Acclaimed musician, Charlie A’Court, is paying it forward by establishing a bursary supporting Nova Scotian high school graduates who are continuing their music education in university or college. The Charlie A’Court Scholarship for Excellence in Music (CASEM) will award $500 (CDN) to a graduating student who has been accepted into a post-secondary institution, specifically to continue his/her music education.
“Throughout my career I’ve always looked at ways I could channel the opportunities I’ve received into serving my community and creating win-win experiences,” A’Court explains. “This scholarship has been an aspiration of mine for years and it’s a means of expressing my gratitude for those opportunities by investing in tomorrow’s musical talent.”
The scholarship is designed to aid a student accepted into Nova Scotia-based institutions offering music courses such as the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University or the Music Business Program at NSCC Waterfront Campus for instance. Students accepted to institutions outside Nova Scotia like Humber College (ON) or Berklee College of Music (US) would also be encouraged to apply.
A’Court, a 5-time East Coast Music Award winner and 8-time Music Nova Scotia Award winner, says the scholarship will be rolled out in two phases. 2017 marks the 20th anniversary since A’Court graduated from Cobequid Educational Centre (CEC) and its music program in Truro. For its inaugural year, A’Court plans to award the scholarship to a CEC student this June, before expanding province-wide for the 2017-2018 school year. “Looking back 20 years, this is my way of saying ‘thank you’ to CEC and the band program for giving me my start. Truro has such rich history in the arts, and has contributed to the world stage in a major way, especially in music. That said, it will be exciting to expand and offer the scholarship to students across Nova Scotia,” says A’Court. Bill Kaulbach, principal at CEC, celebrates the news. “I’m thrilled Charlie is selecting a 2017 CEC graduate as the inaugural recipient of this scholarship.”
Applications open on April 1 and close on May 12 and will be processed internally by the Student Services Office at CEC. A’Court will be on hand to present the cheque during CEC’s graduation ceremony scheduled for June 29.