Isaac McCarthy
Isaac McCarthy, a member of the Honors College from Gerrardstown, will graduate with a degree in music and minor in Appalachian music.
The 2021 Foundation Scholar has excelled academically while engaging in research, immersing himself in diverse musical experiences, and working to sustain the WVU Bluegrass Band and Old-Time Band in honor of its former director and faculty advisor Travis Stimeling’s legacy.
Following the death of Stimeling in 2023, McCarthy worked with faculty in the College of Creative Arts and Media as part of his Honors EXCEL project to develop curriculum and a long-term plan to ensure the longevity of the WVU Bluegrass Band and Old-Time Band. For his senior capstone project, he created an EP of original music in a modern Appalachian style titled “Everywhere You Were.” McCarthy was awarded the College of Creative Arts and Media 2025 Mentored Research Award for his EP, which was released May 2.
McCarthy also conducted research alongside Stimeling in the School of Music as a Research Apprentice Program participant to examine the banjo craftmanship of the West Virginia Eastern Panhandler luthier Andrew Boarman.
He noted that his most fulfilling experience at the University was the opportunity to present Appalachian music and culture to more than 600 elementary school students in West Virginia during this year’s WVU Bluegrass Band Spring Outreach Tour.
McCarthy served as Presidential Student Ambassador, four-year member of the WVU Trumpet Studio and inaugural member of the WVU Funk and Soul Band.
After graduation, McCarthy will pursue a doctorate degree in musicology at The Ohio State University.