South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
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 Silver and Gold Music Scholarship Program, specifically, provides financial support to student musicians–including 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’s degree in music technology. “CU Boulder has allowed me to more easily pursue both of my passions–music and technology,” she says. “Receiving 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.
“This scholarship allows me to fully focus on my studies and music.”
Kaphammer describes the College of Music as an environment fostering collaboration and creativity. “I’m in the percussion studio, studying under the guidance of [Professor of Percussion and Jazz] Douglas Walter and [Percussion Lecturer] Carl Dixon.
“It 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,” Kaphammer says.
As a well-rounded student and musician, Kaphammer is involved in many extracurricular activities. “In addition to classical music, I also enjoy playing in the Latin Percussion Ensemble, where I’m learning a lot about cultural music,” she says. “I’m also playing the drum set in the Basketball Band. It’s fun to make music with other music students and people from other majors in such an upbeat, enthusiastic environment.”
As a part of the scholarship program, all students receiving financial assistance are invited to the College of Music’s Annual Scholarship Celebration Dinner. Kaphammer explains the importance of community among scholarship recipients: “Attending the Annual Scholarship Celebration Dinner, I was able to connect with students I hadn’t interacted with before, especially graduate students.
“I’ve built a strong connection with graduate students I’m taking lessons from. It’s comforting to know the graduate students who are mentoring many of the underclassmen students like us.”
Kaphammer intends to go into sound design, broadcasting, or hardware development. She’s 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.
Learn more about supporting our students through the Silver and Gold Music Scholarship.
