For Immediate Release
Contact: Catherina Hurlburt at NAfME
catherinah@nafme.org or (703) 860-4000

Three Students Named Winners of
NAfME 2021 Electronic Music Composition Competition

RESTON, VA (October 28, 2021)—The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Electronic Music Composition Competition recognizes outstanding compositions and highlights the effectiveness of music technology in the school curriculum. Entries are judged based on their aesthetic quality, use of electronic media, and the power of the composition.

NAfME member adjudicators selected winners from three categories: grades K–8; grades 9–12; and collegiate. Each entrant must be sponsored by a NAfME member or be a NAfME Collegiate member in good standing. Submitted compositions needed to be 5 minutes or less and either be composed electronically or include electronic instruments (vocal and/or acoustic instruments could be combined with electronic instruments).

These selected composers receive cash awards and written evaluations of their work:

K-8 Winner: “Run Away” by Jackson Laird
Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts, Columbus, Georgia
Teacher: Samuel Brown

K-8 Honorable Mentions:
“Lava” by Celeste Arndt
Excelsior Elementary School, Excelsior, Minnesota
Teacher: David Davis

“We Black” by Secret McNair, Carre Price, Kemani Heath, Aniyah Allen, and Jermiah Bademosi
Center City PCS: Trinidad Campus, Washington, DC
Teacher: DeAnte Willis

High School Winner: “Cherry Plum” by Jessica Taylor
Weaver Academy, Greensboro, North Carolina
Teacher: Howell Ledford

High School Honorable Mentions:
“Nimbus” by Grant MacMillan
Loudoun County High School, Leesburg, Virginia
Teacher: Lisa Fiorilli

“Creature” by Cameron Woody
Weaver Academy, Greensboro, North Carolina
Teacher: Howie Ledford

Collegiate/Graduate School Winner: “Showing Color” by Crystin Williams
University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina
Teacher: Jonathan Kladder

Collegiate/Graduate School Honorable Mention
“Boolean Input” by Nate Krebs
Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
Teacher: Robert McClure

Listen to the winning and honorable mention student compositions here.

###

National Association for Music Education, among the world’s largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. With more than 60,000 members teaching millions of students nationwide, the organization is the national voice for music education in the United States.

Follow NAfME on Twitter (twitter.com/nafme) and on Facebook (facebook.com/nafme).
For additional information, contact Catherina Hurlburt at catherinah@nafme.org or 703-860-4000.