LAWRENCE COUNTY 14-year-old wins top prize in song-writing competition

The song was the first one the girl wrote, and she wrote it when she was 10.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Bethany Shearer has always enjoyed tapping out new music on her piano.
Now one of her songs is being recognized nationally.
The 14-year-old Lawrence County girl won top prize in her age group in the Lynn Freeman Olson Composition Awards, a contest sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs. She will receive a $500 check for her song, "Backyard Friends," a piece she composed at age 10.
"She's very talented," said Joan Cosgrove of New Castle, Bethany's piano teacher. "She likes composing. She seems to like to play around with ideas and bring them all together."
Musical sisters
Bethany and her sister, Jessica, 12, the daughters of Lee Ann and Reginald Shearer of New Beaver Borough, have been taking piano lessons from Cosgrove for the past seven years. Both started composing music in the past few years at their teacher's urging.
"It is fun to play around with my ideas and so neat when they all start to come together, forming a piece of music," said Bethany, an eighth-grader who is home schooled.
Since writing "Backyard Friends," Bethany has written several other pieces of music, but decided her first song fit the contest guidelines.
The biennial contest was founded in 1991 in memory of Lynn Freeman Olson, a well-known composer of music for beginning piano students.
The contest guidelines ask for music appropriate for elementary and mid-intermediate level piano students.
Many published
Contest officials say most of the previous contest winners have had their music published and those winners are now receiving royalty checks.
It's unclear whether Bethany's song will be published.
Bethany says that she is unsure of what she will do with her award money, but that she may use it to further her musical interests. She is considering buying a mandolin.
In addition to piano, Bethany also plays the violin. She and her sister are part of the newly formed Lawrence County Youth Strings and have performed both piano and violin recitals at local churches, nursing homes and libraries.
The girls enjoy playing duets with each other, their mother said.
Bethany said she will continue writing new music, but it's a long process that takes about a year for each new song.
A musical life
Although Bethany says she's not sure what she will do in the future, her mother believes music will always be a part of her life.
"She feels her musical talents were given to her by God. She gets a lot of enjoyment out of playing for others because she wants to use her talents to be a blessing for other people. She just loves music in general," Mrs. Shearer said.