Five local high school and college students have received scholarships from the Festival at Sandpoint in recognition of their achievements in music, writing, and the arts.
The $2,500 2023 Festival at Sandpoint Instrumental Scholarship went to violinist Hannah Adams.
Throughout middle and high school, Adams played in a number of community and school orchestras, such as the Coeur d’Alene High School Chamber Orchestra, Spokane Youth Symphony, and North Idaho Youth Symphony. Adams spends her leisure time teaching novice violinists privately, taking part in camps like the Belmont University Summer Strings Camp, and giving concerts at nursing homes.
“I’ve wanted to be a music teacher since I was 12 years old. I consider myself very blessed to have had so many incredible teachers, directors, and conductors. They have inspired me every step of the way, and my dream is to follow in their footsteps,” Adams said. “They have supported me, encouraged me, and shown me how to do things I never thought I could. I hope to one day do for someone else what my teachers have done for me.”
(Photo courtesy FESTIVAL AT SANDPOINT)
Adams intends to enroll at Tennessee’s Belmont University to study music education. She intends to go back to Sandpoint in the future and create a curriculum for string players.
Evan Schwenk, who placed second in the Festival at Sandpoint Instrumental Scholarship 2023 competition, was also given a $1,500 prize.
Schwenk started playing the violin when he was eight years old, but it wasn’t until middle school that he fell in love with the cello.
Along with playing in a number of chamber orchestras, including the Sandpoint Music Conservatory, Schwenk enjoys instructing. In addition to serving as the Suzuki String Academy’s full-time student cello instructor, Schwenk co-teaches the junior orchestra at Sandpoint Christian School.
“Teaching young children how to play the cello is an amazing opportunity that comes with many rewards. As a teacher, not only do I get to impart knowledge and skills, but I also get to be a positive influence in the lives of my students,” Schwenk said. “It is a privilege to be able to introduce children to the joys of music and to help them develop their creativity and artistic expression.”
Schwenk intends to study cello performance and music teaching simultaneously at the University of Idaho. He aspires to play in a sizable orchestra after college and start a youth symphony in Sandpoint.
The guitar-played original song “We Ain’t Done” by Arie VanDenBerg won him the $1,000 2023 Charley Packard Memorial Songwriting Scholarship.
VanDenBerg has been playing the guitar for five years, but he has always wanted to be a musician. VanDenBerg has been self-taught aside from four months of introductory guitar tuition at the age of 13. He writes songs as a creative outlet to unwind after practice and games.
VanDenBerg plans to attend Chapman University in California and pursue a degree in business and wants to continue performing and honing his songwriting skills in college.
Festival at Sandpoint & Angels Over Sandpoint Arts Scholarship winner Elizabeth Couch received $2,000.
The area of focus for the Festival at Sandpoint & Angels Over Sandpoint Arts Scholarship changes each year. The focus for 2023 was writing, with previous years focusing on visual arts, dance and theater, and vocal performance.
Couch was selected as the recipient of this scholarship for her diverse portfolio of creative writing. She enjoys writing a variety of genres including, but not limited to, poetry, fantasy and literary fiction. Couch notes her teachers and Sandpoint High School’s Creative Writing Club as some of the primary inspirations for her writing.
“I have developed some of my best writing skills because my English teachers guided me through symbolism, emotive language, and self-reflection,” Couch said. “Without their encouragement, would not have pursued the genre of poetry in which I feel best conveys my passion.”
As the winner of the 2023 Lineup Poster Artist Contest, Max Bazler also received a $1,000 scholarship applied toward continuing his college education.
Bazler is a college student pursuing a degree in Graphic and Web Design from North Idaho College.