ISSUED: 1 May 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The Shepherd University Foundation announces an annually funded award created by Shepherdstown resident Judy Rand. The Judy Rand and Friends Scholarship for Aspiring String Musicians provides stipend money to defray the cost of private lessons for aspiring youth musicians to study with adjunct faculty in the Community Music division of Shepherd’s Department of Music.
In 2006, Rand moved from Annapolis, Maryland, to Shepherdstown seeking a quieter life. An adult amateur string musician, she was also drawn to the town’s culture.
“This is a really fantastic town for the arts,” said Rand, who plays the violin and viola and enjoys participating in music camps up and down the East Coast throughout the year.
Seeking a way to play chamber music with like-minded local musicians, Rand soon joined the Shepherd Community Orchestra, which provides opportunities for more than 70 local string and wind students to play in a community and youth orchestra. The group is made up of a Junior String Ensemble for beginner and inexperienced students, as well as an Advanced Orchestra for advanced students and adult community members. Youth members include elementary, middle, and high school string students from Jefferson and Berkeley counties and Washington County, Maryland.
The creation of the Judy Rand and Friends Scholarship for Aspiring String Musicians was the result of Rand’s longtime involvement with the Community Orchestra.
“The award funds will go to Shepherd faculty, which will also benefit students participating in the orchestras because they’ll be able to take private lessons from highly qualified people,” said Rand, who has gotten to know many of the orchestra’s youth participants. “I’m aware of quite a few students who aren’t able to afford private lessons, and I just thought maybe there was a way to use the same dollar for two purposes.”
Rand and her partner, Rebecca Grace Jones, plan to host fundraisers for the scholarship in their Shepherdstown home. The first took place in October 2018 and featured student performers from Berkeley and Jefferson counties, along with their instructors.
To learn more about making a gift of any size through the Shepherd University Foundation, contact Monica Lingenfelter, Shepherd University Foundation, P.O. Box 5000, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443-5000, 304-876-5397, mlingenf@shepherd.edu, or visit the Foundation online at https://shepherduniversityfoundation.org.
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