SPRING 2023 MELODIC SOLOING GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: Alessio Ammendola

Alessio Ammendola

Musicians Institute and The Musicians Foundation are pleased to announce that Alessio Ammendola is the recipient of the Spring 2023 Melodic Soloing Guitar Scholarship.

Alessio Ammendola comes to MI’s Guitar Program from Italy with 10 years of playing experience and in possession of solid melodic soloing skills in a variety of genres and a specialization in a multiplicity of Rock music styles. During the last six years, he’s also worked as a professional musician playing in different musical contexts, with a lot of playing in musicals for theaters.

During his studies, he will focus on “Developing more of a great and tight mindset and how to take advantage of my music tools, putting them all together to settle myself into the international music business. At MI you can learn not only how to fully master and control your instrument, but also how to move and most importantly, how to behave to be able to find your own path as a musician.”

When asked why he chose to study at MI, Alessio added “I came to MI because its guitar department is (without any doubt) the best that a guitarist can find. I wanted a new challenge for myself and see what kind of new level I will reach.  There are great instructors and people to genuinely compete with. I think that the choice of a great institute should be led by one simple reason: what we want to achieve; and when you have that answer in your mind, MI is where to start.”

Asked what the winning this scholarship award means to him, Alessio shared “The Melodic Soloing Guitar Scholarship means a lot to me because it’s a reward for my years of sacrifice spent improving my musicality and technique. We’re always led by a great passion for music but at a certain point of our journey, we need to accomplish something to feel that we’re moving in the right way, with the right pace and we shouldn’t stop. This scholarship is the perfect representation of this state of mind and when something that we have in our head comes to life, it’s always a great thing to be proud of.”

He describes his professional goals and aspirations as follows: “For the future I see myself in the international music business. As a guitarist, working for some Pop Artist or for some important musical theater companies. I will have a lot of time to develop my solo career and I would love to work with other artists, to be a sort of “X factor” for an artist or a music director.  But there’s no big dream without big and hard work, and that’s what I’m ready for.”

Everyone at MI congratulates Alessio on winning this very prestigious scholarship award!

Special thanks to an anonymous MI Guitar Program alumnus (GIT class of 1980) for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Alessio with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful careers in the music industry.

To learn more about the MI Alumni Community click HERE 

2023 D’ADDARIO FOUNDATION WOMEN IN GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: Yu-Hsuan Jen

Yu-Hsuan Jen

Talented guitarist Yu-Hsuan Jen has been named as winner of the 2023 D’Addario Foundation Women in Guitar Scholarship. She comes to Musicians Institute from Taiwan with 7 years of playing experience and a specialization in funk guitar styles.

As a current MI Guitar Program student, Yu-Hsuan has focused her studies on “Being able to communicate with many great musicians, learn different styles and become a competent musician.”

When asked why she chose to study at MI, she added “There are some very talented guitarists in Taiwan who graduated from MI, so I know that this is a very systematic school where I can learn and study many different styles of music and improve my guitar playing.”  

She added, “This scholarship means a lot to me because I am not confident in my own playing, I’m a SUPER UNCONFIDENT person! I am very grateful to the school for this affirmation, I will work harder to improve and become a better guitarist.”

Yu-Hsuan sees her MI education as an important key to achieving her goals “Continuing to learn, improve my solo/improvisation ability and become a stable guitarist who can play a variety of styles, and become a REAL MUSICIAN!”

Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Yu-Hsuan on winning this very prestigious award!

Special thanks to our longtime industry partner, D’Addario and The D’Addario Music Foundation for  generously sponsoring this scholarship as a part of its ongoing  Music Education for Girls Initiative, which helps to provide talented students like Yu-Hsuan with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.

To learn more about the full line of D’Addario products click here: http://www.daddario.com

2023 SCOTT BENNETT MEMORIAL GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: Eric Jonathan Cahyadi

 Eric Jonathan Cahyadi

Versatile guitarist Eric Jonathan Cahyadi has been named as the winner of the second annual Scott Bennett Memorial Guitar Scholarship at Musicians Institute. Eric comes to MI from Jakarta, Indonesia, having played guitar for 6 years in various genres including acoustic fingerstyle, R&B, pop rock, country, and gospel music.

