Susan Lewis Music Studio students wow the crowd at Spring Recital

By Debbie Adams

The Susan Lewis Music Studio presented their spring recital on May 17 at Thrasher Memorial
UMC. Usually, they seem to be more of a concert than a recital. This year, the event turned out
to be an exuberant variety show with students of all ages and skill levels, from elementary school
to adults, singing and playing instrumentals which varied from Mozart’s “Sonata in C Major” to
“Great Balls of Fire” to “Ten Little Indians” and movie themes such as “Little Girls” and
“Popular.”

The afternoon began with the introduction of graduating high school students Anna Carter, Cary
Jones, and Eliza Sealey, along with recent college graduate Allie Watson.

Eliza Sealey is a new voice student this year. She is looking forward to graduating from
homeschooling. Her future plans include continuing her education at Virginia Western
Community College and continuing her voice lessons with Lewis. Her musical achievements
include playing the flute as a founding member of the Roanoke Valley Homeschool Orchestra
and beginning voice lessons this year. She is planning to start auditioning for stage roles to share
her vocal talents with the local community. Eliza enjoys drawing and painting, studying art under
Jason Fizer for the past three years. She enjoys leading games for younger students who attend
her Homeschool Sports and Recreational Games group every week. She loves to read, especially
fantasy fiction and biographies. She is one of seven Sealey siblings Lewis has taught or is
currently teaching.

Cary Jones is graduating from William Byrd High School. She has been a piano student with
Lewis for eight years. She plans to attend Radford University in the fall to pursue a degree in
Secondary Education to teach math. She has attended the Burton Center for Arts and Technology
where she studied Early Childhood Education and completed an internship in public schools. She
is a member of the marching and concert bands at WBHS playing clarinet, has been a member of
the swim team for four years, and the Leo Club. She is a member of the Beta Club, National
Honor Society of High School Scholars, and on the A Honor Roll her senior year. She has worked as a swim instructor with children of all ages, and this year is working at a daycare with
infants.

Anna Carter is graduating from William Byrd High School. She has worked with Susan Lewis
on and off for 11 years. Her future plans are to attend James Madison University, majoring in
Elementary Education with a minor in Educational Media. She has attended the Burton Center
for Arts and Technology where she studied at the Center for Mass Communications and
completed the teaching internship program at a local elementary school. She has been playing
varsity tennis for three years. She has been a lead yearbook staff member, a member of the Leo
and Beta Clubs, and a member of the SCA, Drama Club, and Reindeer Clubs. She has been an
A-B Honor Roll student her senior year.

Anna started her own freelance photography business known as “Anna Captures Photography”
where she photographs seniors, couples, and families, along with event photography, with the
goal of growing this venture throughout college and while teaching.

She has worked at the Lickidy Split ice cream shop and at Early Honey Tree Learning Centers as
a floating substitute. She has internship experience as a Salem Red Sox Camera and Graphics
intern, and as an RCPS Graduation Live Crew Photographer. Her honors include taking first
place in the category “Future Business Educator” in the Future Business Leaders of America
competition. She competed at the RCPS Science Fair, taking third place in a Behavioral Science
project on technology and exercise on teens; she advanced to the Regional Science Fair, once
again taking third place, and also won the American Psychological Association Award for 2025.

This year, Lewis was able to recognize not just high school seniors, but Allie Watson, a recent
college graduate (UNC-Wilmington). She continued lessons all the way through college with
Lewis after moving to Wilmington “because of her passion and love of music—for a total of 12
years.”

Watson graduated summa cum laude from UNC-Wilmington in December 2025 with a Bachelor
of Science in Marine Biology, with minors in Environmental Science and Oceanography. She
plans to earn her master’s degree in marine biology and is currently volunteering with the
UNCW marine mammal “stranding” program where she gets to respond to strandings and help
assist with research to better understand marine mammals and further conservation efforts.

