The Rising Star and Fortissimo Awards are for students who have been nominated by their teachers for showing talent, effort, achievement and great promise as musicians due to perseverance and commitment to their craft.
Rising Star Award Winner — Brady Hron
Ten-year-old Brady Hron takes his piano playing very seriously, playing music from the baroque period to current favourites such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Beatles songs. In addition to his interest in music, Brady’s interests include math, dinosaurs and exploring his creativity with Legos. He also enjoys school and spending time with his grandparents. Brady is looking forward to spending two weeks at the Interlochen Music Summer Camp in Michigan.
Fortissimo Award Winner — Asher Ward
Asher Ward (9), always eager for challenges and chances to perform, loves piano lessons with Amy Conklin. He comes to lessons well-practiced, eager to absorb new concepts and techniques. Asher’s growth in piano can be partially attributed to his love and understanding of music. Asher thrives in a musical environment, and we are excited to see where music takes him!
Fortissimo Award Winner — Haydon Hossick
Haydon Hossick (16), drum student of Brent Barnett, is a testament to the power of a good attitude. His success has been in his willingness to learn and improve, his patience and his enjoyment of the music he makes! He shows great musical potential in his drumming overall.
Rising Star Award Winner — Henry Leluge
Determined and positive, Henry Leluge (12) knows how to energize the studio during his violin lessons with Miya Saito-Beckman. He works hard at every new concept, but also knows when to acbk up and ask questions and share his thoughts. According to Miya, “His willingness to experiment, assess and persevere throughout his violin studies showcases his ability to continue to develop into a mature and sensitive musician.”
Rising Star Award Winner — McKai Roats
McKai Roats (13) has a wonderful and creative passion for music. In her voice lessons with Amy Conklin, she listens well and is constantly working at improvement. Her creative side shows when she comes to lessons with her own arrangements of songs she works on. Best of all, it is obvious by her contagious smile that she has fun when she sings!
Rising Star Award Winner — Tommy Neibergs
Tommy Neibergs (14) is an extremely self-motivated piano student of Amy Conklin. He shows drive and passion in the piano, as well as violin. He often “geeks out” over the depth and intricacies of music theory, and always knows how to ask great questions. Tommy’s love of the instruments he plays stems from his deep love of music!
Rising Star Award Winner — Reid McMullen
Reid McMullen (15) is a highly motivated violin student of Sharon Schwatka. He welcomes a large variety of repertoire to his studies, in terms of genre as well as time period, ranging from Medieval to contemporary. Driven to continue practicing even when lessons had to be online, he passionately progressed in musicality, as well as in technique and violin hand positions. Hurrah, Reid!
Rising Star Award Winner — Emmie Shipman
Emmie Shipman’s (13) violin journey began with Ginny Hollon at age seven when she took a beginning violin class. She developed a deep fondness for the violin, taking private lessons and participating in the CSM Fiddle Club. What sets Emmie apart was her dedication to her instrument, continuing on her own for several years when she moved to a new location. Having returned to lessons, she has shown a great sense of musicality, as well as significant growth in rhythm, intonation and interpretation.