Thank You Notes – 2015

We  received  a  colourful  and  creative  assortment  of  thank  you  notes  from  the scholarship  recipients  wishing  to  express  their  appreciation  to  all  our  wonderful donors.  Here is a sampling of the thoughts expressed. . .

SENIOR PIANO CONCERT CLASS
Thank you for your recognition and the generous donation of $45 for the senior piano  concert  class.   Thanks  to  you,  music is thriving and  growing in the Okanagan Valley. – Hannah Bennison

BEST OF THE FEST – STRINGS
Thank  you  for  the  Shuswap  Music  Festival  Society  “Best  of  the  Fest”  Strings scholarship!  – Anna Konrad  (musical embellishments)

SENIOR PIANO QUARTET
We  would  like  to  thank  our  donor  and  the  Shuswap  Music  Festival  for  this wonderful scholarship.  We have been performing in the festival as an ensemble for  the  past  8  years,  and  have  been  enjoying  every  second  of  it.   Even  though we  are  sad  about  2015  being  our  last  year  of  festival,  we  are  forever  grateful that the festival has provided us with these lasting memories.  Thank You!  – Elena  Brun,  Rebecca  McDonald,  Ashley  Fong  &  Lara-May  McCallum    (musical notes to decorate)

INTERMEDIATE BCRMTA PIANO
Thank You for the encouraging scholarship!  It is a great learning experience to play  in  the  music festival.    I  have  played  in  the  festival  for  five  years  now  and hope to continue. Thank you for your support!  🙂  – Jessica Neudorf

PIANO ARCT SCHOLARSHIP
Thank   you   so   much   for   your   donation!     I   have   enjoyed   the   high   quality adjudicators and all the valuable feedback they give me, for many years!  Having competed  in  other  festivals,  I  can  really  appreciate  how  organized  and  smooth this  festival  runs.   It’s  definitely  the  best  fest  in  the  area!  Thank  you  so  much for another great year! !  – Elena Bruns

STRINGS CONCERT CLASS
Thank  you  for  the  award! I was really excited to receive this  award.  🙂   I  love how you   help   make the music festival possible for young musicians to experience and further their musical abilities.   I really enjoyed it!  Thank you!  – Holly McCallum

TWO PIANOS 4 HANDS ENSEMBLE
Thank you – from both of us!  We’ve been playing ensembles for four years and hope  to  play  for  many  more!    We  really  appreciate  your  support  in  the  music festival!  Many thanks,  Holly McCallum & Jessica Neudorf

OUTSTANDING INTERMEDIATE STRINGS
I am thrilled to have received this award!  I play the cello, and have been playing for  six  years.   I  also play  in  the  Okanagan  Symphony  Youth  Orchestra.   I  am  in grade seven in both school and cello, and great eight in piano.  I love music and hope to make a career of it!  Sincere thanks,  Holly McCallum

BLAIR BORDEN AWARD
I’m honoured and delighted to have received this amazing award! I am grateful, thankful  and  excited  to  be  able  to  use  it  towards  pursuing  my  musical  dreams.  Currently I am working on finishing my Grade 10 piano and Grade 8 violin.  In the next  year  or  two  I  hope  to  complete  my  ARCT  in  piano  and  Gr.  10  in  violin before continuing on to university for music! – Sincerely,  Lara-May McCallum (notes)

GRADE 10 PIANO SCHOLARSHIP
I’m  so  happy  and  grateful  to  be  receiving  the  Grade  10  Piano  Scholarship  this year.    I’m  excited  to  use  the  award  towards  pursuing  my  musical  dreams.    I’m very  thankful  to  the  Shuswap  Music  Festival  Society  for  pulling  off  the  Festival each year! I have been participating in the festival for sic years now – and each year it is the highlight of my musical endeavours!  Sincerely, Lara-May McCallum

SENIOR PIANO BCRMTA AWARD
I  would  like  to  thank  the  Shuswap  Music  Festival  and  the  donors  for  presenting me  with  this  generous  scholarship.   I  have  been  participating  in  the  festival  for the past 8 years and I’ve learned so much.  Each year I look forward to acquiring more  musical  knowledge  and  I  am  never  disappointed!    I  am  deeply  saddened that  this  was  my  last  year  of  music  festival,  but  eternally  grateful  for  all  the
memories I have made through-out the years.  Thank-you!  Ashley Fong

SENIOR PIANO QUARTET
We  would  all  like  to  to  thank  you!   We  had  lots  of  fun  learning,  practicing,  and performing   together.     We’re   looking   forward   to   playing   more   ensembles together!  Thank you for your encouragement to a music-filled future.  – Robyn deWet, Eva Mosher, Jessica Neudorf & Holly McCallum

SASCU BEST JAZZ BAND
THANK  YOU  FROM  THE  SAS  JAZZ  BAND.  Thank  you  Salmon  Arm  Savings  and Credit Union for the music festival scholarship.  Home-made card signed creatively by 22 students

PRE-GRADE ONE VOCAL
Dear Music Festival, Thank you for the scholarship!  From Evje Knutson (with lots of hand-drawn notes)

INTERMEDIATE STRINGS ENSEMBLE
Thank   you   for   the   Shuswap   Music   Festival   Society   Intermediate   Strings Ensemble scholarship!  From Anna & Simone Konrad (musical tree illustration)

ROTARY CLUB “BEST OF THE FEST” PIANO
Dear Music Festival Association and Donors, Thank  you  very  much  for  hosting  such  a  wonderful  event.   I  love  performing  in the  festival  and  am  very  grateful  tor  receive  the  generous  “Best  of  the  Fest” scholarship.    I  plan  on  using  the  money  to  buy  materials  for  Basic  Harmony, which I will be taking this summer,  Thank you!  Stephen Moore

