Nick Funke, an eighth-grade student at Rockwood South Middle School in Fenton, was honored for his musical composition in the fifth annual Creating Original Music Project (COMP) Awards.  Funke’s musical competitive piece titled, The Escape by Night, gained him a first-place win in the Middle School Fine Arts category. 

“I was at home on my computer downloading songs to my iPod when I received the news I had won first place in this state competition,” says Funke.  “This was one of the best nights of my life!”  

The COMP competition is a joint venture of the University of Missouri School of Music and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation.  The competition is sponsored by an annual gift of $50,000 from Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield and the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation.  COMP’s purpose is to encourage k-12 students in Missouri to write original musical works and have their music performed.  More than 100 entrants submitted compositions, with first-place, second-place and third-place winners named in eight different categories.  Nick was one of 31 students across Missouri to earn recognition.

Funke plans to continue his participation in both band and orchestra in high school and will also continue composing music and entering in the COMP competition each year.  Post high school, Funke plans to pursue a major in music and pursue music education

Winning compositions will be performed at the Creating Original Music Project Festival in the Fine Arts Building at the University of Missouri’s School of Music on Saturday, April 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Both the composers and their music programs will receive cash prizes.

For more information about the COMP competition, visit http://music.missouri.edu/comp/k-12.html.