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The NAMM Foundation Recognizes 103 College Students with The President’s Innovation Award

Mike Lawson • News • December 4, 2019

The NAMM Foundation has recognized 103 college music students with the organization’s President’s Innovation Award.

The annual award provides college music students focused on a career in music education, music business and/or music products a stipend to attend The 2020 NAMM Show and explore concepts, sessions and technologies across music, pro audio and entertainment technology. 
 
At The NAMM Show, the Innovation Award winners will have the opportunity to network with established industry professionals, check out the latest products and technologies, and participate in The NAMM Foundation’s GenNext initiative: a professional development program for college students to help jump-start their careers. Held during each day of the show, and presented in conjunction with the College Music Society, NAMM’s GenNext is open to all college and university students and provides dedicated educational sessions to help the emerging professional advance in their career, including Saturday’s “Careers in Music” summit where they will hear from professional trumpeter, Jonathan Dely and NAMM President and CEO, Joe Lamond. 
 
“Research dictates that having career opportunities and mentorship early on offers improved career outcomes for college-aged students. It’s entirely possible that the great next product inventor, retailer, producer, engineer or music educator will be among us in the class of 2020 Presidents Innovation Award winners,” shares Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director of The NAMM Foundation. 
 
The 103 recipients span colleges from New York to California, and come from a diverse variety of backgrounds and college majors, dedicated to pursuing a career in their respective fields. 
 
For one award-winner, Alyssa Bala, a senior at Ferris State in Michigan, music education has “shaped my life in a variety of ways in both personal and professional. It has helped me figure out what I am passionate about, what paths in the industry I want to work in, and what paths I enjoy learning about but not working in.” She hopes that The NAMM Show will help launch her career “as there is nothing else I can see myself doing for the rest of my life that will make me as happy as music does.” 
 
Anthony Long, a senior at Eastern Kentucky University, says that winning the award [will] “Really push me further into the area where I need to be. I need to be around the music industry to learn and grow so I can be best equipped to enter the industry straight out of college.” 
 
“The 2020 NAMM show would advance my [career] goals because I would be around like minded creatives, learn more about the music industry and see all of the new products and services that are available to users,” affirms Evan Fear, a music business major at Bradley University in Illinois. 
 
Marty Cooper, a senior at the University of Southern California is an aspiring audio engineer. For Cooper, the chance to attend The NAMM Show means that, “I’m excited for NAMM not only to see innovative new gear and have the opportunity to learn from my production heroes, but also to see old friends that now live across the country who I only get to see at NAMM!”

 

Congratulations to the 2020 President’s Innovation Award recipients:

First Name

Last Name

College/University

Patrick

Sporrer

Albright College

Chandler

Mudd

Anderson University

Colby

Dennis

Anderson University

Alexander

Alberti

Appalachian State University

Darry Elisha

Somersett

Appalachian State University

Samuel

Bowles

Appalachian State University

Kaitlyn

Etie

Austin State University

Yeana

Bond

Bakersfield College

Brad

Williamson

Berklee College of Music

José

Arturo Flores Vázquez

Berklee College of Music

Junghwan

Kim

Berklee College of Music

LeRoy

Henry

Berklee College of Music

Lior

Tam

Berklee College of Music

Mar

Fayos Oliver

Berklee College of Music

Yarelys

Mendoza

Berklee College of Music

Madison

Booth

Boise State University

Evan

Fear

Bradley University

Mary

Bausman

Bradley University

Maxwell

Nelson

Bradley University

Auboni

Hart

Butler University

Bri

Green

Butler University

Christina

Swider

Butler University

Jacob

Johnson

California State University

Saskia

Knoester

California State University Los Angeles

Abigail

Elizarraga

California State University, Fresno

Annalee

Abrahamsen

California State University, Fresno

Austin

Pfeiffer

Chadron State College

Anthony “Matt”

Long

Eastern Kentucky University

Brian

Powell

Eastern Kentucky University

Guthrie

Green

Eastern Kentucky University

Alyssa

Bala

Ferris State University

Andrew

Morris

Ferris State University

Katlin

Merby

Ferris State University

Steven

Schaefer

Ferris State University

Taylor

Funari

Ferris State University

Kayla

Smith

Florida Atlantic University

Kayla

Moore

Fresno City College

Nicholas

Crespin

Fresno City College

Saul

Ramirez

Fresno City College

Zoey

Turney

Fresno City College

Arthur

Baisch

George Mason University

Brooke

Nevius

George Mason University

Ryan

Joseph Urgel

George Mason University

Sonja

Phillips-Thomas

George Mason University

Benjamin

Thomas

Indiana State University

Mary

Abernathy

Indiana State University

Willis

Landon

James Madison University

Catherine

Sanders

Loyola University

Timothy

Benjamin Hoel Johnson

Manhattan School of Music

Alexander

Petro Peters

Millersvile University

Elizabeth

Fish

Millersville University

Emma

Byler

Millersville University

Estelle

Nemtsov

Millersville University

John

Jungers

Millersville University

Joshua

Marzak

Millersville University

Joshua

Neill

Millersville University

Lance

Samuel

Millersville University

Rhiannon

Blanchette

Millersville University

Robert

Stattel

Millersville University

Kyle Joseph

Hughes

Montclair State University

Michael

DiIusto

Montclair State University

Mario

Yi

Nova Southeastern University

Gavin

Marchon

Radford University

Jason

Byrley

Radford University

Samantha

Lynn Lane

Radford University

Stefan

Nixon

Saint Mary’s College

Geneque

Glenda Ellen Garrison

Salisbury University

Becca

Davis

Samford University

Courtney

Johnson

Samford University

Matthew

Watson

Samford University

Kathleen

Bell

Shenandoah University

Hannah

Neil

Southwestern University

Jessica Laurel

Mack

SUNY Jamestown Community College

Temima

Shames

SUNY Oneonta

Zanida

Banks-Rollins

SUNY Oneonta

Adara

Hoyne

SUNY Potsdam

Ashley

Slapo

SUNY Potsdam

Elias

Assimakopoulos

SUNY Potsdam

Erin

Finn

SUNY Potsdam

Joseph

Small

SUNY Potsdam

Madeline Grace

Derouchie

SUNY Potsdam

Matthew

Levine

SUNY Potsdam

Natalia

Buitrago

SUNY Potsdam

Ned

Greenough

SUNY Potsdam

Russell

Peffer

SUNY Potsdam

Sydney

Mulloy

SUNY Potsdam

Arta

Jekabsone

The New School

Raphael

Anastasiadis

The New School

Dana

Saba

The New School Jazz Performing Arts

Tyler

Adel

The State University of New Jersey

Emma

Pannullo

Tufts University

Scott

Hansen

University of Alaska

Joshua

Jones

University of California Irvine

Caroline

Stump

University of Colorado

Alyssa

Coronato

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Rachel

He

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Anna

Miller

University of Indianapolis

Gavin

Craig

University of Indianapolis

Sarah Jane

Andersen

University of South Carolina

Marty

Cooper

University of Southern California

Abigail

Hummel

University of Wisconsin – Whitewater

Haley

Genz

University of Wisconsin – Whitewater

Jonathan Daniel

Laner

Wayne State College

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