Jeremy S. Frye Scholarship Winners
Haley Fetters Crouch- 2011
Haley Fetters Crouch fell in love with the saxophone before band class was even offered in elementary school. She began private lessons in 4th grade so when band started at East Antioch Elementary they would allow her to play the alto saxophone rather than begin with a clarinet, like many of the others in her class. In 5th Grade Band, they quickly moved her up to 6th Grade Band and the area Honor Band. Her passion for music flourished through elementary school, and in middle school where she was finally able to play in a jazz band. In high school, she held first chair in Jazz Band and Symphonic Band at Shawnee Mission South for all four years, participated in Marching Band, took pleasure in playing at the Solo and Ensemble Festivals, and enjoyed the opportunity to participate in District and State Band. Haley took leadership roles as section leader in the Rompin’ Stompin’ Raider Band her junior and senior year, led the Pep Band during basketball games, and was the South Band’s Historian. Private lessons, practice and supportive educators kept her on track and excelling. After graduating in May 2011 from Shawnee Mission South, she will attend the University of Kansas to pursue a degree in Industrial Design and looks forward to becoming a Marching Jayhawk.
Judy Erpelding- 2011
Judy Erpelding is a senior music education major attending Baker University. She has been playing the violin for nearly twenty years and has made strings her primary focus of study by receiving private instruction on the viola, cello, and bass in addition to the violin. Next fall she will be the first Baker student to do her student teaching in two different school districts, starting at Lawrence High School teaching orchestra and then at Shawnee Mission teaching Elementary Strings at Belinder Elementary School.
A transfer student from Johnson County Community College, Judy has been a leader as concert mistress and co-founder of the JCCC chamber orchestra. Her leadership opportunities continued at Baker as she has been the concert mistress of the orchestra since the spring of 2010 and first violinist of the Buell A. Hill String Quartet. Judy has also received many honors while at Baker University including being named the Baker University Outstanding Music Performer of 2011 and as being selected as an Honor Recital Performer in 2010 and 2011. In May 2011 she performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor Molto Appassionato with the Baker University Symphonic Orchestra and received academic honors as a Dean’s List Student in every semester of study at Baker University and at Johnson County Community College.
It has been Judy’s dream to teach High School Orchestra since she was in the 6th grade. Many things in life put this dream on hold for Judy and she is thrilled that this lifetime dream is finally coming true. As a thirty-year old, married mother of three young children, going to school has been especially challenging but all these challenges have made the experience much more valuable and have given her hope in finding the perfect job teaching the music that has changed her life.
Turiya Goetze- 2011
Turiya Goetze's love for music started when she started playing flute in elementary school and has only grown since. She played flute through out her school career, and it was her main focus in high school at Shawnee Mission South, where she participated in every opportunity to play. There she played flute with the Symphonic band and was a marching band section leader her junior and senior years. Turiya traveled with the South Symphonic band to Overland Park's sister city, Bietigheim-Bissingen Germany, in the Summer of 2007. Turiya graduated from Shawnee Mission South in 2008 and moved on to attend school at Johnson County Community College. Turiya has played with the JCCC concert band for three years and sung with the jazz choir for two. As Turiya moves on from JCCC to attain her degree in elementary education, she plans to keep music at the forefront of her life - continuing to play wherever and whenever she can. She hopes that one day she can teach her students all the many life lessons that she has gained through music.
Eli Jones- 2010
Eli Jones is a senior music education major at BakerUniversity. Next fall, he will be student teaching in the Kansas City, KS school district at J. C. Harmon High School and Douglass Elementary school. Eli has been singing and playing trombone since elementary school, and graduated from Tonganoxie High School in 2006. During his four years at Baker, Eli has participated in many ensembles including three choirs, concert and jazz bands, brass quintet, orchestra winds, and is a founding member of 8 on Eighth, a student-led vocal octet. He is involved on campus in CMENC (Collegiate Music Educators National Conference), Music Student Advisory Committee, Baker Ambassadors, and is an instructor in Baker’s Music Lab School. Following his graduation in December, Eli hopes to teach secondary choral music.
Stephen Hass- 2010
Stephen Hass graduated from Shawnee Mission South High School in 2010. He began playing the trombone in the fifth grade band. He participated in the Sixth Grade Jazz Band and Brass Choir the following year. He played in the Indian Woods Middle School concert band and jazz band both years. In high school, Stephen was the section leader of the jazz band for four years and was a section leader in the symphonic band for three years. Also, he was a section leader in the marching band his junior and senior year. Stephen also plays at his church for Christmas and Easter. When Stephen enters the University of Kansas in the Fall of 2010 he will participate in the marching band, while pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering.
