arts Council.