by Malena McLaren, coordinator
The 2015 I.C.A. Research Competition finals took place on July 22 in the Conservatorio de Amaniel in Madrid, Spain. The seven finalists were excellent and presented judges Madelyn Moore (Kilgore College, Texas, USA), Oskar Espina Ruiz (University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Spain/USA) and Víctor José Fernández Lucerón (Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid and Conservatory of Music in Segovia, Spain) with difficult choices.
The finalists were:
• Kate Young (USA), “Clarinet Thumb-rest Function and Electromyography Evidence.”
• Whitney Coyle (USA), “A Study of the Acoustical Characteristics of a Quality Clarinet.”
• Ford Fourqurean (USA), “Character Games: An Analysis of Elliott Carter’s Clarinet Quintet.”
• Michelle Lucia-Ingle (USA), “Using Mobile, Software, and Web-Based Technology to Facilitate Learning in the Applied Clarinet Studio.”
• Michael Thrasher (USA), “An Examination of the Influence of Economic Recessions on Clarinet Student Enrollment in American Universities, 1991-2011.”
• Christopher Nichols (USA), “The Audition Process for the Premier U.S. Service Bands.”
• Fernando José Siveira (Brazil), “Over the Atlantic: The Arrival and First Development of the Clarinet in Brazil.”
Winners of 2015 Research Competition –
Left to right: Christopher Nichols (Honorable Mention), Michelle Lucia-Ingle (Second Place), Kate Young (First Place)
The first-place winner was Kate Young. She won a cash prize of $1,000 and the opportunity to publish her findings in The Clarinet. The second-place winner was Michelle Lucia-Ingle. She won a cash prize of $500. The judges also awarded an honorable mention to Christopher Nichols.
The preliminary-round judges were Jesse Krebs (Truman State University), Kellie Lignitz-Hahn (Texas A&M University-Kingsville), Keith Lemmons (University of New Mexico), Dawn Lindblade (University of Central Oklahoma), and John Masserini (Northern Arizona University).
I’d like to extend a special “Thank you!” to all of the judges for their hard work. Also, thank you to all of those who submitted papers for consideration for this year’s competition.
Front row, left to right: Madelyn Moore (judge), Michelle Lucia-Ingle (finalist), Fernando José Silveira (finalist), Víctor Fernández Lucerón (judge).
Back row, left to right: Ford Fourqurean (finalist), Malena McLaren (coordinator), Christopher Nichols (finalist), Kate Young (finalist), Whitney Coyle (finalist), Oskar Espina Ruiz (judge), Michael Thrasher (finalist).
