Express the Music

Celebrating over 20 years in existence, Express the Music invites students in grades 6-12 to discover an orchestral work and respond with prose or poetry inspired by the music. This season, students will explore Joan Tower's Made in America.

Congratulations 2021 Express the Music Winners!

Thank you to all the teachers who participated in Express the Music this year! This season, 27 schools and more than 2,300 students participated. 377 submissions were received, and from this group 57 finalists were selected.

View the compositions of the top 12 winners below. Click here to view compositions from all the 2021 Finalists.

Click on each winner's name to view their entry:

Prose (Junior Division):
First place: Arianna Taylor, 7th grade, Grand Center Arts Academy
Second place: Maya Anderson, 8th grade, Bernard Middle School
Third place: Jessica Wheatley, 8th grade, Truman Middle School

Prose (Senior Division):
First place: Greta Donnelly, 10th grade, Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School
Second place: Hadley McConkey, 9th grade, Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School
Third place: Alex Tyrrell, 9th grade, Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School

Poetry (Junior Division):
First place: Vivian Wang, 8th grade, Wydown Middle School
Second place: Cecilia Hahn, 7th grade, Truman Middle School
Third place: Shane Brinkman, 7th grade, Saint Peter School

Poetry (Senior Division):
First place: Monicah Thuita, 11th grade, Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School
Second place: Claire Douglass, 11th grade, Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School
Third place: SamanthaAnne McDonough, 9th grade, Clayton High School