Jennifer Craighead- 2010
Since fifth grade Jennifer has been involved in playing flute, singing, and playing piano. She has enjoyed playing music in school, church, and for recreation. “Music has always been a huge part of my life and will continue to affect me every day,” she says. “I began my Elementary Education degree at Johnson County Community College in 2008 and will transfer to Wichita State University in the fall of 2010 to continue my studies in education and music.” Jennifer has a heart for music and a heart for kids, so after achieving a general degree in education, she will expand her degree to include music education.
Nickolas Yoder- 2010
Nick will be a junior in the fall at Kansas State University where he will be in the top Jazz band and Latin Jazz combo.He has played the guitar and mandolin for Fiddler on the Roof at Olathe South, guitar
University at the Bell Center in April 2009. He was also played viola at Olathe South for Peter Pan, Hello Dolly and guitar for West Side Story. At the Theater in the Park he has played guitar in 42nd St., High School Musical, The Wedding Singer, and viola for Peter Pan. This summer his is in two shows, Jesus Christ Superstar, where he has an onstage guitar solo and All Shook Up, which he is also playing guitar. He was the lead guitar for the Music Theater for Young People for their performances of All Shook Up at the Polsky Theater at Johnson County Community College in 2009. although, he is not a member of the MTYP, he was recommended to play lead guitar by Ron Stinson, the jazz instructor at Johnson County Community College. Nick has played guitar for nine years, viola for ten years, six years was the Olathe Youth Symphony. He also just finished his fourth season with the Olathe Coummunity Orchestra as one of their violists. Nick also plays piano as well as the electric bass guitar and was a member of his high school jazz band.
Nick has been employed for four years at Mur-Len Animal Clinic, with aspirations, since first grade, to be a veterinarian. His long term goal is to graduate from the Kansas State University School of Veterinary Medicine.
Justin Burwinkle- 2009
Shawnee Mission South
“Jazz Musician of the Year”
Justin Burwinkle graduated from Shawnee Mission South in 2009. He has been a drummer since age seven and has taken every opportunity to play throughout his school career. At Katherine Carpenter Elementary School, he participated in Jazz Band and 5th and 6th grade bands. At Indian Woods Middle School and South High School, he continued in jazz bands. At South, Justin participated in the Rompin’ Stompin’ Raiders Band as a member of the drumline where he was Section Leader during his Senior year. He also provides leadership through his service on Worship Teams for his church’s contemporary worship and in the youth Celebration Choir. Justin will enter the University of Kansas in Fall 2009 to major in mechanical engineering and plans to continue drumming in various groups such as jazz and marching band.
Avaree McDonald- 2009/2010
Jeremy S. Frye scholarship
for music education student
Avaree McDonald is a senior music education major at Baker University. Beloit, KS, is her hometown where she graduated from Beloit High School in 2006. Avaree began playing viola when she was nine, and now viola is her primary instrument. At Baker she plays in orchestra and the Buel A. Hill string quartet. She also sings in Concert Choir and has played piano in Baker's jazz band. On campus, she is involved in Phi Mu, Baker Ambassadors, CMENC (Collegiate Music Educators' National Conference), and Baker's Student Education Association. Outside of Baker, she directs the praise band at the United Methodist Church in Burlington, KS. Avaree also serves as the President of the Kansas NEA Student Program. She loves working with kids of all ages, and after graduating from Baker, she hopes to teach elementary and high school orchestra somewhere in Kansas.
John Gentile- 2009
Jeremy S. Frye scholarship
for Johnson County Community College
“For as long as I can remember, I have always loved to listen to and play music. I cannot imagine doing anything else in my life but music.”
John began playing drums and guitar when he was eleven years old, the bass guitar the year after that, and since then virtually every keyboard he could get his hands on. By the 5th grade he was composing and arranging his own music. By the time John was at Blue Valley West High School, his emphasis was on percussion instruments and he began studying with Dr. Craig Miller and renowned Kansas City jazz drummer Ray DeMarchi. While at West, John played with the jazz combo, the jazz band, and every other band he could find that needed a drummer, and he was blessed to have played and recorded with jazz greats Kim Park, Conrad Herwig and Dr. Robert Morgan. John also taught other students to play while at West. He played, and continues to play, drums and keyboards with several worship bands, including those at Life Church and The Church of the Resurrection.
