Back Row, from left, are Madeline DeJoy, Nolan Lefler and Matthew Lefler. Front row, from left, are Danica Olson, Whitney Canfield, Chloe Cimo, Amerasia Miller, Andy Schmidt.

Madeline DeJoy, Nolan Lefler, Matthew Lefler, Danica Olson, Whitney Canfield, Chloe Cimo, and Amerasia Miller, students of area piano teacher Andy Schmidt, each recently received a distinguished award from the National Guild of Piano Teachers.

DeJoy, the Lefler brothers, and Miller each received the Guild’s Paderewski Award. Olson, Canfield, and Cimo each received the Guild’s Five-Year National Award.

The Paderewski Award signifies that in each of the past 10 years, the student has performed a demanding 10-piece memorized program of piano compositions for a Guild-appointed judge and received a passing grade on repertoire and technique. The Five-Year National Award signifies that the student has performed this same feat in each of the past five years. The students will be featured in the Spring 2024 issue of the magazine Piano Guild Notes in recognition of their achievements.

DeJoy is a freshman at State University of New York – College at Fredonia where she majors in music education. The daughter of Norma DeJoy and Vince DeJoy, she is a 2023 graduate of Jamestown High School. She is the recipient of many music scholarships including the Brian A. Bogey Scholarship, the Ruth E. Munson Scholarship, and the Mozart Club Scholarship. At Fredonia she now studies organ with Jo Hyun Woo and French horn with Donna Dolson.

Nolan Lefler is a junior at Southwestern High School. The younger son of Dennis and Leah Lefler, his other activities include sailing, varsity soccer, and varsity tennis. He also plays first chair saxophone in the Southwestern High School band.

Matthew Lefler is a senior at Southwestern High School. The elder son of Dennis and Leah Lefler, his other activities also include sailing, varsity soccer, and varsity tennis. He plays first chair trumpet in the Southwestern High School band.

Olson is a resident of Jamestown and is employed by Community Music Project to teach music classes for preschoolers. Additionally, she is employed by Christ First United Methodist Church as Co-Director of Children and Youth Ministries and as Treasurer. A 2012 graduate of Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, she also operates her own music studio where she offers early childhood piano lessons and vocal coaching. She enjoys singing with several area vocal groups including Serendipity and Lake Erie Choral Artists.

Canfield is a fifth grader at Washington Middle School. The daughter of Paul and Alyssa Canfield, her other activities include swimming, basketball, softball, and soccer. She also is a member of Student Council.

Cimo is an eighth grader at Washington Middle School. The daughter of Amber Mason and Owen Cimo, her other activities include volleyball, soccer, and softball. She also is a member of National Honor Society.

Miller is a 2023 graduate of Grand Haven High School in Grand Haven, Michigan. A former resident of Lakewood, she now continues her piano lessons with Schmidt via FaceTime. The daughter of Jeffrey and Francisca Miller, she now attends Muskegon Community College in Michigan on a pre-med track.

The National Guild of Piano Teachers was founded in 1929 and now holds annual auditions for more than 100,000 students at Guild centers located throughout the United States, China, and several other countries. At each center, students perform for a Guild-appointed judge who evaluates their performance and offers constructive feedback. Schmidt’s students participate annually at the Guild center located at State University of New York- College at Fredonia.