Twenty-Four Student Composers Honored by MENC

The National Association for Music Education (MENC) has named 24 elementary-through-university-level students from across the United States winners of its 2000 Original Student Composition Competition. Selected from four categories including piano, solo (instrumental or vocal), small ensemble (instrumental or vocal), and large ensemble (band or chorus), the students will have the opportunity to present their musical masterpieces during the Young Composer Concerts at MENC's 57th National Biennial In-Service Conference in Washington, DC, March 8-11, 2000.

Established in 1990, MENC's nationwide Student Composition Competition exists to recognize talented young music students in America. MENC provides visibility for these student composers at conference performances in which their musical creations are showcased to professional music educators.

Every other year, MENC selects compositions that are the best representative works from its six divisions (Eastern, North Central, Northwest, Southern, Southwestern, and Western) in the elementary/middle school, high school, and undergraduate/graduate levels. Applicants submit their original musical score and accompanying audio recording of the work, not to exceed five minutes, along with their résumé and written application form for review by a national committee.

The following students were selected from MENC's Student Composition Contest:

Ten students representing MENC's Eastern Division: Andrew Aziz of Marlboro High School, Marlboro, New Jersey; Chris Fisher-Lochhead of Friends Seminary, New York, New York; Dan Guim of Washington Township High School, Sewell, New Jersey; Nathan Heidelb erger of Blue Mountain High School, Cortlandt Manor, New York; Andrew Kissling of Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, Pennsylvania; Miriam Lense of Ward Melville High School, Setauket, New York; Derek Muro of Smithtown High School, Smithtown, New York; Timothy Charles Nelson of Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore, Maryland; Ryan terMeulen of Delaware Valley High School, Milford, Pennsylvania; and Christopher Ziemba of Transit Middle School, Williamsville, New York.

Five students representing MENC's North Central Division: Charlie Asch of Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Alanna Bodman of Fairlawn Elementary School, Akron, Ohio; Richard Canter of Bowling Green State University, Bowling Gre en, Ohio; and Matthew Schoendorff of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Ben Thornburg of Princeton High School, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Six students representing MENC's Southern Division: Zeke Farley of Barrow County, Georgia; Sarah Elizabeth Gibson of Holcomb Bridge Middle School, Alpharetta, Georgia; Tyler Goode of Hendersonville High School, Hendersonville, Tennessee; Daniel J. Jen kins of the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky; Daniel Reed of Athens Academy, Athens, Georgia; and Mark Smith of Weaver Education Center, Greensboro, North Carolina.

One student representing MENC's Southwestern Division: Devin Ross of Olathe South High School, Olathe, Kansas.

Two students representing MENC's Western Division: Patrick Fanning of Corona del Sol High School, Tempe, Arizona and Ashley Creighton of Central High School, Phoenix, Arizona.