2025 Scholarship Award Recipients
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Bella Michael Provo`
SPELMAN COLLEGE
PIANO PERFORMANCE
“Winning the Motivated by Music Scholarship is such an incredible honor and a sigh of relief. My mom and I were shouting with joy when I received the email announcing the award.
Thanks to the Motivated by Music Scholarship, I can focus more on pursuing my degree in Piano Performance at Spelman College and less on how I will pay for my college expenses. It feels amazing to see all my hard work paying off, and I’m beyond excited for the doors this will open. I can’t wait to keep growing, learning, and making the most of this incredible opportunity!”
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Chloe Rackley
WHEATON COLLEGE
MUSIC EDUCATION
“Oh my goodness! I actually won?! I ACTUALLY WON.”
I immediately told everyone in my family and was jumping up and down - screaming shouts of joy!
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Luka van Herksen
EMERSON COLLEGE
MUSIC THEATRE
"Receiving this scholarship is an honor and I promise to make the organization proud. Being honored specially for my achievements in Musical Theatre is truly special. Performing is something that has been part of my life since I was very young and being able to work on achieving this lifelong dream is surreal. As you know these programs are expensive and every cent of this award will be put to good use."
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Tina LaRosa
BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC
SONGWRITING
“ I feel incredibly honored and excited to have been chosen for the Motivated by Music scholarship. I feel so deeply grateful—music has been my saving grace during the hardest time of my life, and it continues to be my biggest source of motivation. To be recognized by a scholarship that celebrates that connection means more to me than I can put into words.”
2024 Scholarship Award Recipients
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Aram Karpeh
PEABODY INSTITIUTE OF MUSIC
DOUBLE BASS
“I feel a mixture of surprise and accomplishment being awarded this scholarship. I felt surprised because I did not think I was going to be awarded such great, and needed, scholarship. I felt a sense of accomplishment because this is the first third-party scholarship I've applied for and I was awarded it after applied for it for the first time!”
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Mahalia Hernandez
CHICAGO COLLEGE OF PERFORMING ARTS
VIOLIN
“I am honored to have received this scholarship. As someone who’s concerned about college tuition costs, I believe this scholarship has lifted a huge weight. I am truly grateful for Ms. LaShanda Byrd-Williams’ and her teams’ generosity, and receiving this scholarship has made me even more inspired to achieve my dreams of getting involved in social justice, specifically among young people who lack the resources to pursue their passion in classical music.”
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Quincy Eby
THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL
VIOLA
"I am deeply grateful to Motivated By Music for this scholarship. Your commitment to excellence and dedication to young musicians is inspiring. This scholarship will help me pursue my dreams and assist in the cost of attendance, allowing me to focus more on my musical development. Thank you for believing in my potential and supporting the future of young artists."
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Zion Carmichael
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
MUSIC THEATRE
“ I am so grateful to be awarded this scholarship. I was surprised and honored to be selected. This money has taken a huge financial chip off my shoulder as I pursue my musical theatre career. This is such a blessing!”
2023 Scholarship Award Recipients
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Anna Zhang
Bassoon Music Performance
Manhattan School Of Music
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Leonardo Rincon
Violin Music Performance
Cleveland Institute of Music
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Sophia Luong
Classical Percussion Performance
Cleveland Institute of Music
2022 Scholarship Award Recipients
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Jill Baldassari
Music Therapy
Temple University
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Josif Collazo
Trombone Performance
Oberlin College