Berklee City Music Awards Seven Full-Tuition Scholarships

The young musicians were awarded the scholarships at a ceremony marking the end of the Five-Week Summer Performance Program.

Tori Donahue

August 8, 2018

Krystal Banfield (far left) and Larry Simpson (far right) with the seven recipients of Berklee City Music Scholarships (from left): Trevon Sullen-Trotter, Zalissa Stewart, Noah Rowe-Gaddis, Morgan MacNeil-Barry, Azana Hightower, Nia Harris, and Diamonte Darbouze.

Image by Kelly Davidson

Seven young musicians from underserved communities in Boston and across the United States were awarded four-year, full-tuition scholarships to attend Berklee College of Music during an emotional presentation at the Berklee Performance Center on August 7.

Emceed by Berklee professor and acclaimed jazz saxophonist Tia Fuller, the scholarship presentation came at the end of Berklee’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program, which included 90 teens who attended on Berklee City Music Summer Scholarships.

Scholarship recipients were welcomed to the stage by Fuller, Berklee Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Larry Simpson, and Associate Vice President for the Office of Education Outreach and Social Entrepreneurship Krystal Banfield. The concert showcased the talents of Berklee City Music students performing in big band, pop-rock, pop/R&B, and jazz ensembles.

Scholarship recipients were all participants in Berklee City Music®, a nonprofit organization that delivers high-quality contemporary music education instruction to youth from underserved communities at no or low cost. The Berklee City Music Network® is an association of 40 community organizations that serve more than 46,000 students in the United States, Canada, and Latin America each year. Since its inception, Berklee City Music has awarded 258 four-year, full-tuition scholarships totaling more than $20 million.