Sophomore places third at prestigious music competition
June 4, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- A student from Western Michigan University has placed third in a prestigious competition held as part of the International Society of Bassists convention.
Matt Heredia, a WMU sophomore from Grand Rapids, Mich., was one of 12 musicians chosen to perform in the jazz division at the convention June 2-7 at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Va. Heredia was awarded a $750 prize for coming in third. Also invited to compete in the June 2 competition was Don Sibley, a WMU graduate student from Fort Worth, Texas.
Both students were invited to the competition's semi-finals based on submitted compact discs of their playing. The competition was open to musicians up to 32 years of age and was not restricted to students. Both Sibley and Heredia study with Tom Knific, WMU music professor and jazz studies chairperson.
Knific also is performing during the convention along with the Merling Trio, a resident faculty ensemble in the WMU School of Music.
Media contact: Mark Schwerin, 269 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu