March 11: Federation of Music Competition

Last Saturday, piano professor Dr. Clara Christian took five piano students to compete in the Federation of Music Clubs Competition in Jefferson City. Among the five were Laura Berthold, Loran Wiley, Ryan Moore, Kaylen Draschil, and Brian Hofmann. Ryan Moore won the McHaney award and Loran Wiley won the McClure award.

The students also had the chance to visit the capitol building. Brian Hofmann enjoyed the trip, saying, “It’s good to be around people that share your same interests, per say, and seeing the beauty of the architecture of our state capitol. And, just like any pianist, there are always things you can work on. We’re all our worst critics, I guess. After a performance, you kind of hear all the mistakes you made; you don’t really hear all the good musicianship. In retrospect, I believe I played to the best of my ability.”

Dr. Christian also remarked on the experience, saying, "I love taking my students to competitions--of course I'm excited to have two winners this time. But winners or not, each student learns a lot about performing on a new piano for a new audience, and they get feedback from the judges that sometimes can make a great impact on their playing.  It also builds camaraderie and mutual support among the piano students." 




The Music Department is very proud of Ryan and Loran for their well-deserved awards, and of all the students who performed in the competition.