ITG Youth Site

	Previous Young Artist Award Winners

Young Artist Award

to provide recognition for developing young trumpeters

ITG announces the Young Artist Award to provide recognition for developing young trumpeters. Winners will receive a one-year membership to ITG and will be featured in the ITG Journal. Nominations will be accepted only from music teachers and private instructors, and nominees must be high school students (age 18 or younger) at the date of nomination. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges.

To nominate a student, mail or email a letter of recommendation to:

Jean Moorehead Libs, ITG Young Artist Awards
2619 Essex Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
yaaward@trumpetguild.org

Letters must include mailing addresses, phone/fax numbers, and email addresses of the teacher and nominee. Entries will be accepted at any time and will be active for one year from the date of submission. Winners will be selected on December 15, April 15, July 15, and September 15.

June 2010 ITG Young Artist Award Winners
Megumi Matsushita and Dylan Larkins

The June 2010 Young Artist Award recipients are Megumi Matsushita and Dylan Larkins, both seniors at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. David Leach, Director of Bands at the Grammy Award-winning Pioneer High School nominated both students. Leach states, “These students are two of the finest musicians I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with in my 23-year career as a music educator.”

Dylan and Megumi are members of the symphony band, orchestra, and marching band, having shared in the responsibilities of the role of principal trumpet in each ensemble.

While Dylan hails from Ann Arbor and is also known for his dual enrollment and participation in Community High School’s Advanced Jazz Combo (frequently gigging around town), Megumi is originally from Otsu, Japan. Megumi came to the USA as a bright middle school student planning to attend school here for one year. After falling in love with American school music programs, she returned to Japan in ninth grade to attend the Osaka International School. Her love of music and American band traditions brought her back to Ann Arbor to finish high school for her final three years.

Both students have performed in the University of Michigan Youth Band and Orchestra throughout high school while also attending numerous summer programs. Dylan has been a member of the Interlochen All-State Orchestra from 2007 – 2009 and performed with the 2009 Michigan Youth Arts Festival Honors Orchestra. As an accomplished pianist, Dylan has completed all ten levels of the Michigan Music Teachers Association Piano Student Achievement Test, receiving the maximum five trophies. Dylan is an active soloist at his local church where he participates in numerous community service projects to help the homeless. Dylan plans to major in trumpet performance and is currently on the audition trail. He is the son of Carolyn Bybee and Charles Larkins, both professional trumpeters and teachers in Ann Arbor.

Upon completion of eighth grade in 2005, Megumi toured with the Blue Lake International Symphonic Band throughout Europe and in 2007 was selected to participate in the Asia Pacific Activities Conference Band Festival at Brent International School in Manila, Philippines. After attending the High School Trumpet Workshop at Interlochen’s National Music Camp in of June 2008, Miss Matsushita won first prize in the Junior Division of the Grand Valley State University International Trumpet Seminar Solo Competition that July. Both Dylan and Megumi were finalists in the 2009 Ann Arbor Concert Band’s Young Artists Scholarship Competition.

Megumi is a member of the National Honor Society, Pioneer Interact (which tutors Japanese students), and M.U.S.I.C. (Musicians United to Serve the Community) where she volunteers in nursing homes and hospices. Megumi is the daughter of artist/painter Uyen Tonnule and Keiichiro Matsushita, Economics Professor at Kansai University in Japan, and plans to major in chemistry and minor in music.

Megumi Matsushita and Dylan Larkins study trumpet privately with YAA Column Editor Jean Moorehead Libs. who states, “It has been an honor and privilege to serve as Dylan and Megumi’s trumpet teacher and mentor for seven years. Bravo to you both!” Both June winners will receive one-year complimentary membership in ITG.

About the Editor: Jean Moorehead Libs received her B.M.E and M.M. in Music Education and Trumpet Performance from the University of Michigan School of Music while studying with Prof. Emeritus Clifford P. Lillya; she continued at Michigan doing Post Graduate and Doctoral studies with Armando Ghitalla, Prof. Emeritus and former Principal Trumpet of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Miss Moorehead's teaching credentials includes positions at Olivet College, The United World College of Southeast Asia, Northern Michigan University, Wayne State University, Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, the University of Michigan, and the University of Michigan All-State program at Interlochen. A dedicated educator Jean's many preparatory students have held leading positions in the University of Michigan's Youth Ensembles, numerous State Honor Bands, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp International Youth Orchestras and the Interlochen All State Youth Orchestras and Bands. Dozens of her students have gone on to major in music performance and education across the country and several have received prizes at the National trumpet Competition and the ITG student competitions.

Formerly the Principal Trumpet of the Singapore Symphony, Miss Moorehead remains active performing with Today's Brass Quintet, the Michigan Sinfonietta, The Ann Arbor Symphony and The Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra.

Jean contributes regularly an adjudicator and clinician at numerous district and state solo and ensemble festivals for MSBOA (Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association). Currently she is Adjunct Prof. of Trumpet at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is a frequent guest artist at Grand Valley State University.

During her tenure as Pedagogical Topics editor for the International Trumpet Guild Journal, Jean was the author and editor of dozens of articles with many of America's leading trumpeters. She is a contributing editor for Balquidder Music and Elan Brass Press and a clinician for Stork Custom Mouthpieces. Jean recently completed the second edition of Clifford P. Lillya's Method Book Two with colleagues Rob Roy McGregor and Dennis Horton and is Chair of The ITG Young Artist Award.