As a current AA Degree student, Eric decided to attend MI’s Guitar Program because “I hope to build a solid foundation for my music knowledge and technique while studying at MI so I can continue to flourish in the future.  I chose to study at MI for a lot of reasons; one of which is the amazing faculty, where the instructors are active musicians who do session/touring work and can give insight into working in the music industry. Given that MI is in the heart of Los Angeles, building relationships with musicians both inside and outside of MI is also a huge reason for why I chose MI. Also, MI offers a very wide range of stylistic freedom that not many other schools offer. I’m able to freely dive into genres that I personally love and enjoy playing.”

When asked what winning the scholarship meant to him, he shared that “This scholarship means the world to me; like a stamp of approval that tells me,  ‘Yes, I am on the right track’ and it pushes me to further continue to work harder than ever, like there’s no tomorrow.”

Eric sees his education as an important key to achieving his career goals, which include “My dreams are to work professionally both in the United States and Indonesia as a musician, to have a full-time career in a job that I love and to hopefully inspire and bless people with the music I make. I try to live by the quote: “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

Everyone at MI congratulates Eric on winning this very prestigious award!

Special thanks to the family and friends of MI (GIT) alumnus Scott Bennett for generously sponsoring this memorial scholarship in his honor, which helps to provide talented students like Eric with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.

Scott Bennett

2022 D’ADDARIO WOMEN IN GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: VALENTINA LOAIZA JARAMILLO

Valentina Loaiza Jaramillo

Talented guitarist Valentina Loaiza Jaramillo has  been named as winner of the 2022 D’Addario Women in Guitar Scholarship. She comes to Musicians Institute from Medellín, Colombia with 12 years of playing experience and a specialization in rock.

As a current MI Guitar Program student, Valentina is focussed on “Developing and finding my sound. I want to learn everything I need to have a successful journey in the music industry. When asked why she chose to study at MI, she added “My guitar instructor told me about MI. When I did my research, I knew it was the right place because of the quality of the instructors and the curriculum. Additionally, I looked through the MI graduates list and I read some familiar names that are very successful thanks to what they learned at MI.”  

She added, “This scholarship means a lot to me because it is a recognition for the effort, dedication and passion I have for music. Also, it is a financial help for my family, because for me to develop a musical career at MI represents an important economic effort.  I am very happy and thankful for this recognition.”

Valentina sees her MI education as an important key to achieving her goals “to acquire a high level of knowledge, to perform as a session musician or a touring musician and, in the future create my own band.”

Everyone at Musicians Institute congratulates Valentina on winning this very prestigious award!

Special thanks to our longtime industry partner, D’Addario and The D’Addario Music Foundation for  generously sponsoring this scholarship as a part of its ongoing  Music Education for Girls Initiative, which helps to provide talented students like Valentina with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.

To learn more about the full line of D’Addario products click here: http://www.daddario.com

FALL 2022 MELODIC SOLOING GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: MANDABYA KUMAR SARMA

Mandabya Kumar Sarma

Musicians Institute and The Musicians Foundation are pleased to announce that Mandabya Kumar Sarma is the recipient of the Fall 2022 Melodic Soloing Guitar Scholarship.

Originally a native of Guwahati, India, Mandabya comes to MI’s Guitar Program comes to MI with 9 years of playing experience and in possession of solid melodic soloing skills in a variety of genres and a specialization in Rock.

During his studies at MI, he will focus on “Apart from gaining great guitar skills, I hope to learn the real essence of being a musician such as playing with a band and being a team player. MI is also a great place to connect to like-minded people and have great Jam sessions or form bands.”

