Ragtime Musician Scholarships
After the 2019 festival we initiated an ongoing scholarship under the "Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival", that will be offered to current hight school students, graduating high school seniors with an emphasis in Music and a commitment to study music in their higher education along with first and second year college students. We will continue to award a $500 - $1000 scholarships to these deserving young musicians in the coming years.
Starting with the 2025 Festival, we are now announcing the inception of the "Tom Brier Annual Scholarship" for youth ages 16 - 22 in the amount of $2500. Students should be studying music and or planning on an emphasis of music in their higher education aspirations as well as loving Ragtime music.
If you would like to apply, please copy and print the applications on the bottom of this page and return by the deadline. The festival eagerly looks forward to receiving and reviewing your application.
Past Scholarship Recipients
The festival was proud to give it's first scholarship within our Ragtime Community to: Anthony Sarginson who is pursuing a musical composition degree through Fresno State University. He recently graduated from High School and is embarking on his musical journey. Anthony is a regular at many ragtime festivals as well as performing here is Sutter Creek. You may read the letter from Anthony that he wrote expressing his thanks for receiving the scholarship and of of his aspirations for the future. Anthony was the perfect person to receive the our annual scholarship.
(View the letter at the Sierra Foothills Ragtime Society Page)
The 2024 Scholarships went to 2 deserving musicians this year.
Each received a $1000 scholarship.
Rebeka McCarty and David Little
David Little is an 18 year old from Sebastopol California. He caught the Ragtime bug jus a few years ago and
he has been feverishly honed his piano skills since. He played at this year's Youth Concert and loved
being around so many like minded youth performers as well as the seasoned performers
who attend the festival. He is off to start his college this year and we expect to hear from him soon and hear
about how his ragtime passion has found its place in his college life!
Rebeka McCarty came all the way from Tulsa Oklahoma to be a part of the festival. She is also 18 years old and
beginning her College career. She plays Ragtime on the violin with her boyfriend Carter. They provided
the audiences here at the festival with wonderful ragtime renditions. She is an accomplished violinist and has
performed with numerous groups & Youth symphonies in her young career. We hope to see her back
again next year.
(View her thank you letter on the Sierra Foothills Society page)
The 2022 Scholarship Recipient:
William Leonard is a very talented young man that made the trek from
Oregon with his parents to Sutter Creek for the 2021 Festival and won the audiences over.
He is the perfect candidate to receive this year's scholarship!
We have invited him back as a performer for the 2022 festival.
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William Francis Leonard, 13, from Portland, Oregon started his piano journey at the age of 8. It was 2019 when he discovered ragtime, boogie-woogie, and stride and used his time to build a small catalog of pieces for performance. William is working with his piano teacher on composing several new rags and intends to produce a recording of his work in 2021 & 2022.
William attends an option school focused on Arts & Communication where he has taken several leading roles for school plays. He is looking forward to returning to in-person learning where he can join his friends in creating the art and music that inspires him.
(View William's Thank you letter on the Sierra Foothills Ragtime Society Page)
The 2023 Scholarship Recipient
We awarded this years scholarship to Carter Enos. Carter is an eighteen year old from Tulsa Oklahoma.
he's been playing piano for over 11 and was introduced to Ragtime through some videos
of Tom Brier's Ragtime performances. He showed up at the 2022 Sutter Creek festival and was
eager to be a part of 2023. We are proud to award to him this years $500 scholarship As he
plans to enter college this year.
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The Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival
Annual Youth Scholarship Application
The Historic Sutter Creek generously awards a $1000 Scholarship to a deserving youth that has a love for ragtime music and is actively pursuing music in their lives. The festival has created this to be an ongoing scholarship every year, since the 2019 festival. A list of past scholarship recipients is listed on the website.
If you would like to apply for this generous scholarship, please copy and fill out this application and return it by Mail by the deadline date. You will then be notified if you are chosen to receive this scholarship and it will be awarded to you at this year’s Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival in August.
Rules:
~Scholarship open to students between the ages of 12 – 21
~Students should be studying music and or planning on an emphasis of music in their higher education aspirations.
~Students must submit a short essay on why they are applying for the scholarship, their musical aspirations as well
as a brief summary of their musical journey and some of their musical memories or accomplishments.
~Student will be asked to perform two songs at the youth concert at this year’s festival.
~Scholarship recipient will be announced prior to the festival in July.
~Previous recipients of this scholarship may not apply again.
Deadline to enter is June 15th, 2025
_______________________ ____ ____________________________________
Name Age Address
______________________ _________________________________________
Phone Number Email
Please use separate page for your essay.
Please copy both pages and mail to the Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival Scholarships
PO Box, 1658, Sutter Creek, CA 95685
The Tom Brier Annual Scholarship
Application
The Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival has now initiated a $2500 Scholarship in the Name of Tom Brier. Because of a very generous Donor, The festival has created this scholarship to be ongoing every year, starting with the 2025 festival. Tom has been an integral part of the legacy and success of this prestigious festival. Though Tom has not been able to participate in or give input to the festival’s future since his tragic accident in 2019, we know that Sutter Creek continues to hold a very special place in his memories and his heart.
If you would like to apply for this generous scholarship, please copy and fill out this application and return it by Mail by the deadline date. You will then be notified if you are one of the four applicants chosen to compete for the scholarship at this year’s Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival.
Rules:
~Scholarship open to students between the ages of 16 – 22
~Students should be studying music and or planning on an emphasis of music in their higher education aspirations.
~Students must submit a short essay on their musical aspirations as well as a brief
History of their musical journey and some of their musical memories or accomplishments.
~Student will be asked to perform two songs for judging at the festival. One Tom Brier composition and one of their choosing.
~Student will be asked to sight read a ragtime Composition.
~Winner will be announced during the festival. Runners up will receive $100 to help with any travel expense.
~ Previous recipients of this scholarship may not apply again.
Deadline to enter is June 15th, 2025
_______________________ ____ ____________________________________
Name Age Address
______________________ _________________________________________
Phone Number Email
Please use separate page for your essay.
Please copy both pages and mail to the Historic Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival Scholarships
PO Box, 1658, Sutter Creek, CA 95685