2020 Music Family Scholarship Awardees
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2020 Finalists
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“The more I look around at both what I have left behind and at what is in front of me, the more I am able to see that growing up through music and being loved through music conducts the ways that I aim to grow in and love this world.”
Majoring in Cello Performance at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. Parents are members of the Detroit Federation of Musicians AFM Local 5, Detroit, MI.
SOPHIA JACKSON
“My musical background gave me a deep understanding of what it means to truly be a part of a team and do your part to create something meaningful with others.”
Majoring in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas-Austin. Parent is a member of the Musician’s Society of San Antonio AFM Local 23.
TALIA DELAMBRE
“I have a craving to tell stories through instrumental music and through incorporating captivating melodies to advance the tone of the film, and I guarantee that I would not have discovered this passion of mine if I had not been a part of such a musical family.”
Majoring in Film Scoring and Composition at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA. Parents are members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208.
MICHAEL SEMANIC
“Being in a household full of musicians has taught me … that excellence is not served on a silver platter, and that if you love something you must endlessly nourish it.”
Studying Filmmaking at Chaplain College, Burlington, VT. Parent is a member of AFM Local 802, New York, NY
ALESSIA HU
“Through the rigorous training of the Naval Academy and physical training on the boxing team, I finally found the secret to my parents’ commitment to music. Their devotion to sharing music made me appreciate the great commitment service members were making to this country’s citizens with their irregular work hours and the mastery they’d achieved. I spent my childhood trying to meet the level of excellence that my parents demanded; now I expect that excellence from myself.”
Majoring in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. Parents are members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208.
SOPHIE-ANN LEKAS
“Being a musician gets me very much in touch with the room. Success in my musicianship and how I view fellow musicians has all been inspired through the passion, challenges, inspiration and unique experience I’ve seen as the son and brother of professional musicians. I’m always feeling a rhythm in me; music is always in my head, and I’m always ready to give the world what it needs.”
Studying Music Production and Recording at Los Angeles College of Music in Pasadena, CA. Parent is a member of the Houston Professional Musician’s Association AFM Local 65-699.
SAMSON L. DINKINS
Studying Music and Psychology at Amherst College, MA. Her mother is a member of the Boston Musicians’ Association AFM Local 9-535.
ANNA BUSWELL
Studying Violin Performance at University of Texas-Arlington. Her father is a member of the Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, AFM Local 72-147.
ELIZABETH ISHII
Studying English Literature at The College of Wooster, OH. Her father is a member of Musicians’ Protective Association AFM Local 17, Erie, PA.
ZOE DUDACK
Majoring in Viola Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her parents are members of the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore, AFM Local 40-543.
MIRA VAUGHN
Studying Ballet and Psychology at Point Park University, PA. Her mother is a member of the Huntignton Professional Musician’s Association AFM Local 362-691.
ANA CECILA ALVES
“Every night I would fall asleep hearing both my parents teaching piano and violin. My father told me that I sang before speaking, while eating strawberries on each tip of my fingers.”
Majoring in Musical Theatre at Collège Lionel-Groulx in Quebec, ON. Parent is a member of the Quebec Musicians’ Guild AFM Local 406.
AMÉLIA BEAUDOIN
“In my extended family, I am one of twelve professional musicians. Yet despite my diagonal step into the world of computer science, I still am an advocate of art. In essence we pursue the same goal: To enrich the individuals around us, the communities we do and don’t belong to, and society altogether for the survival of art.”
Studying Computer Science and Classical Music at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Parent is a member of AFM Local 10-208.
CAMERON CHIU
“Living as the child of a musical family has given me the privilege to know the power of music, and it is this power that I want to use in my films. I want to capture the joy I felt as I played Shostakovich No. 5 and Tchaikovsky No. 5 with film. I desire to create moments in film where audiences question their entire future, just as I did in music.”
Majoring in Film and Motion Pictures at Belmont University, Nashville, TN. Parent is a member of Houston Professional Musicians’ Association Local 65-699.
