October 2006 Winner: Lauren Bird

The October 2006 Young Artist Award is Lauren Bird, a graduate of Lincoln Southwest High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her trumpet teachers have included Amy Gammel (2001 - 2003) and Darryl White (2003 - 2005). She currently studies with Gary Mortenson at Kansas State University. Her high school band and orchestra directors were Lori Falcone and Stacy Marshall, respectively.

Lauren's high school career was busy and eventful. At Lincoln Southwest she performed with the marching band for four years, highlighted by the group's trip to London to perform in the New Year's Parade in 2006. She was 1st chair in the Symphony Band, lead in the Varsity Jazz Band, and principal trumpet in the Orchestra. As a member of Lincoln Southwest's Pit Orchestra, she performed 1st trumpet on Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story.

Lauren's activities extended into the community as well. She performed with the Lincoln Youth Symphony, traveling to Austria for the American Music Celebration performance tour in March of 2005. Lauren was also a regular member of the Nebraska Trumpet Ensemble (four years) and attended honor bands at Wesleyan University, the

University of Nebraska, and Kansas State University. In 2006, she was a member of the Nebraska All-State Orchestra. In 2005 she started teaching trumpet to area grade school students.

Active in many organizations that extend beyond music, Lauren lettered in student council and academics in addition to music. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Youth Leadership Lincoln, and has received the Character Achievement Award twice. In her spare time Lauren helps out as a babysitter, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, and has even worked on farms detasseling corn during the summer months!

In recognition of her outstanding talent, ITG will provide Lauren Bird with a complimentary one-year membership.

June 2006 Winner: Alongorn Laosaichua

The June 2006 Young Artist Award is Alongorn Laosaichua, a senior in the pre-college, high school preparatory program at the College of Music, Mahidol University. He began to play trumpet in 7th grade. Currently, Alongorn studies trumpet with Joseph Bowman at Mahidol University, and jazz trumpet with David Hart at Mahidol University.

Alongorn is actively involved in his school ensembles, including the jazz band, wind ensembles, wind camarata, and brass quintet. Recently, he was selected to participate in the 2005 Southeast Asian Wind Ensemble. He was awarded an ITG scholarship to attend the 2005 ITG Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Alongorn was also a finalist for the 2005 ITG Youth Competition. In 2004, he was a member of the "MU-TE" Trumpet Quintet, which advanced to the finals of the Asian Symphonic Band Competition-Wind Ensemble Division. In June of 2006, Alongorn will enter the undergraduate program at Mahidol University in trumpet performance.

In recognition of his outstanding talent, ITG will provide Alongorn Laosaichua with a complimentary one-year membership.

March 2006 Winner: Jessica Lordi

Jessica Lordi is a high school senior at Greater Latrobe Senior High School in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Her early interest in music began with piano lessons for several years before she changed to the trumpet in fourth grade. Currently, she studies with Kevin Eisensmith of Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Jessica received a scholarship from ITG to attend the 2005 conference in Bangkok, Thailand, where she placed first in the Youth Solo Competition. She was a semi-finalist at the 2005 National Trumpet Competition and Pennsylvania State Representative, Senior High Brass, for the Music Teacher's National Association competition, receiving an honorable mention at the Eastern Division. She has performed in county and district bands as well as the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Senior High Honors Band. In November of 2005, Jessica was awarded first place in the brass division competition at the Pennsylvania Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Conference held at Penn State University.

Jessica performs with the Westmoreland Youth Symphony Orchestra as principal trumpet and was selected as winner of the concerto competition in 2004. Her solo performance with the orchestra was Orlando Gibbons' Suite for Trumpet and Strings.

She also performs and solos with the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Active in her community and school music programs, Jessica performs in the school jazz and concert bands. As a volunteer, she performs at her church, nursing homes, the Salvation Army and at various community and school functions. She is a third year member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society.

January 2006 Winner: Daniel Watson

ITG is proud to announce that Daniel Watson, a freshman at Patrick Henry College in Purcell, Virginia, is the January 2006 recipient of the Young Artist Award. Daniel is majoring in political science. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Watson began learning the trumpet at the age of eight (as a refuge from piano lessons). It was soon apparent to his father (his first trumpet teacher) that he had a great deal of natural talent.

In 1997, at the age of ten, Daniel won his first competition. Later he became principal trumpet in the Greater Fort Worth Junior Youth Orchestra, winning a concerto contest in 2001. As a freshman in 2002, he won second place in the Winds Division of the Juanita Miller State Youth Competition, sponsored by the Texas Association for Symphonic Orchestras. He also played in the Youth Orchestra of Greater Fort Worth. He attended and competed in the Youth Competition of the International Trumpet Guild held at Texas Christian University in 2003. Daniel has made All Region, All Area, and the Texas 5A All State Band.

Daniel and his parents attribute his success as a player to the efforts of his teacher since 1999, Mr. Adam Gordon of the Fort Worth Symphony. "Mr. Gordon has the rare combination of a virtuoso performer and a gifted teacher and communicator. He takes a genuine interest in his students."

In recognition of his outstanding talent, ITG will provide Daniel Watson with a complimentary one-year membership.

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