2018 Scout House Youth Music Scholarship Winner

Charlotte Lilley, this year’s Wilf Blum Memorial Youth Music Scholarship award winner is not only a gifted musician but is deeply involved at the provincial and national levels in social justice issues and various projects with the Anglican Church. A grade 11 student at Glenview Park Secondary School in the Galt section of Cambridge who began music studies at age 3, she is an accomplished piano, flute and oboe player, has sung with a number of choirs, performed in concert and jazz bands, conducted, composed and arranged music, is currently working on Grade Three Theory from Conservatory Canada and mentors younger students in Glenview Park’s junior band program.

The scholarship value is $800 for 2018, the 80th year since Preston Scout House Band was established in 1938.

Preston Scout House Band Inc. of Cambridge offers annual youth music scholarships in memory of Band founder Wilf Blum to a Waterloo Region student who intends to make music a central part of his or her life. The award may be applied to post-secondary tuition in a music program, lessons with an accredited teacher or purchase of an instrument.

The scholarship award will be presented during the Scout House Band community barbecue and performance afternoon on Saturday, June 30. Barbecue tickets are $15, free for children 12 and under. The barbecue will take place from noon to 6 pm June 30 at Sunbridge Hotel & Conference Centre (formerly the Holiday Inn), 200 Holiday Inn Drive in the Hespeler neighbourhood. Out of town friends and fans can receive a discount price of $99 plus tax and MSF on room rentals by calling the front desk toll free at: 1 (866) 375-8241 and saying Preston Scout House to qualify for the special rate. Tickets are available from Band members and at the Home Hardware store on King Street in Preston.

Charlotte intends to work toward a Bachelor of Music degree in composition, with oboe as her main performance instrument. She considers her greatest achievement so far has been composing, teaching and conducting “Fernweh,” a major multi-movement work for Glenview Park’s concert band, the school’s largest ensemble group. She has also arranged major works for the pit band ensemble.

Glenview Park music department head Karen Smith Seto considers Charlotte Lilley one of the most talented and dedicated music students she has taught during her 19-year career.

“Her musicianship and leadership have had a tremendous and lasting impact on our music program,” Smith Seto stated. “She eagerly accepts every challenge and fulfills every obligation beyond expectations.”

During the school year, she completed the difficult and demanding International Baccalaureate music course. She has completed formal examinations in piano up to the Grade Five level through Conservatory Canada and was working on material in the Grade Eight syllabus when she switched the focus of her music education from piano to oboe the prepare for upcoming university auditions.

She began performing in annual piano recitals after her first year of lessons in 2005. She has accompanied a number school and church choirs, instrumental soloists and small ensembles in school, church and community events. She fills in for the organist at St. James’ Anglican Church during services and has even accepted the role of musician at a funeral.

In addition to piano performances, she performs on flute and oboe. She has arranged and performed with a clarinetist in various school events, winning first in their category at the Waterloo Kiwanis Music Festival. She played flute in the William G. Davis School concert band; oboe in the Davis and Glenview Park concert bands and keyboard in the Glenview Park jazz band. She has competed as a member of school bands since 2014, including at the Kiwanis and Music Fest Canada competitions with Glenview’s concert and jazz bands, with both groups winning silver medals.

Her current practice routine includes: 40 minutes a day on oboe; concert band rehearsals for 125 minutes per week; jazz band rehearsals for 125 minutes per week; junior band rehearsals for 50 minutes per week and choir rehearsals for 30 minutes per week plus special projects, including worship music for church services. Aside from performance accomplishments, she is currently working on Grade Three Theory from Conservatory Canada.

Since starting high school, she has maintained a place on the honour roll every semester, winning the Year One silver award for second highest overall grade average, the Year One Business Award, the Year Two Music Award and seven MVP awards for positive contribution to the class room environment.

Outside school she is involved at the national level in social justice initiatives as the representative of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario to the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund National Youth Council. Recently the council played a major role in outfitting 20 homes in the Indigenous community of Pikangikum with water systems. Other council initiatives include support5 for refugees, increased global food security and projects supporting the health of children and their mothers. She speaks at churches and community events about the council’s works.

She is the youth member on the St. James’ Anglican Church parish council, representing the views of youth to the wider council and participating in decision making on church issues. She is the youth member to the Waterloo Deanery council which includes all Anglican churches in Waterloo Region and area and elected the youth delegate to the Huron Diocesan Synod as a voting member on larger-scale issues.

Eight Waterloo students have previously received scholarships since Scout House initiated the program in 2014. The review and selection panel includes Caroline Hissa: a graduate of the Masters of Arts Degree in Community Music program at Wilfrid Laurier University and the Executive Director of the Community Music School of Waterloo Region; Terry Hallman, retired senior public school music teacher with Waterloo Region District School Board; Gord Cupskey, director and music instructor for Silver Leaves Brass, one of five Scout House Band Inc. member groups.

Preston Scout House Band, Inc. is a non-profit corporation with registered charity status able to issue tax receipts to donors, incorporated under the Corporations Act of the Province of Ontario on November 29, 1956. The multi-unit organization offers individuals the opportunity to “Arrange the soundtrack of your life” in marching arts activities starting at age 8 and continuing throughout life.

For more information about Preston Scout House Band Inc. activities, contact telephone (519) 653-3376, email prestonscouthouseband [dot] adm [at] sympatico [dot] ca or visit the website at: scouthouseband.com