CC freshman takes third in international clarinet competition
Casper College student, Ruby Martin, posed recently with her clarinet that took the place of the clarinet her grandmother and mother had both played in high school. According to Martin, the clarinet in the photo was refurbished by Wojtek Komsta, a friend of Dr. Joshua R. Mietz, music instructor at Casper College. “He frequently sells clarinets that he finds and refurbishes to Dr. Mietz’s students for a very good price. I bought mine from him early in the fall semester,” said Martin. (Casper College photo/Zach Nagy)
Casper College student Ruby Martin took third place in the 15-18 age category at the International Clarinet Association’s online festival and competition, Clareidoscope, recently.
Martin, a freshman music and education major, is from Gillette, Wyoming. According to Joshua R. Mietz, DMA, the competition was based on one piece called “Blue Heron” by Beth Wiemann. It was adjudicated by the International Clarinet Association state chairs, mostly comprised of college and university clarinet instructors.
“Ruby worked very hard for this, and it’s a big honor,” said Mietz, Casper College music instructor. “The first-place winner was from Texas, always strong band programs, and the second-place winner was from the Czech Republic,” Mietz noted. According to the International Clarinet Association, Clareidoscope 2025 was a one-day virtual festival featuring performances, clinics, and contests for performances and compositions. Martin’s performance can be found on YouTube.
Martin has been playing the clarinet since fifth grade. It was in fifth grade when students were allowed to select an instrument they wanted to play. She made three selections, and the clarinet was the instrument that led the way. After also testing out a flute and a violin, Martin chose the clarinet. “I had the most success making a sound on the clarinet, so that’s what I chose,” she recalled. Martin’s mother and grandmother were also clarinet players in high school. Up until this year, she played on the same clarinet that her mother and grandmother had played.
It was thanks to Mietz that Martin entered the Clareidoscope 2025 competition. The competition piece for the event was “Wading Blue Heron” by Beth Wiemann. “Every year, I offer to help my students audition for the Clareidoscope and ClarinetFest competitions. They usually audition and grow from the experience, but Ruby is my first to place in this international competition,” Mietz said. “’ Wading Blue Heron’ was the first solo piece my instructor, Dr. Mietz, gave me when I started my lessons here at Casper College. Dr. Mietz is the Wyoming State Chair of the ICA, and he wanted me to apply for Clareidoscope from the very beginning,” said Martin.
Martin currently plays in the Casper College Band. While she played and marched in the band at Campbell County High School, Martin was accepted into the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle during both her junior and senior years. She was also selected to be a member of the Wyoming All-State Band her senior year.
The Wyoming All-State Band performance for that year took place in Casper. Martin’s high school band director, Steve Oakley, helped her set up a meeting with Mietz. “That day, I applied for a music scholarship and was committed to Casper College. Casper College works really well for me because I am a double major. Casper College is flexible, and here I am able to pursue two degrees much easier than it would be to do so at a university,” Martin related.
Casper College has proved to be a good fit for Martin, who is double-majoring in music with an instrumental performance emphasis and elementary education. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far.”
“Ruby is one of the hardest-working students I have seen at CC. She takes the assignments I give her and works tirelessly and meticulously to complete them,” said Mietz. He noted that Martin had not studied clarinet outside of high school before coming to Casper College. “We talk often about the difference of being ‘Wyoming Good,’ a few big fish in very small ponds, so to speak, and being good among a national or even international field. I believe she has set her sights on the latter, and I am happy to help her work toward it. She’s a huge contributor to the college band and keeps up with students with far more experience than her,” Mietz noted.
Once Martin receives her two associate degrees from Casper College, she plans to continue her studies at the University of Wyoming at Casper to earn her bachelor’s in elementary education. Following that, Martin intends to transfer to another college to complete her music degree.
“Having both degrees will give me flexibility when it comes to my future career. I know that if I am to teach music, I want to teach at the elementary level. Most schools will hire music teachers who only have a music performance degree. Having the elementary education degree on top of that will make me a standout candidate,” said Martin.
“Her future plans are to seamlessly integrate music into learning with her future elementary students,” said Martin’s adviser, Renee Griffith. “Ruby has been a focused and committed student in her courses, both music and education, here at CC. I am encouraged by her progression and extended opportunities within her programs,” Griffith said.
With her future mapped out, Martin noted that she was unsure if she wanted to teach music. “I am passionate about teaching in general and am keen on having my own elementary class that is not music-based,” she said. But bigger ambitions are also at play for the young clarinet player. “My dream career would be to have a position in a professional symphony orchestra, which is something I could do while also teaching, or at least substitute teaching,” she said.