Playing piano solos and duets, students of Sherrie Andrews of Daleville presented a recital of classical and contemporary works on Sunday, May 14 at Bonsack United Methodist Church.

Students performing included Jacob Davidick, Cooper Dehr, Kris Dehr, Mehdi Ebrahimi, Christiana George, Gabriella George, Chelsea Gilday, Derek Gilday, McKayla Hoke, Mattie Rose Keely, Julia Misicko, Marty Misicko and Shamin Nepal.

Seven students received trophies for maintaining an “A” grade average this year, Christiana George, Mehdi Ebrahimi, Derek Gilday, Chelsea Gilday, McKayla Hoke, Cooper Dehr, and Julia Misicko, who was also named this year’s “Most Improved” student.

“Scale Mastery” awards for completing various levels of scale studies went to Kristen Dehr, Shamin Nepal, Christiana George, Gabriella George, Jacob Davidick, Mattie Rose Keely, McKayla Hoke, Derek Gilday, Chelsea Gilday, and Jo Ann Mooney.

The “Memory Whiz” award went to Shamin Nepal. McKayla Hoke earned a “Sightreading Shark” award for accurate sight-reading of music, as well as a “Keeper of the Keys” trophy for demonstrating her knowledge of major and minor key signatures.

Derek and Chelsea Gilday earned the “International Grand Master of the Staff” trophy for correctly identifying flashcard notes and intervals in less than one minute.

Cooper Dehr was this year’s “Outstanding Composer” for his piece, “It’s Raining Somewhere Else.” His piece was entered in Piano Explorer magazine’s Composition Contest, where he took third place. He will have his piece published in a future issue of the nationally distributed magazine. Cooper was also named “Outstanding Student” for 2016-17.

Several students qualified to become members of the “1,000 Minute Practice Club” this semester by practicing for at least 1,000 minutes this semester: Mehdi Ebrahimi, McKayla Hoke, Mattie Rose Keely, Cooper Dehr, Kris Dehr, Shamin Nepal and Jo Ann Mooney.

Students were recognized for playing the piano for church services or in nursing homes, taking part in the Virginia State Music Teachers Fall Festival at Hollins University, composing for contests, participating in the Roanoke Valley Music Teachers Student Recital held in April, and for using their piano skills in jazz, concert and marching bands in school.

Andrews has been teaching piano in Daleville since 1986. She is a member of the Music Teachers National Association, Virginia Music Teachers Association, and currently serves as Immediate Past-President of the Roanoke Valley Music Teachers Association.