The Ian McGuire Music Scholarship Fund (IMMSF) recently awarded $50,000 to Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division within the Boyer College of Music and Dance. The gift will establish an endowed scholarship aimed at providing educational opportunities for aspiring musicians in the Philadelphia area. 

Temple’s partnership with the nonprofit aims to further bridge the gap in the development of structured music education for children in underserved communities. Temple Music Prep’s Community Music Scholars Program (CMSP) has been dedicated to enhancing access to music education for young people who live in Philadelphia who otherwise might not have had such opportunities since 1968.  

IMMSF’s donation will be provided to Temple over five years, with the first installment of $10,000 delivered in July 2024. The IMMSF is named after Ian McGuire, a Philadelphia musician and piano teacher who tragically passed away from a fall in his home in 2022.  

“We feel Temple’s Community Music Scholars Program is the perfect fit for honoring Ian’s legacy. He [Ian] was passionate about sharing music with others and creating opportunities for people to grow through it,” said IMMSF co-founder Derek Haviland. “This partnership with Temple allows us to carry that forward by supporting a program that connects young musicians from Philly with all-around high-quality education and resources.”  

“We’re proud to be part of something that gives students the same kind of opportunities Ian worked so hard to create in his own life,” he added.  

Each year, Temple Music Prep’s program collaborates with the School District of Philadelphia to offer music education opportunities for K–12 students in 40 to 60 schools across Philadelphia, including charter, public and parochial schools and homeschooled environments.  

The Community Music Scholars Program has proven to engage students effectively in learning and building relationships with instructors and peers. (Photography by Joseph V. Labolito)

The program allows students to receive high-quality individual lessons at an affordable cost and provides additional financial assistance options. This endowment not only supports the financial needs of the CMSP but also encourages other donors to invest in music education to ensure the continuation of the program, according to Temple Music Prep Director Mark Huxsoll. 

  “Temple Music Prep’s primary goal is to make high-quality music accessible to students throughout the Philadelphia community,” said Huxsoll. “We’re grateful for the financial impact of the Ian McGuire Music Scholarship Fund and to have this community support gives us extra credibility, visibility and funding to keep the CSMP program intact and serve a diverse group of young aspiring musicians in Philadelphia.”  

Throughout the 30-week academic year, students meet on Saturday mornings at Temple’s state-of-the-art Presser Hall for music lessons from undergraduate and graduate-level students and professional musicians. In the program, students can take individual music lessons on orchestral and band instruments, participate in classical, jazz, and wind ensembles, and study music theory classes. 

“Groups in the program have the luxury of studying in the same space as our college students, receiving higher-level music instruction and experiencing the cutting-edge music education produced here at Temple’s Boyer College,” said Huxsoll. “Many students in our program have gone on to higher education institutions, particularly Temple.”  

Huxsoll added that the program also benefits Boyer students interested in getting hands-on experience working with a range of young students, strengthening their opportunities to secure jobs in the music education field immediately after graduation. 

Toward the end of each semester, students in the Community Music Scholars Program perform in the program’s winter and spring concerts at the Temple Performing Arts Center. This year’s spring concert will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 17.  

For more information on how to apply for Temple Music Prep’s programs on behalf of the Boyer College of Music and Dance, visit the program’s website.  

The Ian McGuire Music Scholarship Fund’s website can be found at ianmcguiremusic.org.