SCF Music Students Excel at Statewide Music Symposium

(Bradenton, Fla., February 24, 2014) — State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) music students won awards and scholarships at the Florida College System Activities Association Winter Music Symposium at the University of South Florida Tampa held this spring.

SCF won three of the eight division categories in the Student Artist Competition. SCF student winners were Dillon Duggan, piano, piano category; Jonathan Williams, classical guitar, guitar category; and Mauro Herrera, percussion, percussion category. Winners were featured in an artist concert at the symposium and received a renewable $1,000 scholarship to attend any Florida college or university.  The following students received Honorable Mention: Nicholas Gambardella, violin, strings category; and Nicholas Russell, jazz guitar, jazz category.

Melodie Dickerson, SCF Music Program director, accompanied the students to the symposium. Under her leadership, SCF has had a long tradition of excelling at the symposium. Students have won in at least two categories at the symposium each year since she joined SCF 10 years ago.

Also contributing to students’ success were Marc Mannino, director of jazz studies; Rex Willis, director of guitar and composition; Robyn Bell, director of instrumental studies; Charles Turon, director of keyboard and theory, along with applied instructors Tom Suta and Felicia Brunelle.

SCF was one of 18state colleges to participate in the symposium, and the SCF Music Program was well represented by 45 music students who took part in the vocal and instrumental ensembles at the event.