Scholarship winners announced for 2018 Crown Guitar Workshop
Jazz 360 instructor Mark Dziuba, center, leads an afternoon class during the Crown Guitar Workshop in 2017. (Mackenzie Reiss/Daily Inter Lake file photo)
Sixteen talented guitarists from across northwest Montana were awarded scholarships each valued at $5,000 to attend the ninth annual Crown Guitar Workshop and Festival from Aug. 26-Sept. 1 at Bigfork’s Flathead Lake Lodge. The annual gathering brings together a stellar lineup of world-class artists in residence, professional instructors, multi-instrumentalists and guitar students from beginner to pro, in a glorious week of celebration of their love of guitar.
It is a unique opportunity in that students can partake of study in seven guitar genres, from rock to classical, over six days of intensive workshops, daily elective classes, nightly performances and late-night jam sessions.
Crown Development Director Diane Kautzman, says the goal of the festival is to build an outstanding education and mentoring program for dozens of recipients each year to make a critical difference in advancing their artistic and music career development. The skill levels of the scholarship recipients range from aspiring teenagers, to polished performers and veteran instructors.
The winners include: Sean Tribble, Alea Schafer, Isaiah Seliskar, Paul Lenihan, Chris Evans, Jamie Wyman, Tanner O’Conner, Emmett Aschim, Jessica Lechner, Valley Lopez, Merle Robinson, Grant Gibson, Dee Fleming, Bram Rawlings, Emily Wattison and Brandon Neiderauer.
A Scholarship Showcase event is planned for July 10 at Marina Cay Resort in Bigfork. It will feature some of the former scholarship winners from previous years and also introduce some of this year’s winners. The free event will be held from 6-9 p.m. downstairs in the large banquet room. Food and beverages will be available to purchase.
Housing is also needed for the scholarship recipients. If the student is lodged for the full workshop week, donors will get two tickets to each night’s public Crown Guitar Festival performances.
Learn more about the weeklong event, including the five public Crown Guitar Festival concerts, at www.crownguitarfest.org.