For Immediate Release
Contact: Anne Proescholdt or Kevin Thays
Phone: (608) 850-3566
Web: wsmamusic.org
WAUNAKEE, Wis. (June 2, 2025) – Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) proudly announces the four students identified by evaluators as having submitted “exemplary compositions” to the 2024-2025 Student Composition Project. This year’s recipients include Derek Hayes (Verona Area High School), Ben Jaeckel (River Falls High School), Henry Soyka (Wisconsin Hills Middle School, Brookfield) and Ezra Saalmann (EAGLE School, Madison).
“WSMA celebrates the musical accomplishments of all students as part of a well-rounded education. The music compositions submitted by these students are truly exemplary, taking what they’ve learned in the classroom and applying their own creativity,” expressed WSMA Program Director Erica Ruppert.
Started in 1987, the WSMA Student Composition Project is a program at the heart of creativity, encouraging young musicians to artistically take what they are learning in music education and apply it in their own way through original music compositions.
The Student Composition Project is a feedback only program, with exemplary compositions nominated and selected by the evaluators after the spring deadline. Compositions are nominated based on three divisions: High School, Middle School and Intermediate School (grades 4-6) using a two-step process:
Step 1. Nomination
After the spring deadline, evaluators have an opportunity to nominate students whose composition was truly exceptional, beyond what is typically expected for this division.
Step 2. Final Selection
After nominations have been determined, evaluators select the Exemplary Composition Award recipients. The total number of available awards is determined on a percentage of the total number of submitted compositions.
Selected students receive a certificate from WSMA in recognition of outstanding composership.
For more information on WSMA Student Composition Project and the Exemplary Composition Award, including all who were nominated and selected, go to wsmamusic.org.
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Founded in 1932, Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) is a non-profit service organization with more than 1,000 member public and private schools. Students from member schools are eligible to participate in WSMA programs, such as District and State Music Festivals, Concert Festivals, State Honors Music Project, State Marching Band Championships and Student Composition Project. WSMA is governed by a board of directors made up of superintendents, principals and other officers from all over the state. WSMA believes music is a basic human need and that all children have the right to experience all that music offers them.
