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Author: RSM

2024 Awards and honors

Piano Guild Awards

Congratulations to RSM’s students that participated in the 2024 Howard County Chapter of Piano Guild. Our students received Special Plaques, Superior Plus, Superior, Superior Minus and Excellent ratings:

  • Superior Plus: Danielle Choi
  • Superior: Sofia Fabian, Asha Patel, Xylia Wheat, Taylor Jackson, Stone Hargrove, Emery Hargrove, Veena Sellappan, Allison Sabo, Anisa Jackson, Valentia Leal, Liev Elvard, Liam Elvard, Gabriel Roberson, Elinah Opaigbeogu, Roy Prather, Susanna Babatunde, Kim Burson
  • Superior Minus: Luca Fabian, Shyla Sellappan, Roy Prather, Miles Prather, Jack Webber
  • Excellent: Emily Choi

Congratulations to the following students that received special plaques this year:

  • Founder’s Plaque: Danielle Choi and Anisa Jackson

MTNA Studio Festival Awards

Congratulations to RSM students that participated in the 2024 Howard County Chapter MTNA Studio Festival.

  • Superior Plus: Miles Prather 
  • Superior Plus: Aanya Sinha

MSMTA Piano solo competition

Congratulations to Stone Hargrove and Roy Prather who participated in the MSMTA piano solo competition and received excellent ratings.


Miriam S. Gottlieb Piano Competition

Congratulations to Danielle Choi for receiving excellent ratings in the Miriam S. Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition.


MSMTA Music Theory Exam – Student Achievement

Congratulations to RSM students that participated in the 2024 MSMTA Music Theory testing exam. Our Students received superior and excellent ratings:

  • Superior: Stone Hargrove    
  • Superior: Danielle Choi   
  • Superior: Roy Prather
  • Excellent: Luas Rosa

MSMTA Musicianship Exam – Student Achievement

Congratulations to RSM students that participated in the 2024 MSMTA Musicianship Exam. Our students received superior ratings:

  • Danielle Choi
  • Samuel Choi
  • Stone Hargrove
  • Roy Prather

March 2024 Recital Photos

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December 2023 Recital

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AUGUST 2023 RECITAL

August 2023 Recital
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June 2023 Recital

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2023 Awards and Honors

Piano Guild Awards

Congratulations to RSM’s students that participated in the 2023 Howard County Chapter of Piano Guild. Our students received Special Plaques, Superior Plus, Superior and Superior Minus ratings:

  • Superior Plus: Chloe Yan, Liam Elvard, Samuel Choi
  • Superior: Jeremy Zhang, Sophia James, Danielle Spence, Veena Sellappan, Allison sabo, Valentina Leal, Gabriel Roberson, Liev Elvard, Sofia Fabian, Xylia Wheat, Taylor Jackson, Anisa Jackson, Marium Haider, Isaiah McCray
  • Superior Minus: Susanna Babatunde, Kazim Haider, Kim Burson

Congratulations to the following students that received special plaques this year:

  • Early Bach Plaque: Danielle Spence
  • Founder’s Plaque: Samuel Choi

MTNA Studio Festival Awards

Congratulations to RSM students that participated in the 2023 Howard County Chapter MTNA Studio Festival for voice.

  • Superior Minus: Aanya Sinha
  • Excellent Plus: Kim Burson

MSMTA Distinguished Music Achievement Award

Congratulations to Jeremy Zhang for being awarded the MSMTA Distinguished Music Achievement Award at the Elementary level.


MSMTA Piano Solo Competition – Student Achievement

Congratulations to Chloe Yan for receiving honorable mention and Samuel Choi for receiving excellent ratings in the 2023 MSMTA Spring Piano Festival.


Royal Conservatory Exam Award

Congratulations to Kai Luo for receiving First Class Honours in the 2023 Royal Conservatory practical examination.


MSMTA Piano Solo and Musicianship Exam – Student Achievement

Congratulations to Jeremy Zhang and Samuel Choi who participated in the MSMTA piano solo competition and the MSMTA musicianship exam. Jeremy and Samuel received superior ratings.


MSMTA Music Theory Exam – Student Achievement

Congratulations to RSM students that participated in the 2023 MSMTA Music Theory testing exam. Our Students received superior plus and excellent ratings:

Superior Plus: Chloe Yan, Jeremy Zhang, Kai Luo
Superior: Samuel Choi
Excellent Plus: Kim Burson

March 2023 Recital

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December 2022 Recital

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Dr. Monica Roberson, Director

Monica Roberson, D.M.A, is a recognized performer, composer and music educator. Before receiving her Doctorate of Music in Composition/Theory and Piano Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Roberson also studied at Peabody Conservatory of Music where she received her Master’s of Music and the University of North Florida where she received her Bachelor’s of Education in Music.

As a pianist, she has performed throughout the United States to rave reviews. She has been featured on public television in Jacksonville, FL. Her piano playing has been described as “passionate and energetic.” She has competed in various piano competitions and received awards such as third place winner of the DeBose National Piano Competition.

As a composer, Dr. Roberson has composed various pieces ranging from solo to symphonic works. Her music has appeared in master classes with world-renowned vocalist, Dawn Upshaw. She has won several composition competitions, some of which include winner of the Margaret Blackburn Composition Competition. She was also awarded the Eubie Blake Scholar Award for outstanding musician and composer. During her studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she was awarded a grant from the Women’s Studies program in order to compose her chamber opera piece titled “A Room of One’s Own” based on the book by Virginia Woolf. She currently accepts commissions and participates in collaborations with artists. With every note she writes, she strives to touch the souls of listeners through rich, colorful, and energetic sounds.

As a teacher, Dr. Roberson has received positive ratings from her students. She teaches piano, voice, strings and percussion. Her students have won various competitions and scholarships in competitions such as ACT-SO, MSMTA, MTNA and Piano Guild. She has recently taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Spelman College, Howard University, the University of Maryland at Baltimore County and Anne Arundel Community College. She has also assisted with the growth and development of private piano programs at the Nathan Carter School of Music, Maryland Conservatory of Music and Champaign School of Music. Dr. Roberson has also taught general music, band and choir at Holy Trinity Episcopal School Elementary School, Greenland Pines Elementary School and Grace Episcopal School. Dr. Roberson is a recipient of the Guild Teachers’ National Honor Roll Award from the American College of Musicians for preparing top students for piano adjudication and international composition contests. In 2022, she was award the Piano Guild Hall of Fame. Dr. Roberson is currently a part-time professor at Howard Community College.

Dr. Roberson is also active in church music ministry. She has served as musician and assistant director at the Cross Creek Presbyterian Church and Mt. Nebo Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL, Warner Baptist Church in Falls Church, VA, and Friendship Lutheran Church in Savoy, IL. She has also served as the Director of Music at the Oakland Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA.

Additionally, Dr. Roberson is a writer and publisher. She has written several articles for Salem Press and EBSCO Publishing’s multi-volume of biographical and analytical publication of Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century as well as The Forties in America. She has also written several articles in their upcoming multi-volume of The Twenties in America, The Thirties in America, and Great Lives from History: African Americans. Dr. Roberson is also the publisher of Roberson Music Publishing Company where several of her works have been published.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and reading her favorite books.

To learn more about Dr. Roberson, visit her website.