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Joshua Taliaferro of Crystal Lake, Illinois has been named the
2003 recipient of the Lisa Alexander Memorial Music Scholarship.
At the time of this award, Joshua is an 8th grade student at
Lundahl Middle School, where he plays alto saxophone in both Gold
Band and Jazz Band. He is also a member of the school chorus, and
is active in his church music program. Joshua has received
numerous honors, including IMEA Chorus, IMEA Jazz Band, Fox Valley
Honors Chorus and Fox Valley Honors Band. He has recently begun
to pursue
his interest in music composition.
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 Jennifer Horn of Harvard, Illinois was named the 2002 Lisa Alexander Memorial Music Scholarship winner. At the time of this award, Jennifer was enrolled as an education major at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, class of 2004. A graduate of Harvard High School, Jennifer attended McHenry County College for one year before transferring to Carthage College. Jennifer was has been active in the music program at Harvard High School and at Trinity Lutheran Church in Harvard.
Her high school musical activities included madrigal singers, choir, and participation in a number of school musicals. She was active in solo and ensemble contests, winning a total of 11 first place medals. In addition to her musical involvement, she served on student council and in the Students Leading Students program. At Carthage College, she became involved in the Carthage Women’s ensemble and in the spring musical, 1776. Her church music involvement has included singing in the senior choir and directing children’s choir. Jennifer also has given voice lessons to a number of young students in the Harvard area.
 Amanda Gessler of Harvard
was named the first recipient of the Lisa Alexander Memorial Music Scholarship.
Ms. Gessler is a pianist and `cellist, and
at the time of the award was the principal `cellist of the McHenry County Youth Orchestra (MCYO) Symphony. She has been home schooled since second grade.
She was admitted to McHenry County College as a credit student at the age of 12. At MCC she has taken two years of music theory and ear training, chamber music ensemble, a year of German, and courses in algebra and English. She is included in the National Dean's List and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for two-year colleges.
Although her main focus is piano, she has developed a fascination with the `cello after playing violin in a small orchestra and hearing the `cello first hand. She studies `cello at the McHenry County Music Center. Amanda's
stated goal is to attend Juilliard as a piano performance major.
Amanda played in the Wisconsin State Music Competition
in 1999 and received a "I" rating for her performance of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata. At the Grandquist Competition in Geneva she won an "outstanding" for her playing of Beethoven's 32 Variations on an Original
Theme.
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