By Elijah Boyle
The University has announced a new scholarship for students in the Music Department. The scholarship is called the “D’Addario Music Business Endowed Scholarship,” named after Jim D’Addario, who donated $100,000 toward the scholarship.
D’Addario is an alumnus who graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor’s degree in music. Upon graduating, D’Addario went to work at C.F. Martin and Company with his father, John D’Addario, Sr., and brother, John D’Addario, Jr. In 1973, the father-and-sons trio founded D’Addario & Company Inc., which manufactures instrument strings. Jim D’Addario now heads the company as its chairman and CEO.
The Department of Financial Aid will award the scholarship with a recommendation from the dean of the University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. To be eligible, a student must be a junior or senior who majors in music merchandising and is able to play at least one musical instrument. The student must also have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and will have to write an essay on why they should receive this award based on academic and music-related achievements. The award can be given to the same student more than once, as long as they are able to maintain the minimum GPA of 3.0 in the major.
Professor Kenneth H. Lampl, director of the music merchandising program, said that D’Addario, a mentor to the program, has created internships in his company. He said he went to D’Addario for suggestions for changing the music program’s curriculum.
Contact between the two individuals started about two years ago, according to Lampl, when the University reached out to D’Addario. At first D’Addario was asked to come in to talk to students who were part of the program.
“It was a slow moving process. I think he just wanted to see that we were serious, to see what direction we were going in,” Professor Lampl said.
Lampl spoke highly of D’Addario’s interest in education and willingness to give back to the students. “He is interested in preparing the music industry workforce of the future,” said Lampl.
“What better way to give back than to invest in the education of future generations? I am pleased that we are in a position to be able to foster not only exemplary students at Hofstra, but to contribute as a company to the growth of the music industry as a whole,” D’Addario said in a statement from D’Addario & Company, Inc.