The winning composers in the 2022 Creating Original Music Project (COMP) competition received awards and had their compositions performed at the COMP Festival on Saturday, April 23rd at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The event took place in Sheryl Crow Hall at the Sinquefield Music Center.

The junior division concert, featuring works by the elementary and middle school winners of this year’s competition, was held from 11:30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. The senior division concert of music by the high school winners followed from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Both events were livestreamed on the University School of Music’s YouTube channel. Here are links to the livestream concert videos:

Junior Recital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfkOT41-1CY

Senior Recital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aeC4FS1UbY

Throughout the day, the student composers and their families also participated in private master classes, rehearsals, and coachings.

Winning student composers in the 2022 competition enthusiastically responded to hearing their own compositions as well as their peers’. “I liked listening to the other students’ songs at the COMP Festival,” said Conrad Crutchley, 2^nd place winner in the Elementary Instrumental Music category. “The experience made me want to continue to compose music.”

“I loved attending COMP and hearing all of the other young writers,” added Jordin MacKenzie, 1^st place High School Pop Music winner. “It was inspiring to be around so many talented people, and I enjoyed cheering on everyone when we performed! I think it’s really important that there is a space for young creators to share and be recognized for their work.”

“I enjoyed the opportunity to share my music, and being around other composers and musicians energized me,” commented Nathan Crutchley, 1^st place Middle School Fine Arts Music winner. “The master class gave me valuable insight into how I could improve my composing.”

Isabelle Ortis, 2^nd place Middle School Fine Art Music winner, and Yueheng Wang, 2^nd place, High School Fine Art Music winner, both praised COMP for encouraging them to continue composing music. “I feel like COMP is a great way for young composers to gain confidence and showcase their potential,” said Ortis.

“I’m super thankful for this great project that has done so much for many young composers searching for a spark,” added Wang. “Without COMP I probably would not have gone down the path of writing music.”

Now in its 17th year, COMP is an annual statewide competition sponsored by the University of Missouri School of Music and the Mizzou New Music Initiative and funded by the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation. COMP showcases new, original music from Missouri student composers and songwriters in grades K-12, offering positive recognition, prizes, performances, educational opportunities, and more. For more information about the Creating Original Music Project, visit the COMP web page.

Here are the 2022 winners of the Creating Original Music Project (COMP) competition, listed by categories with their school information:

Elementary Division (K-5): Instrumental Music 

1^st  Reichen Bechtel, The Dark Dance, Keysor Elementary, Kirkwood.

2^nd  Conrad Crutchley, Raiding the Cookie Jar, Meramec Heights Elementary, Arnold.

3^rd  Owen Heimann, Palindrome, Ozark West Elementary, Ozark.

Honorable Mentions:
Darby Gregory, Cedar Creek Elementary, Lee’s Summit.
Ian Lundholm, Siegrist Elementary, Platte City.
Leeann Purdy, Mason Ridge Elementary, Town & Country.
Savannah Schaffer, Clarence Lawson Elementary,  Jefferson City.

 

Elementary Division (K-5): Song with Words 

1^st  Lacie Reetz, First Snow, Williamsburg Elementary, Williamsburg.

2^nd  Hannah Reetz, Dancin’ Dreams, Williamsburg Elementary, Williamsburg.

 

Middle School Division (6-8): Fine Art Music 

1^st  Nathan Crutchley, The Final Sunrise, Ridgewood Middle School, Arnold.

2^nd  Isabelle Ortis, The Seasons’ Song, Christian Fellowship School, Columbia.

 

Middle School Division (6-8): Pop Music 

1^st  Violet Martin, My Pap’s Song, North Callaway Middle School, Auxvasse.

2^nd  Madelyn Hazlett, Anything, Everything, Lawson Middle School, Lawson.

3^rd  Rebecca Ninemire, Hidden Oceans, Hawthorn Hill Elementary, Lee’s Summit.

Honorable Mentions:
Malachi Bumgardner, Logan-Rogersville Upper Elementary, Rogersville.
Qwaylin Butler, West Middle School, Columbia.
Kyle Daugherty, Logan-Rogersville Upper Elementary, Rogersville.
Isaac Faust, New Mark Middle School, Kansas City.
Lily Lagergren, Walden Middle School, Kansas City.

 

High School Division (9-12): Fine Art Music  

1^st  Quincy Meyer, The March of the Cornstalks and the Soybean King of Westphalia, East Buchanan High School, Gower.

2^nd  Yueheng Wang, Fading Mirage, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis.

3^rd  Eliot Blackmoore, Variations on a Theme by Bach, Clayton High School, Clayton.

Honorable Mentions:
Charlotte Bauer, Central High School, Springfield.
Hannah Cantin, Rock Bridge High School, Columbia.
Kayley Coney, Grain Valley High School, Grain Valley.
Kat Crawford, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood.
Quinn Duggan, Platte County High School, Platte County.
Matthew Hilger, West High School, Lee’s Summit.
Eli Parks, Central High School, Springfield.
Christopher Ramsey, Shawnee Mission Northwest High, Shawnee KS.
Erena Resuli, Oakville High School, St. Louis.
Samir Shaik, Parkway West High School, St. Louis.
Andrew Smith, Blue Springs High School, Blue Springs.
Aiden Spavale, Fort Zumwalt East, St. Peters.

 

High School Division (9-12): Pop Music 

1^st  Jordin MacKenzie, Reckless, Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park.

2^nd  Lucy Gray Hamilton, Living Through The Night, Park Hill South High School, Riverside.

3^rd  Ovya Diwakaran, Monopoly, Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis.

Honorable Mentions:
Adam Birk, Thomas W. Kelly High School, Benton.
Posey Bischoff, Webtser Groves High School, St. Louis.
Angelina Casey, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood.
Jayden Coe, Parkway North High, St. Louis.
Kaiden Doebelin, Mexico High School, Mexico.
Stone Gill, Arcadia Valley High School, Ironton.
Ivy Nicole Goldsmith, Seminary Square Academy, Maryville.
Samantha Gomila, Holt Highschool, Wentzville.
Thomas Libbert, Fatima High School, Westphalia.
Augustus Lookingbill, Hickman High School, Columbia.
Lexas Ostermann, Northwestern R-1, Mendon.
Tucker Owens, Worth County High School, Grant City.
Daniel Pollien, Fort Zumwalt South High School, Saint Peters.
Gabriella Rowen, Rowen Academy Homeschool, Sheridan.
Grant Satterlee, Clever High School, Clever.
Shamier Sullivan, Capital City Highschool, Jefferson City.

 

High School Division (9-12): Jazz Music 

1^st  Henry Rusten, Easy Does It, Central High School, Cape Girardeau.

2^nd  Yoell Tewolde, None Of It, Rock Bridge High School, Columbia.

3^rd  Elliott Bryant, Cafe Morning, Fulton High School, Fulton.

 

Here the winners are pictured with Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield, who has sponsored the COMP Festival since its inception: