The life and legacy of the late, much-loved drummer with Rush, Neil Peart, is to be celebrated by Modern Drummer’s new Spirit of Drumming Scholarship in his name.
The scholarship will offer an emerging drummer an extraordinary opportunity to expand and enhance their talent. It was first announced at the 2020 Modern Drummer Festival by Peart‘s widow, photographer Carrie Nutall-Peart, and will provide the recipient with 52 weeks of free drum lessons from world-class drum instructor Dom Famularo. The prize also includes a one-year subscription to Modern Drummer All Access and a selection of classic Rush album releases from Universal Music Enterprises.
To take part, potential recipients of the scholarship must be qualified entrants, defined as being a legal US citizen between the ages of 14 and 21, not a professional musician, and not a party to any sponsorship or entertainment contract that, in Modern Drummer’s judgment, conflicts with the spirit of the scholarship.
Applicants are asked to submit up to a two-minute video of their playing as well as a short essay describing why this scholarship would be significant to both their life and their drumming, and the impact on their musicianship of Peart’s playing and legacy. The Canadian musician died in January 2020, of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, at the age of 67.
To enter and for full official rules, drummers can go here to complete the application form and upload the video along with their essay. All submissions must be received before November 26.
Entries will be reviewed in the order they are received. The recipient of the Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship will be announced at the Modern Drummer 2021 Festival, as well as being featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
In November 2020, Hudson Music announced the Neil Peart Drumset Scholarship, for which applications began in March this year via the Percussive Arts Society.
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