Wharton County music club holds first festival

The newly formed Wharton County Music Club, affiliated with the National Federation of Music Clubs, conducted their first Gold Cup Junior Festival at Wharton County Junior College Friday, March 14-15 in the Duson-Hanson Fine Arts Building. Participating teachers were Debra Lemson and Vickey Brooks.

The NFMC Gold Cup Junior Festival promotes various music categories for student performances. There are events for piano, including solos, duets, trios, concertos, hymn playing and accompanying.

The vocalists may perform art songs, musical theater, duets and even patriotic and folk songs.

The festival is open to all instrumentalists including woodwinds, strings, brass, percussion, guitar and handbells in a wide variety of musical solos, duets, trios and ensembles.

There are also events designed for musicianship, composition, orchestra and dance.

Forty-seven music students participated in the first Wharton County Music Club Gold Cup Junior Festival.

Piano students performed in solo piano, hymn playing, folk songs and patriotic music performance and piano duets.

Voice students performed art songs, patriotic, folk songs and musical theater. Guitar and woodwinds participated in solo and duet events.

Judges for the first Wharton County Music Club Gold Cup Junior Festival were: Dr. Laura McDonald, Lee Lemson and Joe Waldrop. McDonald is an adjunct music instructor at the Sugar Land campus of WCJC.

She has a bachelor of music in piano performance from Arizona State University, a masters of music in applied piano from the University of Miami and a doctor of musical arts in piano performance from University of Oklahoma. McDonald has taught at WCJC since 2005.

Lemson has been choir director and music instructor at WCJC since 1989. Waldrop has served as music instructor and director of bands since 2004.

The NFMC festival program is designed to promote the study and interest in American and world music literature, and encourage each participant to reach a high standard of musical achievement. The NFMC is not a competition but an opportunity to perform and receive evaluation.

The NFMC is dedicated to music education and promoting creative and performing arts in America. All music instructors, private and public are invited to join the Wharton County Music Club.

For more information, please call Lemson at 979-532-1531 or Brooks at 979-578-1876.