By Benita Pepper
Brandon Criswell, son of Tim and Amy Criswell of Bartlett, has earned the Six Year National Award from the National Guild of Piano Teachers following the National Piano Guild Auditions in Germantown where he performed a 10-piece memorized program each year for six years, earning a Superior-Plus (A+) rating each year. Brandon received
the Guild’s 6-Year National pin and certificate, and a medal and porcelain bust of Bach from his teacher, Benita Pepper of Lakeland, with whom he has studied piano for 7 years and performed in 7 recitals.
Brandon played alto saxophone for the 2023 Tennessee Governor’s
School for the Arts at MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN, and was named a West TN School Band and Orchestra Association All-West Musician for the past 5 years. He has made All-State alto sax in Nashville, TN, for 3 years and plays for the Memphis Youth Symphony program.
He is an Eagle Scout with Boy Scouts of America, Troop 261 in Bartlett, a member of Bellevue Baptist Church, and in eleventh grade at Faith Heritage Christian Academy. Brandon with finish high school in 2025, after which he plans to attend college to major in music performance.
