Student 1: I like composing and being matched with the mentors.
Student 2: You know, it's just more opportunities to see music.
Student 3: Tonight, I'm really looking forward to hearing all the pieces. I think it's gonna be really fun.
Chris Rivers: It's one of my favorite days as a schoolteacher, all year long.
James Stewart: I鈥檓 James Stewart and this is the Student Composer Showcase for March 2025.
Stefanie Weigand: We are able to give students the opportunity to put the creativity that's swirling around in their brain out into the world.
James Stewart: That's the voice of Stefanie Weigand, the executive director of Music-COMP, Vermont鈥檚 music composition mentoring program. Stefanie spoke with me in the middle of Music-COMP鈥檚 Opus 38 concert last year. Opus concerts are the culmination of months of work between student composers, mentors and professional musicians.
I asked Stefanie why encouraging student composers is so important to Music-COMP and to her personally.
Stefanie Weigand: I just have this vivid memory of a student of mine sitting with a string quartet that was about to play his piece. His score was in his lap and he was just kind of casually looking through it. And then the moment the quartet started to play his piece, his eyes shot up and he looked around at everyone, and he looked at me, and he had tears in his eyes. And I, that was it for me. I thought I will always do this.
James Stewart: And the work continues! Music-COMP鈥檚 Opus 39 concert is Monday, March 24th. Just like last year, student composers from around the state will come to the Elley Long Music Center in Colchester to participate in rehearsals, workshops and it all culminates with the performance that evening.
Student 4: I enjoy coming here to listen to what other people made.
Student 5: You learn a lot about music.
Student 6: I really liked listening to people, like rehearsing鈥�
Student 7: I learned stuff about, like composing different types of music鈥�
Student 8: I wanna compose for choirs because that sounds like a lot of fun.
Student 9: I learned really how to make my piece better.
Student 10: 鈥ollaborate with other people.
Student 11: It's really fun, like talking with a lot of people who are, like musical people.
Student 12: And I just want to see what it's like to compose a piece because I'm hoping to do it next year.
Student 13: But it sounds good, when you do a lot of effort.
James Stewart: Students aren鈥檛 the only ones putting in effort. Educators from across Vermont work tirelessly to encourage their students to create new music and participate in the program.
Molly Dubois: My name is Molly Dubois. I'm a music teacher at Crossett Brook Middle School. The mentor program for student composers is pretty incredible. The fact that, you know, I see these kids in groups of 20, 24 kids and I can teach little lessons and help them but not that one on one focus that they can get from a mentor. And the work that Music-COMP is putting into teacher training and professional development is pretty, is so needed. It's the only music, professional development that we're really getting in Vermont. Our districts provide in-service and professional development, but none of it is about music. And so, every summer and several times through the year, they offer often credited courses so that we can, you know, get our re-licensure, and get some fresh new ideas and training, which is so important.
Rachel Elliot: Hi, I'm Rachel Elliot and I play bassoon.
Katie Oprea: And I'm Katie Oprea and I play oboe.
Rachel Elliot: I've been doing it since it was the Vermont Midi project. So going way back to with Steve, both of us actually with Steve Klimowski and the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble. Whenever they ask us, it's always such an amazing experience to work with these young people. I do lots of new music so I enjoy new music and I enjoy chamber music. I enjoy our musical colleagues, but it's especially exciting to get to play these new pieces by kids across Vermont and just the energy and the creativity that they bring.
Katie Oprea: I think it's like my favorite day of the year. I really love doing this because it's that spirit of live music and of collaborating with the composers, collaborating with the coaches, even involving the audience because the students are actually out in the audience watching as well. So overall, it's just such a wonderful way to experience new music for me.
James Stewart: This year鈥檚 concert will feature dozens of world premieres written by Vermont students and there鈥檚 gonna be quite an eclectic mix. The students were given the option to write for any combination of brass instruments, voices, percussion, saxophone and piano. Pretty much something for everyone. Every year there鈥檚 so much creativity on display.
Student 14: My piece is called 鈥淲inter Memories.鈥�
Student 15: 鈥淭roubled Lullaby.鈥�
Student 16: My piece is about my dog 鈥淢urphy's Law.鈥�
Student 17: 鈥�Two Green Mountains.鈥�
Student 18: It's for two violins, one cello, a piano and a bass.
Student 19: ..and I had like this beat in my head since I was little and I played it on the African drums.
Student 20: 鈥淧eace at Sarah's house.鈥� Sarah is my aunt. It's written for string quartet, flute, clarinet, and bassoon.
James Stewart: You鈥檙e invited to this evening of new music, energy and expression. Music-COMP鈥檚 Opus 39 concert is taking place Monday, March 24th at the Elley Long Music Center in Colchester, VT at 6:30pm. The concert is free, open to the public and donations are welcome. You can find out more details at .
The Student Composer Showcase is produced in collaboration with Music-COMP, the music composition mentoring program and Lake Champlain Access Television. The (Music-COMP) is a Vermont non-profit started in 1995 that teaches students in grades 3-12 how to compose original music. Students are paired with professional composers as mentors, and over 50 works are premiered each year with professional musicians.
Production support for the Student Composer Showcase is provided by , a community media center serving eight towns in Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties, providing a free forum for expression, and a link to local government and training. More at
