Several scholarship-winning students performed in Morro Bay on Tuesday night for a chance at a professional opportunity.
It was the first of two nights of the 2024 Rising Stars showcase at Morro Bay High School's theater, where local student musicians from across San Luis Obispo County were celebrated for winning the Rising Stars scholarships.
The scholarship was awarded by educational nonprofit Infinite Music to 29 students between 7th and 12th grades based on their academic achievement, musical talent and interest, and financial need, among other criteria. The students receive 10 weeks of private music instruction with a local professional music teacher.
"... [W]e have some of the best, some of the greatest music instructors that these kids could be exposed to," said James Vanko, Infinite Music program coordinator. "And it's quite an exciting thing."
At stake at the showcase is the chance at something bigger: a professional recording opportunity through local San Luis Obispo sound studio Shiahma.
Some of those 29 students awarded scholarships performed Tuesday night. The rest will perform Wednesday night. Five of those 29 will win the opportunity to work with Shiahma.
Student performances include vocalists as well as instrumentalists and feature a wide variety of music genres, including classical, pop, jazz musical theater, and original student compositions.
"Music has so many residual benefits in life: the discipline of the lesson taking, learning the music," Vanko said. "We know that it does a lot of great things for the brain, it stimulates academic achievement.”
The free-to-attend event runs from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Morro Bay High School Theatre.