ANGELA GOODEARL
“Through my family’s long journey moving from Syria all the way to Canada, my father’s career as a musician has been what put food on our table, a roof over our heads, and some hope in our hearts.”
Studying Journalism at Ryerson University. Parent is a member of the Toronto Musicians’ Association Local 149.
ANNA MARIA MOUBAYED
“Teaching an intermediate student how to recognize music by ear, I recalled the day my dad taught me about “la primera” (the tonic), “la segunda” (the dominant) and “la tercera” (the subdominant). I remember the feeling of each of those chords and explained to the student how to me, the tonic felt like “home,” the dominant felt like “school,” and the subdominant felt like “grandma’s house.” By the end of the lesson, the student had written his own lead sheet! “
Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Music at Concordia University, IL. .He is a member of The Chicago Federation of Musicians, Local 10-208.
VICTOR GARCIA
“I go into life knowing that with hard work comes great reward; I go into life knowing that true happiness is more important than society’s dictations; and I go into life knowing that nothing is hopeless when you hold on to your passions.
Studying at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. Parent is a member of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Professional Musicians Association Local 72-147.
MILA FISHER
“ My parents claim they didn’t plan it, but somehow my family of four ended up as a string quartet. Not only did this spark my interest in chamber music … it helped me develop many of the skills necessary to succeed – listening, adapting and communicating, to name a few. Observing my parents has shown me how important it is to remain curious, to be receptive to a range of styles and opinions, and to treat my fellow musicians with respect. Those ideas will help me continue learning and growing throughout my career.”
Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Historical Performance at Julliard University, New York, NY. Both parents are members of AFM Local 3.
CLARA ABEL
“Many interesting correlations lie between math and music, even dating back to Pythagoras’ relation of string lengths and octaves. Today they seem so strongly divided by our culture. One is for number crunchers, the other for artists. One is hard and factual, the other is subjective and expressive. I begrudge this separation. When we embrace the unity of subjective and objective arts, we can explore our talents in richer ways, better understanding the underlying themes of stability and harmony shared by both fields. Behind a published product and the hours of toil to perfect a technology, I see an inventor who works tirelessly to produce a creation, an artist who understands the subtleties of physics and harnesses them to create a unique and revolutionary design.”
Majoring in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA. Parent is a member of Cleveland Federation of Musicians AFM Local 4.
PHILIP PATERSON
“I often make visual art inspired by the aural shapes of music. Animation allows me to give my visuals a rhythm and duration. As an art student, I am no longer drawing just to pass the time until my parents’ rehearsals are over. My goal is to bring other creative people into my art practice.”
Studying Fine Art at Tufts University. Parent is a member of the San Francisco Musicians’ Association Local 6.
MARIA FONG
“Living with dreamers you tend to become very optimistic and are not afraid of failure.”
Pursuing a Business degree at Sterling College, KS. His parent is a member of The San Francisco Federation of Musicians, Local 6.
ELI MCFADDEN
“Passion for new ideas, concepts and styles, in music and outside of music, is partly what led me to pursue astrophysics as my field of post-secondary education. As I continue on my journey of discoveries, I have a universal language in music.”
Studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of Victoria. Parent is a member of the Victoria Professional Musicians Association, Local 247.
Kyran Klazek-Schryer
“I’m willing to play the game, take a chance, flip the coin, and wager that the payoff of following my dream to become a professional pianist will far outweigh any sacrifices made because I —like my dad before me—am a musician at heart.”
Pursuing a Degree in Comparative Study and Jazz Performance at Harvard University. Parent is a member of Boston Music Association, Local 9-535.
KYRA TEBOE
“My ancestors did just about everything someone could do artistically; They were musicians, acrobats, clowns, comedians, singers, dancers, actors, and overall ambassadors for the entertainment industry. It only seemed natural that my father and I would then gravitate, in our own ways, to the community as well.”
Majoring in Theatre Arts at California State University. Parent is a member of Los Angeles Federation of Musicians AFM Local 47, Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Chavez
SEMI-FINALISTS
“Having a musician for a father is a major advantage and I would not trade it for the world.”