When asked why he chose to study at MI, Mandabya added “MI has something that the other music schools don’t, which is learning and performing all types of genres. I believe it’s important to be able to play all genres comfortably to be a well-rounded musician.  I’ve played a lot of Rock in the past and all throughout my music career. Thanks to MI, it has opened my eyes to many more awesome genres. Now I play everything from R&B to country and everything in between.”  

Asked what the winning this scholarship award means to him, Mandabya shared “This scholarship means a huge deal for me and my family. Being able to survive in Hollywood as an international student is difficult and this scholarship helps me a great deal financially to put myself through school and keep studying what I love.”

He describes his professional goals and aspirations as follows: “My dreams are cliche but they’re mostly about touring with my future band or other bands throughout the US and possibly internationally as well. I would also love to do session work for other artists, and I love to teach music as well.”

Everyone at MI congratulates Mandabya on winning this very prestigious scholarship award, and we welcome him as he begins his studies and the many great experiences ahead at MI!

Special thanks to an anonymous MI Guitar Program alumnus (GIT class of 1980) for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Mandabya with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful careers in the music industry.

To learn more about the MI Alumni Community click HERE 

2022 JOE BONAMASSA BLUES GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: MICK COLLINS

Mick Collins

Mick Collins has been named as the winner of the fall 2022 Joe Bonamassa Blues Guitar Scholarship at Musicians Institute. The talented guitarist is a native of Manasquan, New Jersey, and comes to MI with 5 years of playing experience specializing in blues and folk genres.

Mick decided to attend MI’s Guitar Program because of “The awesome staff/alumni and the opportunity to learn directly from people who are in the industry.” When asked what winning the Joe Bonamassa Blues scholarship means to him, Mick added “This scholarship is a great honor and will serve as motivation to keep working hard to learn as much as I can to do the genre justice.”

As a current AA Performance Program student, he is focussed on learning “How to best serve the music and deepen my overall knowledge as an aspiring musician.” Mick sees his MI education as an important key to achieving his future dreams of being able to “eventually support myself playing music and make music that makes people feel good.”

Everyone at MI congratulates Mick on winning this very prestigious award!

Special thanks to award-winning blues guitar virtuoso and icon Joe Bonamassa and his Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Mick with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.

To learn more about the exciting work of the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, (a non-profit initiative to revolutionize and fund music education) click here.

To visit Joe Bonamassa online click here.

Joe Bonamassa in London 2015. Credit: Marty Moffatt

2022 SCHECTER NICK JOHNSTON GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: SION KIM

Sion Kim

The 2022 Schecter Nick Johnston Guitar Scholarship, named in honor of the talented and versatile Rock guitarist and Schecter artist, Nick Johnston has been awarded to Sion Kim.

Sion is currently enrolled in Musicians Institute‘s Guitar Performance program, and comes to MI from South Korea with 5 years of guitar playing experience with specialization in R&B, Rock and Pop genres.

When asked what winning the scholarship meant to him, he shared, “This is my personal proof that my playing has definitely gotten better since I came to MI.” He added, “I chose to study at MI because I heard that Musicians Institute is one of the best colleges.”

While attending MI, Sion continues to focus on gaining the skills needed to achieve his goals of “Improving my rhythm and changing the way I solo, I want to make my soloing more melodic.”  

He described his long-term career goals as follows, “My dream is to get an Artist Visa, and perform internationally.” 

Everyone at MI congratulates Sion on winning this prestigious award that supports the education and of a talented, evolving, and very deserving guitarist!

Special thanks to our longtime industry partner, Schecter Guitars for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Sion with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.

To learn more about the full line of Schecter Guitar and Bass products click here

2022 SCOTT BENNETT MEMORIAL GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: NADIR GUELER

Nadir Gueler 

Versatile guitarist Nadir Gueler has been named as the winner of the inaugural Scott Bennett Memorial Guitar Scholarship at Musicians Institute. Nadir comes to MI from Istanbul, Turkey, having played guitar for 12 years and in possession of a strong blues/rock background with an interest in performing jazz/fusion in the future.

