Susan Lewis Music Studio expands to two Spring Recitals

By Debbie Adams

Susan Lewis has been an acclaimed piano and voice teacher in the Roanoke Valley for many years. As her reputation has grown, so has her list of students – and the waiting list for those wishing to take lessons.

Seventy-one students were scheduled to perform in the 2023 Spring Recital. That led to her decision to divide the group in half and host not one, but two recitals, back-to-back.

Piano and voice teacher Susan Lewis has so many students that she decided to divide the group for two Spring Recitals in 2023. This group performed at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary at Thrasher Memorial United Methodist Church. (photos by Debbie Adams)

Students performing in the second Susan Lewis Music Studio Spring Recital at 5:30 p.m. on June 4.

The recitals were again held in the sanctuary of Thrasher Memorial United Methodist Church in Vinton.

“These two Susan Lewis Music Studio Recitals were like no other in many ways,” Lewis said “Numerous guests were commenting on their astonishment to me afterwards about the stellar, masterful performances! Different pre-school through college and adult students performed in each recital, with the featured two graduating seniors and associate teachers performing in both.

“If the two recitals had been combined into one large recital (as in the past), the sanctuary would have been overflowing. About 65 piano and voice students performed. To say that I am beyond proud is an understatement! June 4 was truly one for the books.”

The 3 p.m. recital performers included:

Vivian Cain playing “Jumping Frogs”
Rosalind Regal singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
Brooklyn Williams playing “Don’t Stop Believing”
Hank Regal playing the “Star Wars Theme”
Livia Regal singing “Old McDonald Had a Farm”
Edward Saben playing “In the Hall of the Mountain King”
Courtney Walls singing “Count on Me”
Hazel Cole-Rueff playing “Liebestraum” (Dream of Love)
Keegan Thacker playing “Let it Go” from “Frozen” and singing “A Whole New World”
Emory Mullins playing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”
Cecilia Tollin playing “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast”
Addy McLennan playing “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord”
Chloe Hopkins singing “I Want to Stroll Over Heaven with You” (accompanied by Lisa Ratliff on guitar), and playing “I See the Light” on piano
Ryan Saunders played “Harp Song”
Dejagaye Burnell played “Standin’ in the Need of Prayer”
Emily Hall sang “As the Deer” and played “Turkey in the Straw” on piano
William Dodge played “Cotton-Eyed Joe”
R. J. McLennan played the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
Petra Dodge sang “Reckless Love” and played “This is My Father’s World” on piano
Bailey Williams sang “I’ll be Waiting”
Philip Saben played “Monody”
Lilla Clark accompanied herself on the piano as she sang “Cover Me in Sunshine”
Abigail Harvey played “Blessings”
Mark Schueler sang his original composition “Brother to Brother” while accompanying himself on the guitar
John Saben played “Married Life” from “Disney’s Up”
Trey Saunders sang “Folsom Prison Blues” as he accompanied himself on the guitar
David Saben played “Unity”
Kayleigh Taylor played “Dancing Queen”
Angela Janney sang “Echo Holy” while accompanying herself on the piano
Henry Saben played “Maybe”
Latriva Pierce played “Yonah/Ashes of Dreams” (from NieR)
Simon Sealey and Abby Shelton performing a vocal duet “The Phantom of the Opera”

Abby Shelton and Simon Sealey performed an incredible duet from “Phantom of the Opera” at the Susan Lewis Music Studio Spring Recital.

Students scheduled to perform in the first recital, but unable to attend, included Molly Bogen, Nolan Ferguson, Elizabeth Becker (adult), and Enna Schofield.

Students performing at the 5:30 recital were:

Trey Satterwhite playing “By the Seashore”
Katherine Figgins singing “Mom”
Joelle Card playing “Welcome to Spring” and singing “Ruins”
Faith Dooley playing “Scales and Arpeggios” from “The Aristocats”
Jayda Baldwin playing “Over the Rainbow” and singing “I’m So Blessed”
Jackson Doss playing “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” from “The Lion King”
Daniel Binns-Loveman playing “From the New World Symphony Theme”
Cheyenne Grantham, accompanying herself on the guitar, singing “Landslide”
Kori Carter playing “Attention”
Josue Smales singing “Ghosts” and accompanying himself on the piano, also playing “The Heart Asks for Pleasure First” on the piano
Aubri Kessler playing “Blue Suede Shoes” on the piano and then singing “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman”
Mara Roche playing “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid”
Deon Staunton playing “Theme from Symphony No. 5”
Jackson Morris playing “Imperial March” (Darth Vader’s Theme)
Emily Mower singing “Cups” (When I’m Gone)
Kathryn Dodson playing “Take Me Home, Country Roads”
Brent Saunders singing “Monster” from “Frozen: the Broadway Musical”
Lucy Sealey playing “Ave Maria”
Scott Dreyer singing “Go Ask”
Lily Sealey playing “Greensleeves”
Kelly Ronan singing “Zombie”
Trevor Bono singing “Starting Over”
Heather Saunders singing “A Thousand Years”, accompanying herself on the piano
Allie Watson playing “Toccata—Carpimus Noctem”
Amanda Morris singing “She’s In Love with the Boy”
Deborah Dreyer playing “Canon Fantasy”
Trey Saunders singing “A Matter of Time” while accompanying himself on guitar
Steve Miller playing “Half as Much”, accompanied by Seth Miller on upright bass
Paul Sealey singing “Stars” from “Les Miserables”
Latriva Pierce playing “One Summer’s Day” and singing “Eight (Sleeping at Last)
Angela Janney singing “Over All I Know” accompanying herself on the piano
Paul Sealey and Abby Shelton performing the vocal duet “In a Crowd of Thousands” from “Anastasia”
Abby Shelton singing “In My Dreams”
Simon Sealey singing “You’ll Be Back” from “Hamilton”

Students unable to perform at the 5:30 recital included Ethan Dailey, Ryleigh Woolwine, Sofia Gonzalez, Cary Jones, and Ellawyn Pagan.

