“If you LOVE [drumming] you will definitely succeed as a player. If you LIKE it, you should do something else!”

STANLEY KAY

Stanley Kay Scholarship

DIVA honors the musical legacy, integrity, creativity, and excellence of our founder Stanley Kay through a scholarship offering an opportunity for a seriously swingin’ drummer between the ages of 15 -22 to attend a summer jazz camp of their choosing.

The $500 award will be paid directly to the winner's summer jazz camp of choice.

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donate to the stanley kay scholarship fund

Help us continue to honor Stanley Kay's legacy each year in helping a talented young drummer go a little bit further.

Make a Donation

HOW TO Apply

Applications are now closed. Check back for information on applying for 2023!

1

A cover letter expressing WHY this opportunity would make a difference in the applicant’s musical life. Be sure to include up-do-date contact information in the form of postal and email addresses.

2

A CD, DVD, mp3, or link to video of the applicant’s drumming. Preferred if tracks are edited to include only the melody/head, any shout-type choruses, and solos/trading. If full-length tracks are submitted, applicant should include time cues indicating where on each track the shout chorus and soloing can be found. Three tracks are required, one selection in each of these styles:

a) Medium or up-tempo swing
b) Ballad or slow swing
c) Either Afro-Cuban (mambo, songo, cha-cha, etc.) or Brazilian (samba, bossa-nova, baiao, etc.)

3

A letter of recommendation from a music teacher (private teacher, band director, regional ensemble conductor, etc.).

Important Notes

Cover letter, recording/links, and recommendation letter must be submitted together. Applications can be emailed to Sherrie Maricle at smaricle@ptd.net with “SK Scholarship” in the subject line. Hard-copy packets may be sent to The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, 1 River Place, Suite 817, New York, NY 10036, with “SK Scholarship” written on the envelope flap.

CDs, DVDs, and other application materials cannot be returned

PAST Winners

Some of the young drummers who have won in past years.

I am honored to be receiving the Stanley Kay scholarship that will allow me to attend the 2nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Drum Set Camp. At first when I won the scholarship I was a little confused at the announcement that I had to ask a friend to confirm what I heard was right. However, I wasn’t sure I would be able to attend due to my family moving to Oklahoma. But to my surprise the exciting news changed my parents’ minds. They confirmed that I would be coming back to attend the camp shortly after being handed my certificate. I got so excited all I could think about was having a private lesson with Greyson Nekrutman. Additionally, I am looking forward to being taught more brush techniques and jazz styles of drumming from Ms. Sherrie Maricle as well as the lessons from Maurice Fears, Jr., Matt Garska and Alton Clark and all of the other instructors that will be attending. I’m beyond grateful for the chance to return which will allow me to grow and help me expand my knowledge of different drum styles, genres, and techniques. The influence from other drummers at this camp will only strengthen my passion to pursue music as a career. Again thank you for your sponsorship! --Ben "YYZ" Santos
I am honored to be receiving the Stanley Kay scholarship that will allow me to attend the 2nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Drum Set Camp. At first when I won the scholarship I was a little confused at the announcement that I had to ask a friend to confirm what I heard was right. However, I wasn’t sure I would be able to attend due to my family moving to Oklahoma. But to my surprise the exciting news changed my parents’ minds. They confirmed that I would be coming back to attend the camp shortly after being handed my certificate. I got so excited all I could think about was having a private lesson with Greyson Nekrutman. Additionally, I am looking forward to being taught more brush techniques and jazz styles of drumming from Ms. Sherrie Maricle as well as the lessons from Maurice Fears, Jr., Matt Garska and Alton Clark and all of the other instructors that will be attending. I’m beyond grateful for the chance to return which will allow me to grow and help me expand my knowledge of different drum styles, genres, and techniques. The influence from other drummers at this camp will only strengthen my passion to pursue music as a career. Again thank you for your sponsorship! --Ben "YYZ" Santos

Ben "YYZ" Santos (2022)

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Nolan Willey (2021)

Anthony Pacheco

Anthony Pacheco (2019)

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Tetyana Haraschuk (2018)

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Maria Marmarou (2017)

Nick Kepron is thrilled to be a recipient of the 2015 Stanley Kay Scholarship. Nick, 16, is a drummer, abstract artist, composer and bandleader. An Honors student entering his Junior year at Cherry Hill High School East in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, he has been the drummer, co-leader and co-director of "Inspiration East," a 17-piece funk and fusion band at his school. For the past two years, he has been the drummer for the award-winning CHE Jazz Lab Band, and played the Rowan Jazz Festival and Deptford Jazz Festival in 2015. Also during the past two years, he has been a selected member of the Creative Music Program at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, under the direction of Anthony Tidd and Brent White, and has played numerous concerts with the CMP at the Kimmel Center, Chris’s Jazz Cafe as part of Philadelphia's Center City Jazz Festival 2015, the Brad Schoener Music Festival, "Sittin’ In" with Orin Evans at the Innovation Studio at Kimmel, and the Cheltenham Music Festival 2015. In 2014-15, he was the drummer for Rowan University’s Honors Jazz Band. Since 2014, Nick has played weekly in a sextet led by Philly sax legend Larry McKenna. From a very young age, Nick showed an uncanny passion for music, jazz, and percussion. Ever since he got his first drum set at the age of 8, he has been exploring and playing jazz, funk, R&B, rock, fusion, Latin, hip-hop and progressive metal. He has enjoyed gigging with the best young musicians in South Jersey and Philly, playing coffeehouses, festivals and jazz clubs. In recent years, he has begun exploring composition and music production, and, to date, has composed more than fifty songs, most of which are part of an instrumental progressive metal solo album he has been working on as well as a trip-hop jazz ensemble project. He had the great privilege of studying with many masters of percussion over the past few years, including Dennis Chambers, Giovanni Hidalgo, Horacio Hernandez, Zoro, Ocie Davis, Chris Beck and DIVA big band leader Sherrie Maricle. His musical influences include Tony Williams, Eric Harland, Chris Dave, Elvin Jones, Philly Jo Jones and Mike Mitchell. Last year, he combined his music and art by hand-painting one of his drum sets. He is preparing for his first two Art Shows later in the summer in New Jersey and Montreal. www.nickkepronart.com. Nick’s other interests include yoga, meditation, cooking, reading jazz history, and teaching music. He enjoys jamming and composing with his brother Ben who plays jazz piano. Nick is very much looking forward to attending NYSMF 2015.

Nick Kepron (2015, 2016)

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Maya Stepansky (2015)

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Liuba Miranosava (2014)

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Merlin Joseph, Jr. (2013)

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Fred Griggs (2012)

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Isabelle DeLeon (2011)

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