As a current MI Bachelor’s Degree student, Nadir decided to attend MI’s Guitar Program because “I want to perform jazz and fusion, I’d like to learn about techniques, phrasing, vocabulary and the harmony and theory behind these styles. I’d also like to learn about the networking and the business side of being a musician. All these things considered, I felt like being in the heart of music at Hollywood, CA was the way to go. Also, there is a very clear trend about MI producing guitar icons and that made it clear that MI was the place where I needed to be.”

When asked what winning the scholarship meant to him, he shared that “This scholarship means a ton to me because winning this award shows that all the hard work that I’ve been putting in for years is paying off and that motivates me to continue to work even harder.”

Nadir sees his education as an important key to achieving his career goals, which include “My dream has always been doing what I love full-time and exploring the world of music without any other distractions. I truly enjoy a variety of genres from pop to fusion and I’d love to perform whether it’s on stage or in a studio. As a job, I want to be able to play my original music as well as playing with/for other musicians. At the end of the day, we are all together in this huge world of music.”

Everyone at MI congratulates Nadir on winning this very prestigious award!

Special thanks to the family and friends of MI (GIT) alumnus Scott Bennett for generously sponsoring this memorial scholarship in his honor, which helps to provide talented students like Nadir with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.

Scott Bennett

2022 STEVE FOX MEMORIAL GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: GABRIEL FRANZESE

Gabriel Franzese

Talented guitarist Gabriel Franzese has been named as the winner of the second annual Steve Fox Memorial Guitar Scholarship at Musicians Institute. Gabriel comes to MI from São Paulo, Brazil, possessing a wide array of guitar playing skills with a specialization in hard rock/metal genres. 

As a current MI Bachelor’s Degree student, Gabriel shared that he initially decided to attend MI’s Guitar Program because of its “Location and reputation. Since the very start, I’ve always wanted to live in Los Angeles and pursue a music career. MI was the best of both worlds.” During his studies, he intends to continue his focus on “a wide range of  topics from sounding authentic on my instrument in a specific genre, to not signing a questionable contract with a label and gaining a strong understanding of the music industry.”

When asked what winning the scholarship meant to him, Gabriel shared that “It not only makes me feel honored by this achievement, but it also means that I am able to invest more financially into marketing for my upcoming debut album.”

He sees his education as an important key to achieving his career goals, which include “Being able to tour the world playing my music. Always was the dream, and always will be.”

Everyone at MI congratulates Gabriel on winning this very prestigious award!

Special thanks to the family and friends of MI (GIT) alumnus Steve Fox for generously sponsoring this memorial scholarship in his honor, which helps to provide talented students like Gabriel with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful and creative careers in the music industry.

Steve Fox

2022 ESP ROCK GUITAR SCHOLARSHIP AT MUSICIANS INSTITUTE WINNER: TONY RODRIGUES

Tony Rodrigues

Musicians Institute and The Musicians Foundation are pleased to announce that Tony Rodrigues is the recipient of the 2022 ESP Rock Guitar Scholarship.  

Tony comes to MI’s Guitar Program from Brazil, with 7 years of guitar playing experience, a versatile array of playing skills in multiple genres and a strong focus in Rock/Metal.

When asked why he chose to study at Musicians Institute, he stated, “After many years of searching, MI was the place that offered the best opportunities to study and to enter the music industry.”

Upon learning of his ESP scholarship award, Tony shared that “this scholarship represents a valuable recognition of my work as a guitarist, and gives me more opportunity and support to achieve my goal.”

Tony sees his education as an important key to achieving his dream of one day being able to “contribute to the music industry and be recognized as an artist writing my own songs and music as well as being able to play for some big artist(s) while I continue to improve my career in the modern social media world.”

Everyone at MI congratulates Tony on winning this prestigious scholarship!

Special thanks to our longtime industry partner, ESP Guitars for generously sponsoring this scholarship, which helps to provide talented students like Tony with the support, tools and recognition they need to launch successful careers in the music industry.

Be sure to visit ESP Electric Guitars, and their industry partner: Takamine Guitars  to learn more their full line of guitar products.