Cascade Blues Association's

Christopher Mesi
Memorial Music Scholarship

Spring 2001 Award Announcement

In May, the CBA awarded two Christopher Mesi Memorial Music Scholarships, in the amount of $500.00 each, to two deserving students who are pursuing a college major in music. And our winners are...

The Cascade Blues Association is pleased to announce that Adam Peterson and Heather Nathan, both seniors at Hillsboro High School, were selected as the Spring 2001 Recipients of the Christopher Mesi Memorial Music Scholarship. Each student will receive $500 towards college tuition to help further their education in the field of music. The decision, as usual, was tough, but Adam's and Heather's applications stood out from the others. The CBA would like you, our members, to know a little bit about these two outstanding young musicians.

Adam Peterson

Our first scholarship winner is Adam Peterson. Adam is a graduating senior at Hillsboro High School (Hillsboro, Oregon) and will start his college career this fall at Oregon State University. He has definite plans to major in Music Education and possibly complete his Masters and Ph.D. in either Conducting or Music Education. Career goals lean toward directing instrumental music at the high school or college level, with a little dabbling in writing / arranging compositions and writing drills for marching bands.

Adam began playing the saxophone in the 5th grade and through high school has continued to mold his musical skills and leadership qualities during his three-year position as Drum Major for the marching band, and participating in the Western International Band Clinic - an honor for any music student. Adam is also a member of Hilhi's symphonic Jazz, marching, and concert bands; plays in the pit orchestra; plays piano; and has recently joined the ensemble and concert choirs. If that wasn't enough, he also gives sax lessons to middle school students and has volunteered his time to help his band teacher work with a beginning band program. Adam's band teacher calls him "irreplaceable ...a skilled musician" and has "complete confidence in his ability to become a great music educator." His math teacher says, "he is one of the 50 best students/people I have had the opportunity to teach in my 23 years of teaching. Failure to admit this student [for scholarship] would be a great loss for any organization dedicated to kids and to the future of human society." You can see now why Adam was selected as one of this year's scholarship recipients.

Heather Nathan

Heather Nathan, also a graduating senior at Hillsboro High, is our second winner of the Spring scholarship and another example of a hard working, talented music student. Heather sights her mother's passion for music as her main influence and the reason why she got involved in music, specifically with piano lessons as a child and then in the 5th grade, where she began to learn the clarinet and soon the saxophone. She is a member of the concert, marching, symphonic, and pep bands, plays in the pit orchestra and has performed in the school musical. If that wasn't enough, she also makes time for a challenging International High School program, has represented her school at the Hugh O'Brien Leadership Summer Conference and was honored by the Western International Band Clinic for the past two years. Heather's school counselor describes Heather as a "confident young woman ...who embraces a more global perspective" regarding "tolerance to different ideas and differences in people" and who embodies a greater humanitarian ethic than [the] regular student body".

Heather has recently been accepted into the music program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington and will start classes this fall. Although she plans to major is music, Heather has left her options open on what specific musical career path she will take. She states that "right now, all 1 know is I love music and feel its where God wants me in life. The question is how do I use my talent and ability to bring happiness to people."

I want to wish Adam and Heather great success in their future musical endeavors.

Love and Blues
Susan Stewart
CBA Scholarship Committee Chair