(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - The Sam Pitcher Memorial Scholarship Fund announced that five Ketchikan students have been selected to receive 2017 Sam Pitcher Music Scholarships. The students are 7th grader Sarah Short, 8th grader Abbigail Gaugler, 10th graders Ezrie Anderson and Karri Montero, and 11th grader Terran Stack. The scholarships are for $500 for each recipient to attend the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, goals and musicianship.

2017 Sam Pitcher Memorial Scholarship Recipients
L to R: Sarah Short, Terran Stack, Ezrie Anderson,
Karri Montero, and Abbigail Gaugler.

Sarah Short is looking forward to improving her skills on many instruments at SFAC and taking an art class as well. She plays percussion, piano, electric bass, ukulele, and is a vocalist. Sarah is a percussion section leader in the 7th grade band, plays electric bass with the Schoenbar Middle School Jazz Band, and sings with the SMS Choir. Sarah’s parents are Rod and Michelle Short.

Abbigail Gaugler has studied vocals and piano, plays flute in the 8th grade band and saxophone in the SMS Jazz Band. She looks forward to composing music and hopes to someday teach music. At SFAC she especially wants to focus on the flute, but would also like to extend her vocal range. Abby enjoys playing music with her parents, Gary and Deanna Gaugler.

Ezrie Anderson was also a 2015 recipient of the Sam Pitcher Music Scholarship. She knows from past experience that the Sitka Fine Arts Camp will give her an opportunity to work with students and teachers from around the country that will motivate her to improve her drumset and percussion skills. She plays percussion with the Kayhi Band and the Jazz Band as well as with The Ketchikan Community Concert Band. Music is a large part of her life. Ezrie is the daughter of Keith and Carmel Anderson.

Karri Montero is a vocalist who is also teaching herself to play guitar. She is currently a member of the Kayhi Women’s Choir. In the past she has participated in the Children’s Community Choir, the Kayhi Concert Choir, and several productions with First City Players and ArtScool. Karri is especially interested in learning Opera vocal techniques. Karri’s mother is Vicky Campo.

Terran Stack is a vocalist who was selected for State Honor Choir this year and has also been selected for Southeast Honor Choir for the past three years. He hopes to focus primarily on vocal classes at SFAC, honing his skills and learning new ones.

Terran enjoys singing with the Kayhi Choir and the Kayhi Jazz choir. Terran is the son of Pat Stack.

Scholarship recipients are selected by a Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Association advisory committee, which consists of nine people, including Sam’s mother. Reviewing the work of Ketchikan’s talented youth is always a pleasure. The advisory committee said they are honored to provide support to the talented young musicians in Ketchikan.

The Sam Pitcher Music Scholarship Fund was started following Sam’s death in 2003 at age 16. Sam participated in all the Kayhi bands, all of the McPherson jazz bands, and the rock group, “The Rubber Band.” Sam attended both The Sitka Fine Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. Scholarships are for Ketchikan students in grades 7 – 12 to attend summer music programs like the ones which benefited Sam.

Two $500 scholarships were first awarded in 2004. In this 14th year, the number of scholarships awarded total 65, which results in an excess of $30,000 being distributed to recipients. The primary fundraiser for the scholarships is the Sam Pitcher Memorial Concert, “An Evening of Jazz, Blues and Rock” which takes place each year in late fall.

Tax-deductible donations can be made to the fund at any time in care of The Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Association, 330 Main Street, Ketchikan, AK 99901. The Sam Pitcher Memorial Scholarship Fund is a fiscally sponsored project of the KAAHC.

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

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