Majoring in Flute Performance and Music Education at University of North Texas, Denton, TX. Parents are members of the Las Vegas Federation of Musicians AFM Local 369, Las Vegas, NV.
ALANA BRONSON
Majoring in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Maryland, College Park, MD. Parents are members of the Boston Federation of Musicians AFM Local 9-535, Boston, MA.
ADAM PRECHTL
Majoring in Acting at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Parents are members of the Los Angeles Federation of Musicians AFM Local 47, Los Angeles, CA.
ALEXANDER NILES
“If music has taught me anything, it has taught me that work is necessary for success, and you only get out of life what you put in.”
Majoring in Electrical Engineering at S.U.N.Y at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY. Parents are members of the Buffalo Federation of Musicians AFM Local 92, Buffalo, NY
ALEXANDER FRANCISCO
Majoring in Communication at Loyala Univiversity, Chicago, IL. Parents are members of the Los Angeles Federation of Musicians AFM Local 47, Los Angeles, CA.
ANGELA GREGO
Majoring in Viola Performance at Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, PA. Parents are members of the Philadelphia Federation of Musicians AFM Local 77, Philadelphia, PA.
BEATRICE CHEN
Majoring in Marketing at Point Loma Nazerene University, CA. Her father is a member of the Nashville Musivians Association AFM Local 257, Nashville, TN.
RACHEL STRUBLE
Majoring in Creative Writing and Russian and Slavic Studies at Pima Community College, AZ. His mother is a member of the Tuscan Federation of Musicians AFM Local 33.
MISHA TENTSER
Majoring in Multi-Media Journalism at Grand Valley State University, MI. His father is a member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians AFM Local 10-208.
THEODORE SEIDENBERG
“Music is what has kept us close through out the years, held us together, made us a family in more than a biological sense.”
Majoring in Violin Performance at Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, OH. Parents are members of the DC Federation of Musicians AFM Local 161-710, Washington, DC.
BONNIE VIGIL
Majoring in Law at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Malibu, CA. Parents are members of the Los Angeles Federation of Musicians AFM Local 47, Los Angeles, CA.
CELIA KATZ
Majoring in Communications Performance at Simmons University, Boston, MA. Parents are members of the Nashville Federation of Musicians AFM Local 257, Nashville, TN.
CHRISTINA FERRARI
Majoring in Music Production at Berklee School of Music. Parents are members of the San Francisco Federation of Musicians AFM Local 6, San Francisco, CA.
CLARA ZAHORSKY
Majoring in Music at Missouri State University, Springfield, MO. Parents are members of the Saint Louis Federation of Musicians AFM Local 2-197, Saint Louis, MO.
ELISE THIERBACH
Majoring in Physics and Spanish at Murray State University, Murray, KY. Parents are members of the Saint Louis Federation of Musicians AFM Local 2-197 Saint Louis, MO.
ELENA HAMMANN
Majoring in Musical Theatre at Montclair State University. Her mother is a member of the Philidelphia Federation of Musicians AFM Local 77.
HANNAH FINK
Majoring in Neuroscience and Music at Oberlin College ,OH. Her mother is a member of the San Fransisco Federation of Musicians AFM Local 6.
ISABELLE BROWN-LYNDEN
Majoring in Violin Performance at Glenn Gould Royal Conservatory, Toronto. of Music Parent is a member of the Calgary Musicians’ Association CFM Local 547.
ISABELLA PERRON
Majoring in Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh. Her mother is a member of the Cleveland Federation of Musicians AFM Local 4.
JULIA PATTERSON
Majoring in Media Arts and Cinematic Arts and Sound at University of Nebraska- Lincoln. Parents are members of theLincoln Musicians’ Association AFM Local 463, Lincoln, NE.
MADELINE SCHMIT
Majoring in Horticulture at Murray State Edmonds College, WA. Her father is a member of the San Fransisco Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 6.
DEVON WATKINS
Alyson is majoring in Psychology at Illiniois State University.
Kayla is majoring in Dance at Western Michigan University.
Their father is a member of the ChicagoMusicians’ Association AFM Local 10-208,.
