By MICAH HENRY
Kayla Childers Jenkins, 29, a native of the Sugar Loaf Community who now lives in the Lake Norman area, was recently notified that her chamber music trio, Arcana Nova, has been selected to perform at the White House for Christmas 2026.
“We found out about the White House Christmas Open House through an announcement from the Office of the First Lady, and we sent in an audition video, and just found out we were selected from over 1,000 applicants to perform on December 15th,” Kayla stated.
The trio includes Kayla on piano, violinist Jessica Caviness, and Rachael Lawson, who plays the flute. Kayla described the trio as colleagues who play together often.
In the trio, Jessica and Rachael are both composers and are able to arrange pieces of popular music for the trio’s instrumentation.
“We sort of submitted the audition video on a whim,” Kayla recalled.
Kayla is a daughter of Eric and Tonya Childers, of the Sugar Loaf Community, and followed in her mother’s footsteps in becoming a music teacher. Mrs. Childers taught piano for many years locally, teaching Kayla in the early years. Kayla later studied with Rick Setzer, of Hickory.
After graduating from Alexander Central High School, Kayla earned her undergraduate degree at Campbell University and then her Master’s degree in Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Kayla serves as Vice President of Membership for the North Carolina Music Teachers Association, is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, and is Assistant Director of Music at the First United Methodist Church in Newton. Kayla has more than 30 students currently. She and her husband, Chandler, live in the Lake Norman area.
This will be Kayla’s first trip to Washington, DC, since her East Alexander Middle School eighth grade field trip.