Phoenix, Arizona – Phoenix Conservatory of Music (PCM) recognizes the impact of a $10,000 grant award from Thunderbirds Charities. This generous support allows PCMs to provide scholarships to qualifying students for our College Prep Program (CPP). The College Prep Program offers youth ages 9-17 the opportunity to participate in weekly enrichment classes such as piano, sight singing, songwriting, audio production, and audition and interview preparation.
PCM’s College Prep Program is a unique collaboration with Berklee College of Music’s Berklee City Music Network, one of 47 community music schools in the nation utilizing Berklee’s PULSE curriculum as a base for the College Prep Program. As the only Berklee College City Music Network site in Arizona, PCM is proud to provide CPP students with the ability to develop their skills through music while creating pathways for success.
“PCM’s College Prep Program students have an 85% acceptance rate to top universities and have been awarded over $4.5 million in scholarships and counting,” said Regina Nixon, PCM’s Executive Director. “Our focus in the CPP is to provide an immersive and fun experience making contemporary music while exposing them to enrichment classes like music theory and music business, along with life skills such as collaboration, professionalism, and teamwork. It’s because of the help of amazing organizations like Thunderbirds Charities that our students are able to be successful. In May, we had 14 seniors graduate, and this graduating class earned over $750,000 in scholarship offers! Congratulations go out to all of our seniors! A special congratulations to Star Mahoney, who received a full-tuition merit scholarship to Berklee College of Music! We are so incredibly proud of each one of our seniors and all that they have accomplished, and we are so grateful for the support of Thunderbirds Charities and the other supporters of this program. Truly, we are making a difference in the lives of these students!”
In June, as part of the College Prep Program, Phoenix Conservatory of Music sent students Sebastien Swensen and Mercedes Rodriguez to summer music intensives on full scholarships. Sebastien was able to experience a full week with housing at King’s College and coursework at Musician’s Institute. Mercedes Rodriguez was able to experience the ASU Pop Music Summer Intensive right here in Phoenix!
At the beginning of July, PCM sent three students to the Berklee Aspire Five Week Summer Performance Program as Berklee City Music Network Scholarship Students! Congratulations to Patrick Cassidy, Star Mahoney, and Gabi Pinilla!
College Prep Program applications are OPEN for the 2024-2025 school year—and applications are open now through August 23rd for students in 4th through 12th grade who have been playing their instrument for longer than one year and would benefit from a low-cost program that helps to prepare students for college and career music experiences. Application information can be found at: https://pcmrocks.org/college-
About Phoenix Conservatory of Music:
Phoenix Conservatory of Music (PCM) is a nonprofit, creative youth development organization through music education that was founded in 1998. PCM provides a continuum of high-quality music education and experiences to over 2,000 students annually, ranging from introductory-level education and after-school programs to more advanced private lessons and music theory classes. PCM is also home to the national award-winning College Prep Program, an after-school college readiness program for contemporary music education, in partnership with the Berklee College of Music and The Berklee City Music Network.
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