Majoring in Music Theatre at Point Park University. Parents are members of The Professional Musicians of Central New York, AFM Local 78.
MARRISA DIGENNARO
Majoring in Music Timpani and Percussion at Cleveland Institute of Music.Parents are members of the Baltimore Federation of Musicians AFM Local 40-543.
BRADEN VAUGHN
Majoring in Performance- French Horn and Biology at SUNY Fredonia. Parents is a members of the Binghamton Musicians’ Association of Musicians AFM Local 380.
ERIN HARRIGAN
Majoring in Acting at Missouri State University, Springfield, MO. Parents are members of the Dallas/Fort Worth Federation of Musicians AFM Local 72-147, Arlington, TX.
ELIZABETH DRAKE
Majoring in Theatre and Phychology at Hampshire College, Amherst, MA. Parents are members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians AFM Local 10-208, Chicago, IL.
EMROSE SEIDENBERG
Majoring in Arts Letter and Communication at Champlain St. Lawrence College, Quebec City, Quebec. Parents are members of the Quebec Federation of Musicians AFM Local 406, Montreal, PQ.
EMMANUEL BEGIN
Majoring in Music Production at Berklee College of Music. His father is a member of Denver Federation of Musicians AFM Local 20-623.
HENRY FRIEDMAN
Majoring in Electrical Engineering at Memorial University of Newfound Isand. His father is a member of the New York Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 802
JASPER RUBIN
Majoring in Music Performance and Music Education at University of Maryland- College Park. Parents are members of the Providence Federation of Musicians AFM Local 198-457.
MAIA FOLEY
Majoring in Political Science at the University of Victoria. Her Parent is a member of the Victoria Federation of Musicians CFM Local 145.
LILY HAMILTON
Majoring in Aerospace Engineering and Violin Performance at The University of Michigan. Parent is a member of the Flint Federation of Musicians AFM Local 542.
ALDEN ROWHER
Majoring in Business at East Tennessee State University. Parents are members of the Nashville Federation of Musicians AFM Local 257.
DELANA KING
Majoring in Clarinet Performance and Music Education at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. Parents are members of the San Francisco Federation of Musicians AFM Local 6, San Francisco, CA
ERIC PEARCE
Majoring in Sustainable Food and Farming at The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. Parents are members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians AFM Local 10-208, Chicago, IL.
ISADORA HARPER
Majoring in Psychology at The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL. Parents are members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians AFM Local 10-208, Chicago, IL.
JAMES LEKAS
Majoring in Music Performance at The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. Parents are members of the Vancouver Federation of Musicians AFM Local 145, Vancouver, BC.
IVAN VUTEV
Majoring in Developmental Studies and Political Science at The Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland. Parents are members of the San Francisco Federation of Musicians AFM Local 6, San Francisco, CA
JASON NEMEROVSKI
Majoring in Illistration at the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY. Parent is a member of the Musician’s Association of Metropolitan Baltimore AFM Local 40-543, Baltimore, MD.
JORDAN LISICKY
Majoring in Music Direction of Musical Theatre at Webster University, Webster Groves, MO. Parents are members of the Green Bay Federation of Musicians AFM Local 205, Green Bay, WI.
JOHN TENGOWSKI
“Music is part of my identity, partially because it is in my blood but also because I chose to dedicate my time and energy to it.”
Majoring in Music Education at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, NE. Parents are members of the Lincoln Musicians Association AFM Local 463, Lincol, NE.
KATHERINE SCHMIT
Majoring in Sociology and English at Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH. Parents are members of the Boston Federation of Musicians AFM Local 9-535, Boston, MA.
JONAH COVELL
Majoring in Music Education at the University of Delaware, Newark, DE. Parent is a members of the Clarksburg Federation of Musicians AFM Local 580, Clarksburg, WV.
KEVIN ROMANO
Majoring in Music and Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, Denton, TX. Parents are members of the Orange County Musicians Union, AFM Local 7, Orange County, CA.
KYLE MCGEE
Majoring in Acting at University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music, OH. Parents are members of the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, AFM Local 802, New York, NY.
