Cedric Allder ’28 (Bachelor of Music in Composition) is a composer and performer, as well as a soldier in the Virginia Army National Guard Band. His piece, Mocking Birds, has been recognized internationally, receiving the William Averitt Prize of Excellence in Composition and runner-up for the Dina Koston Composition Prize. Under the instruction of Jonathan Newman at Shenandoah Conservatory, Allder’s music serves an ultimate purpose of promoting the conservation of nature while expanding the audience of contemporary art music.