Sheldon Stotts gets Coshocton Community Choir Scholarship
COSHOCTON − Sheldon Stotts recently received the 2023 Barbara Bachert Scholarships through the Coshocton Community Choir.
The son of Sam and Denise Stotts is a graduate of River View High School. His high school musical activities included marching band, Caribbean steel drum ensemble, jazz band, pep band, chamber choir, concert choir and Certified Gold. He was a member of the band council and served as band president.
In addition, Stotts was a member of Drama Club, Chess Club and played baseball. He has been a member of the Coshocton Community Choir, Coshocton Youth Chorale and Cardinal Chorale. He participates in 4-H and has served as club vice president. He is also a member of the Burt Avenue Wesleyan Church Praise and Worship Ministry.
For his senior project, Stotts spent Friday mornings assisting with junior high music classes and elementary band. The hours he spent fulfilled his project and earned him a community service award.
He also received the Silent Servant Scholarship award from the Peter R. Marsh Foundation in large part due to his assistance with equipment setup for rehearsals and performances for the Coshocton Community Choir and the Coshocton Youth Chorale. In the fall, Stotts will attend Ashland University, pursuing a degree in music education.
The Coshocton Community Choir Scholarship award is named for Barbara Bachert, one of the choir’s most generous benefactors, and has been presented annually since 1988 to a Coshocton County high school senior or a current/former member of the Coshocton Community Choir to enable further musical study. The scholarship is presented in honor of a retired Coshocton County music teacher or individuals who have contributed to the cultural life of the Coshocton area.
This year's scholarship honors Garry A. Cornell. The lifelong resident of the Columbus area is internationally known in his field as a composer and arranger. His list of compositions, more than 400 in all, includes works for choirs, instrumental music for solo instruments and ensembles, musical theater and commercial advertising.
His works have been featured in international broadcasts via PBS and on commercial television and have been performed by amateur and professional musical groups in America and abroad. He has served as a guest conductor or conference leader around the country. A longtime member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), he has received annual ASCAP awards for many years, recognizing his ongoing contribution to American music.
Cornell attended Capital University Conservatory of Music in Columbus, where he studied harmony, theory and composition and received awards in composition. He has also studied at St. Olaf College and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. In 1977, Cornell established his own music publishing enterprise, Celebration Unlimited.
The Coshocton Community Choir has sung a number of pieces by Cornell, 10 of which were written specifically for the choir. He has made many trips to Coshocton to work with the choir on his pieces and assisted in leading the choir when director Charles Snyder was on sabbatical at Muskingum University in 2005.
Information and photo submitted by the Coshocton Community Choir.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Sheldon Stotts gets Coshocton Community Choir Scholarship
