Student Musicians Excel At Festival

FAIRFIELD — Students of Creative Music & Arts in Monroe won top honors at the 2006 Festival of Young Musicians, held recently at Fairfield University.

More than 1,200 musicians from Fairfield County performed at the festival. Students do not compete against each other but perform in front of a select panel of judges who reward them with points ranging from 1 to 5 (the highest) for the quality of the performance.

Students are judged on musicality, technical ability and interpretation. Students who accumulate 15 or more points are awarded a Gold Cup.

Among those Creative Music students from Newtown who participated in the 2006 festival were Aimee Alexander, Kate Bartel, Meaghan Elliot, Cody Jones, Maggie Kase, Alex Lampel, Eric Song and Michelle Zarifis.

Creative Music & Arts, located at 731 Main Street in Monroe, is the longest-running music school in the area, offering private and group lessons in all instruments for children, from pre-K through teens, and adults.