At the end of each recital, Lewis recognized her two students who just graduated from high school – Trey Saunders from Lord Botetourt and Latriva Pierce from William Byrd.

Trey Saunders (on left) and Latriva Pierce (on right) have been long-time music students with Susan Lewis. Saunders has graduated from Lord Botetourt and will be continuing his education at East Tennessee State University, studying guitar and voice to pursue a career in classic music performance and production. Pierce, a graduate of William Byrd, will attend Oberlin College to major in creative writing and music studies.

“Trey has been a dedicated voice student for the past several years,” Lewis said. “He has quite a list of accomplishments and exciting future plans for continuing his music at East Tennessee State University.” He received the Creative Arts Scholarship from East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old-time, and Roots Music Program, where he plans to continue studying guitar and voice to pursue a career in classic music performance and production.

In addition to his music, Saunders has been a four-year varsity starter as a wrestler at Lord Botetourt and made it to States his senior year. He is a member of the National Future Farmers of America organization, the National Honor Society, and an Honor Roll student. He won second place locally in the Bland Foundation Music Scholarship Competition.

He is a singer, guitar player, and songwriter who has played locally at The Hangout, the Botetourt Farmers’ Market, Lackey’s Art Studio, and the Galax Fiddler’s Convention.

Latriva Pierce graduated as a valedictorian from William Byrd. She has studied music with Lewis for seven years.

“Latriva recently became one of my studio’s Associate Teachers of Piano and Voice,” Lewis said. “Her future plans include attending Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music in Ohio in the fall to double major in Creative Writing and Musical Studies. She is a high achiever both musically and scholastically.”

She has been an A Honor Roll student throughout all four years of high school, a Beta Club member, an AP Scholar, and a QuestBridge Scholar. As far back as 8^th grade at William Byrd Middle School, Latriva received the coveted Levi Freeman Character Award given by the school to those “who in the opinion of the faculty, best embody the characteristics of kindness, compassion, honesty, tolerance, and the willingness to do the right thing even when it’s not popular.”

Latriva won first place twice in Instrumentals at the Bland Music Scholarship Competition, playing piano. She served as Drum Major (student conductor) of the William Byrd Marching Band as a senior and Woodwind Captain in her junior year. She qualified for All-District Band as a senior and attended the Virginia Tech Honor Band twice as a freshman and as a senior. She was awarded the coveted “John Phillip Sousa Award” at William Byrd, where she participated in symphonic, jazz, and marching band all four years of high school.

Pierce has also been a member of Byrd’s Forensics team, competing in dramatic interpretation. She was named Regional Champion as a sophomore, State runner-up in 10^th and 12th grades, a state competitor in 9^th and 11^th grades, and placed second in State in 11^th grade.

Susan Lewis added associate music teachers this year to allow students to begin their music education sooner, rather than waiting for openings with Lewis. Pictured left to right are Angela Janney, Susan Lewis, Latriva Pierce, and Abby Shelton.

Lewis next recognized Associate Teachers Latriva Pierce and Abby Shelton, saying, “The addition of two associate teachers has allowed more students to begin their music education rather than just sitting on my waiting list. What better choice for my first two associate teachers than two current, experienced, and extremely capable students who are continuing their lessons and music education with me and whom I have continued to mentor through this process.

“In February, Latriva started her new young students and in March, Abby began teaching hers. Abby teaches voice in the Salem area and Latriva has been teaching piano and voice here in the Vinton area. Even after only a few months of lessons, most of their students were able and chose to do the recital. I am so proud of not only these young ladies, but their students as well.

“With Latriva going away to Oberlin College, her students will need a teacher after summer is over, and as much as we love her and will miss her, a blessing has fallen into place with another associate teacher who is a new adult voice student of mine who performed today – Angela Janney.

“Angela has been teaching students already and will be able to take both piano and voice students in this area. She has had some college music classes and college piano lessons and is excited to join us. To quote her, ‘I feel like the Lord has been using so many things in my life over these past few years to prepare me for this very thing, and He definitely orchestrated me ending up at your studio for voice lessons. My true heart’s dream is simply to share my own God-given love and passion for music with other people, which is what led me to start teaching in the first place.’”

Associate Teacher Abby Shelton will continue to teach voice next year. She has taken lessons with Lewis for several years and is also a former teaching artist at PB&J Theatre Company, and a former teaching assistant at the Roanoke Children’s Theatre.

She placed first locally and second regionally in the Bland Foundation Music Scholarship Competition for vocals in her senior year. She has had extensive roles in both musical theatre and films including Mill Mountain Theatre, Showtimers Theatre, Roanoke Children’s Theatre, and the RCT Professional Youth Ensemble. She has training in both acting and dance, as well as musical theatre, and has studied with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. As the students of the associate teachers advance, they may transition to lessons with Susan Lewis as openings become available.

For more information on the Susan Lewis Music Studio visit https://www.facebook.com/susanlewismusicstudio.