Thompson Prize
The Thompson Prize is designed for an undergraduate student currently enrolled in the School of Information, College of Engineering, Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, or A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning. The prize is for someone who wants to develop a greater understanding of music and sound through a study of the creative process in a musician’s environment. Through one-on-one mentorship, the awardee will be able to explore their musical interests and intersections with their own discipline. Students receiving the prize will spend approximately 24-30 hours over 18 weeks working with Dr. Matthew Thompson. Dr. Thompson’s research, scholarly, and performing interests include: opera, chamber music, performance preparation, video game music, connections between Eastern and Western music, and interdisciplinary relations between music and other fields. Students will learn from an established and practicing musician, as well as graduate students in advanced music studies, through active conversations about various facets of music.
Students for whom this residency would be ideal are those who:
- are open to learning about the musical process
- are self-directed
- are motivated to explore new lines of thought
- are interested in gaining confidence as listeners and performers
Note: The ideal candidate may have a musical background and training, but the ability to play any instrument or read music notation is not a requirement for the award.
The student is expected to produce a final creative work of some kind that reflects, builds on, explores, integrates or traces their experience in the residency and their own disciplinary focus. The successful applicant will receive $1,000 in support of their time, materials, and creative work.
Thompson Prize Recipients
- Julien Malherbe, Engineering, Fall 2020
- Tate Fisher, Engineering, Fall 2019