As his playing developed, his love for composing grew - it soon became another musical passion. “Composing,” John says, “allows me to express what I have been through and how I feel in ways that words cannot.” Recording, engineering and mixing his music - skills John learned on his own and through his work at Kansas City’s legendary SoundTrek Recording Studio - lets John focus on every note he writes, plays and hears in his quest for the perfect groove.
After graduating from West, John became the drummer for the Johnson County Community College jazz band “Midnight Express” under the direction of Dr. Ron Stinson. John loves the creativity that comes from playing with other musicians and has learned to love jazz the best because, he says, “its endless creativity allows me to express myself more than any other type of music.” John was recently accepted to Belmont University in Nashville, where he will continue to study percussion and commercial music performance.
Besides composing and playing music, John also loves working on the instruments he plays. He has learned to cherish the tonal qualities of different woods, and he believes his understanding of how sound is made, travels and impacts our sense of hearing allows him to play more meaningfully. John believes that the more knowledge he has about an instrument, the more he can use it to the best of its abilities – because he can actually get a visual image of the tone generation. Music, says John, is more than just banging on the ivory or the drum heads; “it is my passion.” John Gentile received the M4JC scholarship while at JCCC and is headed to Belmont University in Nashville.
Avaree McDonald- 2009/2010
Jeremy S. Frye scholarship
for music education student
Avaree McDonald is a senior music education major at Baker University. Beloit, KS, is her hometown where she graduated from Beloit High School in 2006. Avaree began playing viola when she was nine, and now viola is her primary instrument. At Baker she plays in orchestra and the Buel A. Hill string quartet. She also sings in Concert Choir and has played piano in Baker's jazz band. On campus, she is involved in Phi Mu, Baker Ambassadors, CMENC (Collegiate Music Educators' National Conference), and Baker's Student Education Association. Outside of Baker, she directs the praise band at the United Methodist Church in Burlington, KS. Avaree also serves as the President of the Kansas NEA Student Program. She loves working with kids of all ages, and after graduating from Baker, she hopes to teach elementary and high school orchestra somewhere in Kansas.
John Gentile- 2009
Jeremy S. Frye scholarship
for Johnson County Community College
“For as long as I can remember, I have always loved to listen to and play music. I cannot imagine doing anything else in my life but music.”
John began playing drums and guitar when he was eleven years old, the bass guitar the year after that, and since then virtually every keyboard he could get his hands on. By the 5th grade he was composing and arranging his own music. By the time John was at Blue Valley West High School, his emphasis was on percussion instruments and he began studying with Dr. Craig Miller and renowned Kansas City jazz drummer Ray DeMarchi. While at West, John played with the jazz combo, the jazz band, and every other band he could find that needed a drummer, and he was blessed to have played and recorded with jazz greats Kim Park, Conrad Herwig and Dr. Robert Morgan. John also taught other students to play while at West. He played, and continues to play, drums and keyboards with several worship bands, including those at Life Church and The Church of the Resurrection.
As his playing developed, his love for composing grew - it soon became another musical passion. “Composing,” John says, “allows me to express what I have been through and how I feel in ways that words cannot.” Recording, engineering and mixing his music - skills John learned on his own and through his work at Kansas City’s legendary SoundTrek Recording Studio - lets John focus on every note he writes, plays and hears in his quest for the perfect groove.
After graduating from West, John became the drummer for the Johnson County Community College jazz band “Midnight Express” under the direction of Dr. Ron Stinson. John loves the creativity that comes from playing with other musicians and has learned to love jazz the best because, he says, “its endless creativity allows me to express myself more than any other type of music.” John was recently accepted to Belmont University in Nashville, where he will continue to study percussion and commercial music performance.
Besides composing and playing music, John also loves working on the instruments he plays. He has learned to cherish the tonal qualities of different woods, and he believes his understanding of how sound is made, travels and impacts our sense of hearing allows him to play more meaningfully. John believes that the more knowledge he has about an instrument, the more he can use it to the best of its abilities – because he can actually get a visual image of the tone generation. Music, says John, is more than just banging on the ivory or the drum heads; “it is my passion.” John Gentile received the M4JC scholarship while at JCCC and is headed to Belmont University in Nashville.
Music 4 Jeremy's Cherubs
P.O. Box 13523
Overland Park, KS 66282-3523
jeremys_cherubs@hotmail.com
