By Debbie Adams
While it was a real pleasure to attend the Bland Foundation Music Scholarship Competition in
Vinton on March 15, you would definitely not have wanted to be one of the judges. So much
talent with only two winners to be chosen.
The Lions scholarship program was established in 1948 “to assist and promote educational
opportunities for the musically talented youth of Virginia.” It extends across the state, consisting
of elimination contests starting at the club level and continuing through the state finals
competition.
The Vinton Breakfast Lions Club again hosted the annual event at Thrasher Memorial United
Methodist Church. The competition honors James Bland who is considered “the greatest Black
writer of American Folk Music,” composing over 700 songs throughout his career. He wrote
“Carry Me Back to Old Virginny,” the state song of Virginia from 1940 to 1997.
Twelve students performed in this year’s local Bland competition.
Competition. They are pictured with the contest judges.
Alto Ryleigh Woolwine, age 13 and an eighth grader at Read Mountain Middle School, won first
place in vocals, performing “Little Girls” from “Annie, the Musical.” Her music teacher is Susan
Lewis of Vinton.
Lucy Sealey (age 15), a homeschooled ninth grader, won first place in Instrumentals, performing
“Nocturne In B Flat Minor, Op. 9 No. 1” on the piano. Lewis is also her music instructor.
Woolwine and Sealey will advance to the regional competition at Thrasher on April 12. Winners
there advance to the State Bland Scholarship Competition in Bristol on May 29.
Fifth grade mezzo-soprano Keegan Thacker (age 10) won second place in vocals, performing
“This Girl is on Fire.” Third place in vocals went to Eliza Sealey (age 17). She is homeschooled
and a senior.
Pichaya (Pam) Kampanya (age 14 and in 9th grade) won second place in Instrumentals,
performing “Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement” on the violin.
Third place in instrumentals went to Abigail Harvey, age 15 and a 10th grader, performing “River
Flows in You” on the piano.
instrumentals), Abigail Harvey (third place instrumentals), Eliza Sealey (third place vocals),
Keegan Thacker (second place vocals), Ryleigh Woolwine (first place vocals), and Pam
Kampanya (second place instrumentals).
Other performers included:
- Pithiwat (Pete) Kampanya (age 12 and in 7 th grade), performing “Concerto” on the violin
- Lily Sealey (age 15 and a homeschooled 9 th grader), performing an exuberant “Great
Balls of Fire” on the piano - Emily Hall, a mezzo-soprano (age 13 in 8 th grade) sang “Flowers”
- Phillip Sealey, alto, (age 11 and a homeschooled sixth grader) performed “A Million
Dreams” from the “Greatest Showman” - Anna Carter (a senior, age 18) sang “Popular” from the “Wicked” musical
- Stanley Chen (a junior, age 16) performed “Bergentrückung” on the piano
Any elementary, middle, or high school student is eligible to participate in the Bland
Competition. Contestants may perform in the vocal or instrumental category, but not both.
Presentations are limited to eight minutes and must be memorized. Performers are not allowed to
use microphones.
Musicians are judged on “faithfulness to score, technique, interpretation, stage presence,
complexity of composition, and memory.”
Over $25,000 is awarded annually in prizes at the local, district, and state level in the Bland
Competitions. Local winners receive monetary awards and certificates.
Phillip Sealey, Emily Hall, Abigail Harvey, Eliza Sealey, Lily Sealey, Anna Carter, Keegan
Thacker, Lucy Sealey, Ryleigh Woolwine, and Stanley Chen are all students of the Susan Lewis
Music Studio. Pete and Pam Pithiwat are students of Wei-Fang Gu.
Judges for this year’s competition were Carolyn Cox, Patricia Trail, Cathy Fisher, and Hannah
Cox.
Carolyn Cox has taught music in Roanoke City Public Schools for over 28 years. She has sung
“The Star-Spangled Banner” for various functions around the state. She also sings in her church
choir and serves as a soloist. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in vocal performance from
Roanoke College.
Trail is the artistic director for the Roanoke Valley Choral Society. She is a Salem native and
graduate of Roanoke College. She has performed around the state for many years. Having served
three local churches, she retired from First Evangelical Presbyterian Church, having served for
23 years as director of Music/Children’s Ministries. She continues to operate a full music studio
and serves as administrator for the First Academy of Music at FEPC.
Fisher has been performing on viola with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra for 37 years. She is
a private music teacher, teaching piano, violin, viola, and music theory. She has interned as
conductor for the Roanoke Youth Symphony and has arranged choral and instrumental pieces for
several local churches and the Roanoke Symphony. She learned violin and viola through
Roanoke City Schools and played with the Youth Symphony. She has a bachelor’s from
Roanoke College with a concentration in viola and education.
Hannah Cox is a cellist and music educator in Roanoke. She currently works at Roanoke
Catholic, teaching general music, choir, and orchestra. She completed her bachelor’s at Syracuse
University, dual majoring in Music Education and Cello performance, with a minor in Music
History. She performs locally in the Roanoke community.
Guitarist Bruce Hildenbrand, guest musician, performed during interludes in the competition
when judges were completing their scoring.
Vinton Lion Gary Myers served as master of ceremonies for this year’s competition. He also
facilitates the Bland Scholarship Competitions at the local and regional level in District 24-C.
There are approximately 46,000 Lions Clubs in over 200 countries around the world, with over
1.4 million members— reportedly the largest service organization in the world.
The Vinton Breakfast Lions Club was chartered in 1985. Its members fulfill their motto— “We
Serve”— in the community in countless ways throughout the year. If there is a need in the
community, the Lions make every effort to meet that need. They especially focus on meeting the
needs of children.
They sponsor many fundraising events including a Pancake Breakfast during the Vinton Fall
Festival and their Spaghetti Dinner prior to the Vinton Christmas Parade. Proceeds from all
Breakfast Lions’ fundraisers go back into the local community and communities across the
Commonwealth, the nation, and the world.
The local Lions are well known for their broom sales which provide support for eyeglasses and
eye exams for needy children. They collect used eyeglasses which are distributed around the
world. The Breakfast Lions conduct vision screenings in many area schools and preschools—
both private and public.
Each year the Breakfast Lions sponsor a Christmas shopping trip for about 20 students from
Herman L. Horn and W.E. Cundiff Elementary Schools.
One of their most important functions is sponsoring the Leo Club at William Byrd High School.
Leo Club members, and their sponsor, Lisa Stover, assist with virtually all Vinton Lions Club
projects.
Each spring, the Lions Club awards scholarships to seniors at William Byrd High School in
memory of Wallace Cundiff and two scholarships to Staunton River High School seniors in
memory of Lion Ryan Chambers.
The Lions Club participates in the Lions of Virginia Foundation which assists local Virginia
communities in disaster relief. In the Vinton community, the Breakfast Lions have taken on
legacy projects in the preservation of the historic Gladetown Cemetery, in building a picnic
shelter for the community at Herman L. Horn Elementary, and funding two Metro bus shelters at
Kroger and PFG in Vinton. The Breakfast Lions are also partnering with the Town of Vinton on
the multigenerational park on the Vinton War Memorial campus.
