Helping the Community: Music Scholarship Fund
In 1997, The Utah Conservatory was created and exists still to this day. It’s a studio, serving as a music school, that encourages students to express themselves through sound. Directors, Debra Cook and Aaron Mitchell, stress that the studio is a place where artists can come to gather, and is a place where love and effort are some of the most important values. The Utah Conservatory stands apart from other music schools because the Conservatory operates even though they experience virtually no financial gain.
“It’s a labor of love,” Cook and Mitchell said.
All the staff of The Utah Conservatory put so much of their own time, effort, and money into the kids and the programs there - they want everyone to get equal opportunities. This has proved to be strenuous to the program though, and the Conservancy had to accept that they couldn’t assist all the students themselves. “There’s been a lot of sacrifice in our family to keep our vision alive”, said Cook, whose late husband ran the Conservancy until the day he passed, not taking a penny.
In 2001, The Utah Conservatory started the Music Scholarship Fund. The Fund is a nonprofit organization that raises funds to support any student in Park City and Salt Lake City, even those that do not attend The Utah Conservancy, that want to pursue music but are at a financial disadvantage. Cook and Mitchell want to share the love and benefits of music throughout the community
In the early days of the Music Scholarship Fund, the directors tried applying for grants, but came to the disheartening realization that grant programs were less focused on individual causes and students, but instead were more focused on the size and number. This made raising money quite difficult. Cook and Mitchell have since been looking for other ways to raise funds, and have gotten the most success from personal donations.
Cook and Mitchell want to stress that any form or amount of donation helps: instruments, time, money - anything and everything goes a long way. In addition, people that donate have complete control over where the money goes, if a person wanted to donate to a specific student, program, person, etc. they can. For example, 75 of the Conservancy students were planning a trip to New York to go to Carnegie Hall, but some of them couldn’t afford the flight,, so through specific donations for that cause the Music Scholarship Fund was able to cover the flights for the students.
Although general donations are always accepted, individual scholarships are also given out as well based on need and a merit based scale. The Music Scholarship fund seeks out students that are putting effort and motivation into their studies, but just lack financial assistance.
“It is so sad when we aren’t able to provide the financial support,” said Cook and Mitchell.
However, with donations, The Utah Conservancy has been able to make a difference in the lives of many of its students. One example that Cook and MItchell are proud of involves a student who started attending the Utah Conservatory at 5 years old. The girl’s family was dealing with some pretty serious issues at home, and she needed assistance, The Music Scholarship Fund was able to do that. The Conservatory and the Fund together allowed the girl to grow in a place she felt safe. She graduated from her dream music school and summa cum laude from a great university.
“Music helps students grow as learners not just musicians, an appreciation for music can help in all aspects of life,” said Cook
There are so many students that are so passionate about music but just don’t have the financial assistance to pursue it. The Music Scholarship Fund was created in hopes of mending that problem, but isn’t all the way there yet. So many kids have expressed how much music means to them and how it's helped them, Cook and Mitchell just want to provide those opportunities to as many students as possible.
If you are interested in donating here is the link to the Music Scholarship Fund:
Utah Conservatory’s Website:
