Chris Schoepp, a pianist with the Purdue Jazz Band, played his way to the 2011 Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts on Thursday, March 31. Representing Purdue Bands & Orchestra in the annual campus-wide visual and performing arts competition, Schoepp is the seventh student musician in nine years to be honored as Purdue’s top senior in the arts.

A mass communications major from Indianapolis, Schoepp presented two original compositions in the competition, including a vocal selection where he wrote both the music and the lyrics. Several members of the Purdue Jazz Band performed the compositions, written for a jazz combo, with him.

Schoepp said he started writing music out of necessity because venues available to him were unwilling to pay ASCAP fees. That prevented him from performing music by other composers.

During his years at Purdue, he has built up a studio of private lesson students. His goal is to one day make his living as a private piano teacher.  

Purdue Bands & Orchestras is an academic department at Purdue, but offers no majors or minors. It has nearly 800 students in its marching, concert and jazz bands, orchestras and chamber music ensembles.