STUDENTS
The Play It Forward scholarship is open to dedicated middle and high school students with financial need or other obstacles to obtaining lessons without assistance. The system is based on three ideas:
  1. Targeting the most motivated recipients for scholarships has the largest impact on the recipients themselves as well as the communities around them. Students who pay for their own lessons are often exponentially more committed, and they learn about accountability at an early age. 
  2. Music should be accessible to all. Those same motivated students whose families might lack the financial means for lessons are given the autonomy to obtain lessons for themselves.
  3. It takes a village. A "pay it forward" model fosters community connection through mutual benefit, teaches students that good comes from helping others, and doubles the impact of the scholarship by reaching beyond the recipient.

​Play It Forward students will:
  1. Apply and interview for an available spot, and provide a letter of recommendation from a teacher or other adult.
  2. Select a volunteer organization from our list or request to add another organization.
  3. Take a weekly private lesson (14 per semester) with one of the highly qualified teachers on our roster.
  4. For each hour of instruction received, donate an hour of service to the selected volunteer organization.
  5. Perform in a Play It Forward recital.
  6. Offer feedback on the lesson, volunteer, and scholarship experiences to aid in program growth.

PIF has a list of highly qualified teachers on our artist affiliate roster. Students who would like to continue with their current private teacher may have have their teacher apply to become a PIF artist affiliate. Please ask your teacher to visit our teacher page for more information.
Recommenders may upload letters of recommendation here.