2024 Scholarship Recipient

Legendary musician B.B. King once said, “The Blues? It’s the mother of American music. That’s what it is—the source.” Blues music, to me, is about raw, honest emotion. As a drummer, playing the blues is not about being perfect. It’s not about complex meters for the sake of being difficult or showy. Instead, Blues is all about the groove and being present in the moment, connecting with other musicians to express a feeling.

It’s been said that music is a universal language. If that’s true, Blues is one of the most essential parts of that language. As a member of the Cleveland School of Rock since I was five years old, I’ve had the opportunity to play many different genres with many different people. This past summer, I capped off my School of Rock career as a member of the International All-Stars (Midwest Touring Group) where I got to meet other musicians from across the country and world. Inevitably, when a jam session broke out, whether I was seven playing at the School of Rock in Rocky River, or seventeen rehearsing for the summer All-Stars tour in Indiana, we would go straight to a twelve-bar blues. Some might argue this shows how simple playing the Blues is. While that may be true, to me, that’s what makes Blues so great. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what language you speak; you can connect and express yourself almost instantly.

Music has been my passion since I was three years old. This fall, I will begin the next chapter in my musical journey as I have enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, working towards a Bachelor of Music in Professional Music.
With a focus on performance, I see myself continuing to share Blues with people directly through the many playing and collaboration opportunities Berklee, and the Boston area, will provide.

In addition, I’m excited to keep Blues relevant by working to blend it with other forms of music to create a blues-inspired fusion.

In conclusion, Blues is the foundation of so many forms of modern music. Blues is about emotion, expression, and connection. I think more than ever, our country and the world could use a little more of that.