Twenty students in the Millersville University Tell School of Music recently received scholarships to help alleviate academic costs. The scholarship is funded through the Glorious Sounds of the Season annual concert, where students and members of the campus community perform a holiday show.
Jeffrey Gemmell, assistant professor of Choral Studies and the founder of the Glorious Sounds of the Season concert at MU, explains why he believes this program is important, “I’m thrilled that the project has been such a success for so many years as this is our 18th annual concert. I am proud of our faculty’s effort to bring this concert to the public every year and thrilled that we have such tremendous support from the community that consistently supports this scholarship fundraiser annually.”
Students who receive the scholarship emphasize how much it means to them and their educational journey. Abigail Wieder, a junior from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania majoring in music education and vocal performance, says “To me, this scholarship means the security to continue pursuing endeavors in the field I love. It means that I am able to continue to study and grow my education in not only teaching but in music.”
Jovanne Cortez, a sophomore from Allentown, Pennsylvania majoring in music education and vocal performance explains how the scholarship will benefit him. “This scholarship will provide crucial financial support, alleviating the burden of educational expenses and associated costs. It will enable me to focus on my studies and pursue academic and personal growth with reduced financial stress.”
Gemmell acknowledges that the community members who support the concert make this scholarship possible for MU students. “We thank the community members that attend every year. It is a pleasure for the Tell School of Music faculty to present this annual holiday gift to the community, and we’re so pleased that, ultimately, it’s the students who benefit the most from our efforts.”
The faculty members who coordinate the concert every year love hearing and seeing the support the students receive and hope to continue providing joy to both the students and the community. “The faculty of the Tell School of Music are delighted to offer our time and talent to make this concert a success every year,” Gemmell says.
The scholarship provides students who are selected by the Tell School of Music faculty and meet the criteria of the program with $500 to assist with educational costs, including textbooks, tuition, and other academic expenses. The criteria include:
- Commendation for active and enthusiastic participation in last year’s Glorious Sounds of the Season concert
- Recognition for excellent work, musically and academically, throughout the year
- Acknowledgement of participation in other Tell School endeavors that exceed expectations
- Appreciation for strong contributions of time, talent and work ethic that facilitates the health, well-being, and success of the Tell School of Music
Larger scholarships are also awarded to incoming freshmen based on academic success and musical talent.
The students who received the scholarship include:
- Michael Basile: Junior music industry major with a concentration in music Production from Lancaster, Pa.
- Christopher Beehler: Junior Music Industry major from Schwenksville, Pa.
- Patrick Boyer: Sophomore music industry major from Elizabethtown, Pa.
- Kylie Calogero: Junior music education and vocal performance major from Hanover, Pa.
- Jovanne Cortez: Sophomore music education and vocal performance major from Allentown, Pa.
- Kira Denlinger: Senior music major from Denver, Pa.
- Shane Geisel: Sophomore music education major from Milford, Pa.
- Luke George: Junior music education major from Bethlehem, Pa.
- Jonathan Jedrzejek: Senior music industry major with a concentration in music production and a saxophone performance major from Mechanicsburg, Pa.
- Nanga Lin: Senior music major from Lititz, Pa.
- Seth Lynn: Senior music education major from Danville, Pa.
- Cesar Rangel-Munoz: Sophomore modern band applications and music technology in music education major from Newport, Pa.
- Sydney Rauchut: Sophomore music education and music industry major with a concentration in management from Lebanon, Pa
- Ana Santiago: Junior music industry major with a concentration in production from Elizabethtown, Pa.
- Briana Shyver: Senior music education major from Mountville, Pa.
- Collin Staub: Junior music education major from New Oxford, Pa.
- Tucker Uebersax: Senior music major from Bel Air, Md.
- Tehya Walters: Junior music education and music performance major from Annville, Pa.
- Claire Webber: Senior music industry major from Newark, De.
- Abigail Wieder: Junior music education and vocal performance major from Bethlehem, Pa.
The 2023 Glorious Sounds of the Season will be held on Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and on Dec. 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Want to purchase tickets? https://bit.ly/3QDDAFc