LUKE DANNI
Majoring in Biology at the University of Louisville, Louisville, KY. Parents are members of the Louisville Federation of Musicians AFM Local 11-637, Louisville , KY.
LUKE SCHROEDER
Majoring in Music Performance and Musical Theatre at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Parents are members of the Lehigh Valley Musicians’ Association AFM Local 45, Allentown, PA
LUKE SIMONS
Majoring in Sociology at Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC. Parents are members of the Musicians’ Association of Victoria & the Islands AFM Local 247, Victoria, BC
MAISIE HUDSON
Majoring in Animation and VFX at Chapman University, Orange, CA. Parents are members of The Musicians’ Association of Hawai’i AFM Local 677, Honolulu, HI.
MAX WOMACK
Majoring in Nursing at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB. Parents are members of the Edmonton Musicians’ Association AFM Local 390, Edmonton , AB.
MARK VAASJO
Majoring in Music at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. Parents are members of the Associated Musicians of Greater New York AFM Local 802, New York, NY.
MAYA STEPANSKY
Majoring in Musical Theatre at Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO. Parents are members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians AFM Local 10-208, Chicago, IL.
PATTI MEADORS
Majoring in Nursing at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS. Parents are members of the Wichita Musicians’ Association, AFM Local 297, Wichita, KS.
RACHEL WATSON
Majoring in Nueroscience at Boston University, Boston, MA. Parents are members of the Boston Music Association AFM Local 9-535, Boston, MA.
RAPHAEL FELDMAN
Majoring in Game Development at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA. Parents are members of the Associated Musicians of Greater New York AFM Local 802, New York, NY.
RULON FEENEY
Majoring in Horn Performance at University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance, Ann Arbor, MI. Parents are members of the Orange County Musicians Union, AFM Local 7, Orange County, CA.
RYAN MCGEE
Majoring in Dance at the University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN. Parents are members of the Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, AFM Local 72-147, Arlington, TX.
SARAH MORTENSON
Majoring in Mechetronics Engineering and Chemistry at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN. Parents are members of the Nashville Musicians Association AFM Local 257, Nashville, TN.
SAMUEL DUNN
Majoring in Mathmatics and Physicsat McGill University, Montreal. Parents are members of the Edmonton Musicians’ Association AFM Local 390, Edmonton , AB.
SEBASTIAN FILNER
Majoring in Trumpet Performance at the University of Ottawa, ON. Parents are members of the Atlantic Federation of Musicians AFM Local 571, Halifax, NS
SHAW NICHOLSON
Majoring in Biochemistry at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL. Parents are members of the Omaha Musicians’ Association AFM Local 70-558, Omaha, NE.
STEVEN PRUSS
Majoring in Human Services at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Parents are members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians AFM Local 10-208, Chicago, IL.
SYLVIE DOWD
Majoring in Clarinet Performance at McGill University, Montreal. Parents are members of the Vancouver Musicians’ Association AFM Local 145, Vancouver, BC.
VICTOR MANGAS
Majoring in Cello Chemistry at University of Michigan. Parents are members of the Flint Federation of Musicians AFM Local 542, Flint, MI.
TAROT DENGER
Majoring in Studio Arts at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI. Parents are members of the Musicians Association of Hawai’i, AFM Local 677, Honolulu, HI.
VINCENT WOMACK
Majoring in Music at Centre College, Danville, KY. Parents are members of the Associated Musicians of Greater New York AFM Local 802, New York, NY.
WILLA CIPOLLA
Majoring in Computer Science at Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI. Parents are members of the Kalamazoo Federation of Musicians AFM Local 228, Kalamazoo, MI.
XAVIER SILVA
“I believe the lessons that I have learned from my years of violin playing will help me be a better person, medical student and (one day) doctor.”
Majoring in Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary, Alberta. Parents are members of the Music Professionals of Manitoba CFM Local 190, Winnipeg MB.
PETER BELL-SCHOLZ
Majoring in Music at Saint Olaf College. Parents are members of the Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians’ Association, AFM Local 72-147.