Actress Kiki Haynes and Berklee City Music Host Scholarship Concert

More than 100 talented youth from 36 cities across the country took the stage to sing and perform in celebration at the Berklee City Music Scholarship Concert. The annual event, held this year on August 6, showcases the accomplishments of Berklee City Music students as the final event of the college’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program, and awards students with full 2013 City Music College Scholarships to attend Berklee. 

“Connecting with an audience through your voice and performance is something that I’ve always believed is key to success. These students have shown me just that, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity to work with Berklee City Music this year,” said Kiki Haynes, cohost of this year’s concert and star on Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse. 

Berklee City Music is a nonprofit program that harnesses the energy of contemporary music to provide music education to 4th through 12th graders in underserved communities at 41 network sites, educating more than 16,000 students across the country. With the ongoing struggle to provide access to music education in the United States, Berklee City Music Network is providing a pathway to higher education by engaging passionate, talented youth in a contemporary music education program.

This year, Berklee City Music awarded more than 100 scholarships to youth to attend Berklee’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program. In addition, 17 full four-year scholarships for study at Berklee College of Music, beginning in fall 2013, were awarded to City Music Scholarship recipients who have been accepted by the college and have completed Berklee's Five-Week Summer Performance Program.

The following students received 2013 City Music College Scholarships:

·       Nicole Anderson, Voice, The Roots of Music, New Orleans, LA

·       Hunter Burgamy, Guitar, Tipitina’s Foundation, Jefferson, LA

·       Faraday Fontimus, Trumpet, City Music Boston, Boston, MA

·       Tangela Mathis, Voice, Stax Music Academy, Memphis, TN

·       Donovan McLean, Drums, City Music Boston, Boston, MA

·       Andrew McNeil, Drums, Stax Music Academy, Horn Lake, MS

·       Daniel Moreno, Drums, Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, Camden, NJ

·       Henry Oyekanmi, Drums, East Bay Performing Arts Center, Oakland, CA

·       Erica Parra, Drums, Boys and Girls Harbor Conservatory, North Bergen, NJ

·       Corinne Savage, Voice, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Jefferson Hills, PA

·       Darryl Staves Jr., Drums, Tipitina’s Foundation, New Orleans, LA

·       Ahmari Underwood, Piano, Phoenix Conservatory of Music, Laveen, AZ

·       Ciara Ventura, Vibes, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter Schools, Aliquippa, PA

·       Raymond Weber Jr., Drums, Tipitina’s Foundation, New Orleans, LA

·       Daniel Whitelock, Drums, City Music Boston, Roslindale, MA

·       Michael Wooten, Piano, Philadelphia Clef Club, Philadelphia, PA

·       Heather Worden, Voice, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Burgettstown, PA

Berklee City Music combines the breadth of Berklee resources, facilities, and available scholarships with an environment of attention and encouragement.  Youth receive the tools and support they need to flourish as students, musicians and, perhaps most importantly, confident and well-rounded individuals ready to shape the world.

“Every summer I’m amazed at the group of talent that travels from our network sites across the country to collaborate here in Boston. It has been incredible to watch the youth this year flourish as students and responsible residents of the planet, ready to shape their world,” said J. Curtis Warner Jr., executive director, Berklee City Music.