Student composer wins

Weber State University sophomore Derek Myler recently won a nationally recognized music award for his original composition entitled “Psalm 100.”
“I’ve just always loved the text a lot,” Myler said. “I’ve always loved the songs from the Old Testament and Psalm 100 is a particularly good one.”
Myler competed against undergraduate and graduate students from across the nation to be named the 2009-10 winner of the Raymond W. Brock Memorial Student Composition Competition from the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).
“One of the things they liked was that it had different sections that were clear,” said Mark Henderson, WSU director of choirs. “One is a dance section, one is a more classical, almost hymn-like section. It has lots of variety and challenge and interest; it has to be unique, and I’m sure that’s the thing that attracted their attention.”
Myler wrote the piece without intending to enter it, though once he finished  he said he realized it fit the requirements.
“It was a time in my life when I was really grateful for a lot of things that were going on,” Myler said, “so it was just time, if that makes sense.”
Judging the pieces entered was an extensive process conducted by the ACDA.
“They look for the unique, the unusual, something that sets it apart,” said Tim Sharp, executive director for the ACDA. “Fundamentally it has to be well-written and a good composition just based on good writing principles they would all share, but then something that offers something new so that it’s not routine or run-of-the-mill or trite or cliché or anything like that.”
National recognition is a lifetime benefit from winning the prestigious award.
“It’s really a great big deal,” Henderson said. “The competition is for the main professional organization for choral directors, and there is a lot of competition every year. Some of the people who’ve won it in the past already have great careers five or six years later. It will really put him on the map. It’s a resumé item that will help him for a very long time.”
One requirement for Myler’s composition was that it had to be a new piece that had never been performed.
“I haven’t heard the piece because the requirement was that it had to be a piece that had never been performed,” Henderson said. “I looked through the score and the intriguing things about it are that it has a lot of meter changes. It is a really challenging piece; it requires a really good choir with really good musical skills and an accompanist.”
Because it won, Myler’s Psalm 100 will be performed through the ACDA.
“It gets a performance at one of our major concerts by a very fine performing choir,” Sharp said. “I think [it could] launch a student’s career if they really want to do more composition. It’s just a huge feather in their cap to say that they won this award and it was recognized, because it could very easily be an entry to future publications or at least a nice addition if he wants to submit other pieces to publishers or for other competitions.”
Another benefit of winning was the $1000 cash prize for Myler.
“I’m saving it,” Myler said.
As a student, Myler is heavily involved in the music department at WSU.
“He’s really fun to have around,” Henderson said. “He’s inspiring to the other students, he really enjoys music and it shows. He has great skills as both a piano player and a singer.”
Myler also has the potential of having his composition published.
“There’s no guarantee this piece will be published, but in the past, high-powered publishers have sort of competed to publish these award-winning pieces,” Henderson said. “I’m sure it’s a great piece because they have the very best people look at them to make the judgments.”