GRADE THREE PIANO
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thank you so much for hosting such a marvellous event.  Thank you for awarding me $25 for recognition of my piano.  Thank you to the adjudicators for giving me great advice for my piano. Thank you to the sponsors for making this event happen.  I enjoyed it very much.  Yours sincerely, Eric Moore

JUNIOR DUET – PIANO
Dear Shuswap Music Festival Society, I would like to thank you for the honour of playing piano at the evening of Stars Gala  night  and  for  blessing  me  with  a  scholarship  which  I  will  use  to  further  my learning.  God Bless!  – Calia Mortensen

SASCU BEST SECONDARY SCHOOL CONCERT BAND
To  the  Salmon  Arm  Savings  &  Credit  Union.  A  VERY  large  hand-made  card  with various thank you notes from 28 students.  SAS Grade 9 Band

OUTSTANDING JUNIOR PIANO
Thank you that you gave me the scholarship and award.  I really appreciate it.  I will keep working on my music study.  Sincerely, Aleta Lu

GRADE 7 PIANO
Thank  you  for  the  scholarship.   I  have  been  playing  in  the  festival  for  the  past four  years  and  it  has  been  a  great  experience.    Thank  you  for  creating  the opportunity for young musicians.  Eva Mosher  (musical notation)

GRADE 8 STRINGS
Thank you so much for the grade 8 strings scholarship.  I really enjoyed playing in the festival and I appreciate your support.  Libby Wyse

SENIOR MUSICAL THEATRE
Thank   you   SO MUCH for   providing   me   with   the   Senior   Musical   theatre Scholarship!    As  I  plan  to  continue  with  musical  theatre  as  a  career,  your contribution is greatly appreciated!  May your days be abundant with music!  Kindest regards,  Sidney Cummings 🙂

GRADE 4 PIANO
Thank you very much for organizing a fun and enjoyable festival.  I’m pleased to receive a scholarship, thank you very much for the money.  I’m looking forward to continuing with piano and playing again next year! From Tessa Elliott

OUTSTANDING SENIOR CLASSICAL VOICE
Thank  you  ever  so  much  for  your  generous  scholarship!    This  money  will  go towards next years’ voice lessons. Thank you again,  Spencer Christensen

JUNIOR/INTERMEDIATE PIANO COMPOSITION
Thank you for the scholarship!!  From:  Anna Biernacki (Stickers & smiles)

GRAND 9 PIANO
Dear   Donors,   thank   you   very   much   for   your   generous   donation.   I   really appreciate it.  This scholarship means a lot to me and I am very honoured to be the  recipient.    I  am  planning  to  use  your  donationn  to  purchase  my  Grade  10 piano  books  and  additional  music  for  sight-reading  and  my  enjoyment.    Thank you again for your donation. From Jessica Brown

MARY FOWLER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
I  am  so  grateful  for  the  Mary  Fowler  Memorial  Scholarship.    This  amount  of money will be going towards audition expenses for post-secondary education in Classical Voice and Opera.  Thank you ever so much, Spencer Christensen

GRADE 5 PIANO SCHOLARSHIP
Dear Donors and Music Festival Society, Thank you so much for hosting such a wonderful event.  I have learned a lot and have  improved  greatly  with  advice  from  the  adjudicator.    I  would  like  to  thank the  donors  for  a  generous  $35  scholarship!    The  money  will  help  me  in  my musical career by buying music books and paying for music lessons.  Yours Sincerely,  Julianne Moore (flower)

OUTSTANDING JUNIOR STRINGS & JUNIOR BCRMTA STRINGS
I was so surprised when I heard I was going to receive two awards at the Night of  Stars!    Thank  you.    It  was  a  really  fun  experience  to  play  that  night.    I  look forward to next years festival.  Nadya Henrie

GRADE 5 STRINGS AWARD
(Musical  heart  illustration)    Thank  you  for  the  Shuswap  Music  Festival  grade  5 strings award!  From Simone Konrad

PRE-GRADE 1 STRINGS
Thank  you  very  much  for  my  scholarship  money!   I  used  the  money  to  buy  my new violin.  I really appreciate it.  Sincerely,  Anya Massa

INTERMEDIATE CLASSICAL VOICE
Dear Donor, Thank  you  for  all  your  generosity.   It  is  very  well  appreciated.   The  scholarship will  be  put  to  good   use.   I  am  so  thankful  for  all  that  you  do  to  make  festival such a wonderful event.  I will always treasure the time that I had practicing for this  competition.    Thank  you  again  for  all  the  encouragement  that  you  give through your support.  Sincerely, Destinee Trentalance

SENIOR PIANO COMPOSITION AWARD
Thank  you  for  this  award!    I  feel  honoured  to  have  received  this  award,  and really  appreciate  your  kind  donation  to  the  music  festival.    Looks  like  I’ll  be buying a lot of composition paper! Sincerely yours,  Holly McCallum

VOCAL ENSEMBLE
Our  thanks  for  the  generous  scholarship  for  Best  Ensemble.   We  are  excited  to be entering the Provincial Arts festival!  We will let you know how we make out.  Terry Logan & Ancora Women’s Ensemble

OUTSTANDING INTERMEDIATE PIANO
Thank  you  to  the  Shuswap  Music  Festival  Society  for  the  scholarship.    I  am honoured to have received it.  Sincerely, Jennika Bobryk

INTERMEDIATE MUSICAL THEATRE
Thank  you  very  much  for  your  generous  scholarship.    I  appreciate  it  greatly.  This money will help me continue my pursuit of music while attending university in Vancouver next year. Sincerely, Mairead Raupach

Thank you to all those who supported the Music Festival in 2015.

The dates for the 2016 Shuswap Music Festival will be posted when available.