Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation invests $43,000 in local music education

SANTA BARBARA, California – The Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation (PASF), a nonprofit committed to supporting classical music education through scholarships and community grants, has awarded $43,000 to eight local organizations that foster music and dance education for young people.

PASF’s Board of Directors approved the grants following recommendations from the foundation’s four-member Education Grant Committee, which met in June to evaluate funding proposals. The awards are made possible by the foundation’s annual performing arts competition, which distributes scholarships to individual student musicians and vocalists. Funds not allocated through the competition are directed toward grants for community-based arts education efforts.

“PASF is proud to assist these student enrichment and development programs,” said PASF President Deborah Bertling. “We applaud the efforts of these organizations in reaching thousands of students across our city and county with the joy music can bring into their lives.”

This year’s recipients include Santa Barbara Youth Symphony and Santa Barbara Strings, two organizations that provide performance training and ensemble experience for aspiring young musicians. Both programs offer students the opportunity to refine their musical technique while participating in collaborative performances.

The Santa Barbara Education Foundation received support for three initiatives: Keep the Beat, which provides instruments and after-school instruction for students who otherwise might not have access to music education; Nick Rail Band Camp, a summer program that brings together student musicians from throughout the area; and Strings Camp, which helps young string players grow their skills during the summer months.

CAMA (Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara) was awarded funding for “Music Matters,” a docent-led, in-school music appreciation program that helps students explore the world of classical music and its major composers through guided listening and hands-on learning.

Opera Santa Barbara received a grant for “Opera 101,” an interactive outreach program that introduces students to the fundamentals of opera and gives them the chance to participate in the creative process of writing original scenes.

The Santa Barbara Chamber Players will use their PASF funding to present a free concert for students and the community, with the goal of inspiring young people to pursue instrumental music through live exposure to classical works.

Santa Barbara Choral Society received support for a program that nurtures emerging vocal leaders by providing real-world experience as section leaders and assistants to the conductor, helping to prepare them for possible careers in music.

State Street Ballet was also among the recipients, with grant funding going toward in-school dance classes offered in partnership with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, as well as free ballet performance opportunities for underserved student audiences.

Established in 1982, the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation encourages young musicians to strive for excellence and supports them in their growth as performer. The foundation hosts an annual music competition and supports music educational outreach in Santa Barbara.

--- For more information about PASF, visit pasfsb.org.