South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela once said: 鈥淓ducation is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.鈥�
Education bridges science, technology, music and many other disciplines; it helps us to understand the advancement of humanity through time while informing and forming the minds that will change the world. However, education costs are rising everywhere and the College of Music aims to defray those costs.
On average, 75% of College of Music students receive scholarships or other financial aid. The , specifically, provides financial support to student musicians鈥搃ncluding first-generation students and those from low-income and underserved communities.
Jennifer Kaphammer is a recipient of a Silver and Gold Music Scholarship and shares the significance of how it positively impacts her future in music and technology.
Originally from Windsor, Colorado, Kaphammer is a first-year student at our College of Music, pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in music technology.听鈥淐U Boulder has allowed me to more easily pursue both of my passions鈥搈usic and technology,鈥� she says. 鈥淩eceiving the scholarship reinforced my decision to commit to CU. It was incredibly comforting to know that there was a community supporting me enough to fund my education.
鈥淭his scholarship allows me to fully focus on my studies and music.鈥�
Kaphammer describes the College of Music as an environment fostering collaboration and creativity. 鈥淚鈥檓 in the percussion studio, studying under the guidance of [Professor of Percussion and Jazz] Douglas Walter and [Percussion Lecturer] Carl Dixon.听
鈥淚t was amazing to walk into studio on the first day, meeting all of these amazing musicians who are now my studio-mates. Seeing the impressive projects the upperclassmen and my fellow first-year studio-mates were working on was immediately inspiring,鈥� Kaphammer says.
As a well-rounded student and musician, Kaphammer is involved in many extracurricular activities. 鈥淚n addition to classical music, I also enjoy playing in the Latin Percussion Ensemble, where I鈥檓 learning a lot about cultural music,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 also playing the drum set in the Basketball Band. It鈥檚 fun to make music with other music students and people from other majors in such an upbeat, enthusiastic environment.鈥�
As a part of the scholarship program, all students receiving financial assistance are invited to the College of Music鈥檚 Annual Scholarship Celebration Dinner. Kaphammer explains the importance of community among scholarship recipients: 鈥淎ttending the Annual Scholarship Celebration Dinner, I was able to connect with students I hadn鈥檛 interacted with before, especially graduate students.听
鈥淚鈥檝e built a strong connection with graduate students I鈥檓 taking lessons from. It鈥檚 comforting听to know the graduate students who are mentoring many of the underclassmen students like us.鈥�
Kaphammer intends to go into sound design, broadcasting, or hardware development. She鈥檚 especially passionate about building technologies that make music more accessible. She hopes to create an easy-to-use software that can be implemented in school systems to help introduce music to kids at young ages, especially those in underserved populations.听
about supporting our students through the Silver and Gold Music Scholarship.
