Emmet Lewis graduated in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in composition, and he studied trumpet in Justin Emerich’s studio. He credits his time in the Spartan Marching Band with helping him develop the discipline required to maintain a perfect grade point average.
Three exceptional students from the Michigan State University College of Music – Mark Davis, Clara Fuller, and Emmet Lewis – earned the prestigious MSU Board of Trustees Award for maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average throughout their undergraduate studies.
This remarkable achievement, presented at the Board’s April 11 meeting, highlights their dedication, hard work, and academic excellence. For all three students, scholarships played a key role in their success
“The scholarship I received to come to MSU was the only way that it could have been possible for me to attend MSU,” said Davis, a trumpet performance major who grew up in Haines, Alaska. “Without a scholarship, it would have been out of the question financially.”
Lewis earned scholarships for both composition and trumpet. His degree is in composition, and he also studied with trumpet with Justin Emerich, as did Davis. Lewis acknowledged that the scholarships are what made it possible to attend MSU, and mezzo-soprano Clara Fuller, who hails from Wisconsin and studies with Jane Bunnell, noted the difference they make while pursuing degrees.
“The scholarships I received from the College of Music and the university at large have eased some of the financial stress that college can be, leaving me more time to focus on my work here,” Fuller said. “I am truly grateful to the donors who have made this possible.”
Maintaining a 4.0 grade point average throughout college is no small feat, as Lewis explained.
Among other creative activities, mezzo-soprano Clara Fuller performed in MSU Opera Theatre productions including this turn as Mrs. Anderssen in A Little Night Music in Fall 2023.
“It takes determination and grit to maintain a 4.0. You have to learn to shift your priorities depending on the week and work effectively. Being in the Spartan Marching Band made me have to learn this skill, and I was able to balance multiple rehearsals, classes, trumpet lessons, and composition lessons.”
The excellence among faculty members plays a significant role in student success as well.
“I learned and developed in so many ways during my time at MSU,” Davis said. “As a music student, developing as a musician and specifically as a trumpet player has been one of my main focuses, and my trumpet professor, Justin Emerich, has helped me tremendously.”
Keys to success include the valuable experiences and cherished memories students gain during their time at MSU as part of a vibrant and creative music community.
“It has been a joy to learn from and work with the incredibly knowledgeable faculty and be inspired by my fellow students here in the College of Music,” Fuller said. “Having a collaborative and welcoming atmosphere here has been a huge factor in my academic success.”
Lewis, as a composer, reflected on the friendships he made which he expects to continue personally and professionally beyond MSU.
“I am so thankful for all of the friendships I’ve made that I know will carry on past college. I’ve had friends perform my pieces, played other composer’s pieces, and got to meet so many accomplished performers,” Lewis said.
A wide variety of ensembles combined with excellence in academic classrooms are success factors as well, Davis noted.
“I learned a lot in my many music classes – history, theory, ear training – as well as in the general education classes. Additionally, the ensembles at MSU have helped me grow a lot as a musician,” he said.
Mark Davis, far right, performed in several ensembles and chamber groups during his four years at MSU. He is moving to Houston, Texas to pursue his master’s degree at Rice University.
All three Board of Trustees Award winners from the College will now move on to the next phase of their careers, which includes pursuing master’s degrees at Rice University and Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University for Davis and Lewis, respectively. These three exceptional students and all graduates of the College of Music Class of 2025 carry with them the lessons learned, the excellence modeled by faculty, and the network and friendships made during their time at MSU.
“My biggest takeaways from the MSU Music program are a love of performing in stellar choral ensembles,” Fuller said, “growth as a singer and teacher after experiencing challenging yet fulfilling courses, and a network of talented and supportive fellow musicians.”