Lewis also recognized her students who competed in the 2026 Bland Foundation Music
Scholarship Competition sponsored by the Vinton Breakfast Lions Club. Local winners included
Lucy Sealey who won first place in instrumentals (piano) and Abigail Harvey, who won third
place in instrumentals (piano). In vocals, Ryleigh Woolwine won first place; Keegan Thacker,
second place; and Eliza Sealey, third place.

First place winners advance to the next level of competition. At the regional level, Lucy Sealey
placed second in instrumentals, while Ryleigh Woolwine placed first in vocals. State competition
comes next on May 29 in Bristol and involves scholarships.

Recital performers on May 17 included:

 Jesse Luedtke: “Ten Little Indians” (piano)

 Asher Nasser: “Für Elise” (piano)

 Juniper Cashman: “Love Story” (vocal solo)

 Autumn Atkins: “The B-I-B-L-E” (piano)

 Gwen Luedtke: “Camptown Races” (piano)

 Ingrid Smith: “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid” (vocal) and Aardvark Boogie”
(piano)

 Cobyn Hoke: “Pop! Goes the Weasel” (piano)

 David Doss: “Steve’s Lava Chicken” from a Minecraft Movie (piano)

 Emerson Cashman: “America” (vocal)

 Vivian Cain: A Spoonful of Sugar” from “Mary Poppins” (piano)

 Emory Mullins: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” (piano)

 Phillip Sealey: “A Million Dreams” from “The Greatest Showman” (vocal)

 Hannah Chandler: “A Sunny Day” (piano)

 Grace Matar: “This Land is Your Land” (piano)

 Emily Hall: “Flowers” (vocal) and “Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement) Op.27, No. 2”
(piano)

 Holden Magill: “You’re the Best” from Karate Kid (piano)

 Jackson Wiegand: “Lead on Black Horse” (piano)

 Abigail, Paisley, and Bella Harvey: “The Cross” (vocal trio)

 Patience McGuire: “March Militaire” (piano)

 Lily Sealey: “I’m Not Afraid of Anything” from “Songs for a New World” (vocal) and
“Great Balls of Fire” (piano)

 Jackson Doss: “High Hopes” (piano)

 Faith Dooley: “He’s a Pirate” from “Pirates of the Caribbean” (piano)

 Dr. Mark Schueler: his original piece “Seems Like” (vocal and guitar)

 Atharva Dsouza: “Theme from Jurassic Park” (piano)

 Carson Kirby: “In the End” (piano)

 Keegan Thacker: “Girl on Fire” (vocal) and “Für Elise” (piano)

 Kori Carter: “Greensleeves” (piano)

 Millie Erickson: “You Say” (piano)

 Eliza Sealey: “The Sound of Music” (vocal)

 Joelle Card: “Prelude” (piano) and “The Rose” (vocal)

 Max Erickson: “Old Time Rock & Roll” (piano)

 Jackson Morris: “Numb” (piano)

 Kelly Ronan: “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” (vocal)

 Steve Miller: “Press On, It Won’t Be Long” (piano)

 Elizabeth Lewis: “Working for My Good” (vocal)

 Deborah Dreyer: “Sonata in C Major, K. 545 (1st Mvt)” (piano)

 Anna Carter: “Popular” from “Wicked” (vocal)

 Stanley Chen: “Bergentrückung” (piano)

 Allie Watson: “Michael Meets Mozart” (piano)

 Ella Paulos: “Think of Me” from “Phantom of the Opera” (vocal)

 Lucy Sealey: “Nocturne in B Flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1 (piano)

 Angela Janney: “Truth I’m Standing On” (vocal) and “Over the Rainbow” (piano)

 Cary Jones: “My Tribute” (piano)
 Ryleigh Woolwine: “Little Girls” from “Annie” (vocal)

Most of the performers were voice and piano students of Susan Lewis; seven were students of
Associate Teacher Katie Saunders, who is the music teacher at Bonsack Elementary and teaches
both piano and voice. She was Lewis’s student many years ago.

Lewis thanked Greg Chewning for serving as sound technician, Jamie Archual for providing
videography, and Thrasher Memorial for the use of the facility once again.