2010 – Connor Fetting, Tuba, Forest Hills Eastern High School
Connor Fetting is a senior at Forest Hills Eastern High School in Ada. He is a member of the Eastern Wind Ensemble, head drum major of the marching band and plays trombone in the jazz band. His directors are Paul Boelkins and Greg Christensen. In addition, Connor is currently the principal tubist with the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony and in his third year as principal tubist with the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony
Connor began playing tuba in fifth grade. The tuba became his instrument of choice during an instrument exploration class while a camper at Interlochen when he was nine. He currently studies with Monty Burch (principal tubist of the Grand Rapids Symphony) and Phil Sinder (professor of tuba at Michigan State University).
Connor’s past honors include district honors band, four years of MSBOA All-State participation, Michigan Youth Arts Festival in tenth and eleventh grades and two years as principal tubist with the Michigan Youth Symphony at the University of Michigan. He has been part of the WMU All-Star band and MSU honors band. Connor was a semi-finalist for the Motor City Brass Band concerto competition and a top 12 finalist in the Michigan Youth Arts Festival outstanding soloist competition. Last year he won the Skip Gates Concerto Competition and performed the Vaughan Williams tuba concerto with the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony.
Connor has attended Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, traveled to Europe with their Northern Winds Ensemble and has attended the All-State program at Interlochen for three years. In addition to his music, he is a member of the National Honor Society, maintains over a 4.0 GPA and participates in Science Olympiad and AP classes. This year he was recognized as a National Merit Commended Scholar, AP Scholar and semi-finalist in the MSU Alumni Distinguished Scholarship Competition. In the fall of 2010 Connor will attend the Honors College at Michigan State University where he plans to double major in music performance and either biochemistry or biosystems engineering.