Rome - Shorter College junior Justin Maxey won first place in the American Guild of Organists Competition (AGO) for Young Organists recently and will now go on to compete regionally.

The competition, held March 13 at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, was hosted by the Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Maxey's first place win will allow him to attend the Southeastern AGO/Quimby Regional Competition for Young Organists in June.

A junior organ performance major from Winder, Maxey serves as the accompanist for the Shorter Chorale. His piano instructors include Sue Williams and Mary-Ann Knight, and his organ instructors include Amelia Cotten and Dr. Peter DeWitt. He has been actively involved in the Georgia Baptist Music and Worship ministries for many years through attending youth music camps and accompanying youth choirs on organ while touring Washington D.C. (2006) and New York (2008).

In 2008, Maxey traveled with the Shorter Chorale to Italy and accompanied the choir on The Grand Organ of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. In 2007, he was chosen as the featured young musician to represent the state of Georgia at the Baptist Church Music Conference in Winter Park, Fla.

Maxey is very active in church work, having held several part-time positions as organist, and traveling all over the state of Georgia as a substitute organist or pianist. He currently serves as organist at Heritage Baptist Church in Cartersville.