LCCC student soars in music competition

Mercy Wuehler fell in love with the sound of the cello when she heard a guest artist perform at her church. That fascination has led to a world of opportunity and inspiration opening up for Wuehler, a Laramie County Community College music major and cello student.

Wuehler broke new ground for the college when she recently submitted a recording to the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition and was one of the musicians invited to come audition in person, marking the first time an LCCC student has done so.

Through the summer, Wuehler prepared for the competition, playing the first movement of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major. With the submission date in November, Wuehler said she felt a bit intimidated by the piece.

“It takes a lot of precision in the intonation and the rhythm and staying on beat,” she said. “That particular movement shifts a lot up into the thumb position.”

But her time at LCCC working with its outstanding music faculty helped take Wuehler’s talents to new heights. Her recording was accepted and she was chosen to play in person in Casper for the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra in the competition’s final round. Though she didn’t end up winning the competition, Wuehler said the fact she was chosen for the final round was an indication of her dedication to the craft. 

“It really has taught me a lot,” she said. “As long as I know how much time I need to practice on something, and then actually follow through with that, that’s the hard part that needs to be done.”

Looking back on the last five years harnessing her skills in music, Wuehler said it's remarkable how far she’s come. At 15, she began playing music with her two siblings because having three years of music education was a graduation requirement as part of their homeschooling in California.

"I didn't want anything to do with music,” Wuehler said with a laugh. “I was like, ‘How will I ever read sheet music? I don't even know what notes or keys are or what any of that means."

But over time, playing pieces such as the March from Carmen Suite and movements from “The Nutcracker” helped Wuehler develop her skills, which started to take a more serious turn.

“Starting out, I had terrible performance anxiety,” she said. “Being able to perform with my siblings helped me get through those feelings.”

Wuehler’s family moved to northern Colorado, where she started taking lessons in Greeley. Her instructor, Romina Monsanto, then came to LCCC as a cello instructor and told Wuehler about the college’s music program. In 2020, Wuehler began coming to LCCC’s Cheyenne campus for lessons. Around the same time, she also joined the newly formed Northern Colorado Youth Orchestra, which emerged amid the pandemic. As one of the orchestra’s first members, she would go to the national competition of the American String Teachers Association, placing third in the nation.

In Fall 2022, Wuehler became a full-time LCCC student majoring in music. Making a career out of her growing love of music seemed possible with LCCC’s music program.

“The doors just seemed open,” Wuehler said. “I wanted to do something I love and get an income from it. I’m following that to see how far I can take that.”

Performing with LCCC’s Chamber Orchestra helped Wuehler grasp her talents, as she learned from her instructors and her fellow student musicians. 

“I think there’s been a ton of growth in our orchestra,” she said. “We’ve grown so much in our playing abilities and in how we listen to each other. I love it.”

Today, Wuehler is focused on finishing her degree and developing her skills as much as she can so she can play in anything from string quartets to orchestras. Looking back at her start as a 15-year-old who didn’t want to play music, Wuehler can’t but be taken aback by the remarkable nature of how far she’s come, and the future that awaits.

“I would have never thought this was possible when I started,” she said. “I couldn’t have seen myself coming this far. It’s mind-blowing. And it’s amazing.”

For more information on the events and LCCC’s music programs, contact Dr. Frank Cook at fcook@lccc.wy.edu or 307.778.1306.