Dayton Scholz has been accepted to the prestigious PRISMA Festival & Academy!

Dear WT Band Alumni,

My name is Dayton Scholz I’m excited to share that I’ve been accepted to the prestigious PRISMA Festival & Academy, happening June 12th-30th in British Columbia, Canada!

This intensive music program is an incredible opportunity for me to learn and perform, but it comes with a hefty price tag of $2600-$2700, including travel and tuition. But before we get to that, here’s a little about me and what the program consists of!

I am currently an ambitious Junior at West Texas A&M, majoring in Music Education and Clarinet Performance. The clarinet has been my rock since the 6th grade and I’m thrilled every time I play it. I’m involved in ensembles like the WTAMU Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra, where I proudly hold the principal chair. My local involvement includes singing in the church choir at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, playing clarinet in the Hillside church chapel orchestra, and subbing for Chamber Music Amarillo. I'm also playing in the Town and Gown Band, when I can, with Dr. Gary Garner. My involvement doesn’t end there, I’m also a proud new member of Tau Beta Sigma since this fall with its contribution to my growth in musicianship and leadership.

The program consists of two weeks of study in the beautiful western region of Canada. There I’ll take part in master classes, Chamber ensembles, Audition studies, mock auditions, private lessons, student recitals and more (including the major ensemble we will be performing in). I’ll not only be furthering my musicianship on Bb clarinet but also A clarinet, Eb, and Bass clarinet as we do rotations with our set list of music. This opportunity, in my mind, will be the best way to get my foot into graduate programs and experience working with some of the top instrumentalists in the world. Room and board will be at the University of British Columbia. To my knowledge, I’ll be the first student to have gone abroad to this program in 14 years. It will be great to give the Canadians some Texan pride!

Despite exploring every avenue, including the study abroad office and financial aid, I’ve found that I need to turn to my community for support.

As of 3/29/2024, I have been contacted by an anonymous donor who is willing to do an amazing thing for me and this opportunity. Through the month of April they are willing to match donations dollar for dollar effectively doubling funds up to $1300. This will pay not only for tuition and board but along with travel and living through June 12-30th of this summer festival.

You can help support me by donating through the Opportunity Plan here in Canyon. Any help will be greatly appreciated. There is a link below that will take you directly to the Opportunity Plan Website. Also included below are easy instructions to make sure that your funds go directly to my scholarship fund set up through the Opportunity Plan.

If you have any questions about my musical ambitions or helping me seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, please feel free to reach out to me directly at dscholz243@gmail.com. We have also included a link to my Junior recital that I gave a couple of weeks ago.

Your support means the world to me, and every little bit helps me get one step closer to making my mark in the music industry. Thank you to everyone who’s encouraged me and stood by me throughout this journey. Let’s make music happen!

For questions or more info on how you can help, just shoot me a message. Let’s bring this musical dream to life together!