Modern Drummer magazine has announced a scholarship in honor of the late Neil Peart, a Canadian musician, songwriter, and author, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. He died in January 2020.
The Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship was originally announced at the 2020 Modern Drummer Festival by Carrie Nutall-Peart, Neil’s widow, and provides the recipient with 52 weeks of free drum lessons from world-class drum instructor Dom Famularo, along with a one-year all-access subscription to Modern Drummer, plus a selection of classic Rush album releases from Universal Music Enterprises.
Famularo is a drummer, drum teacher, author, clinician and motivational speaker from Long Island, New York. He started playing when he was 11 and became a professional at the age of 12. Famularo began his career as a performing jazz drummer. He studied under some of the greatest drummers of the 20th century, including Jim Chapin and Joe Morello. With a passion for jazz and inspiring others, he began a successful drum teaching career, becoming one of the most sought-after clinicians of his time. Some of the most successful jazz and rock drummers have sought his instruction.
Qualified entrants must be legal US citizens between the ages of 14 and 21 who are not a professional musicians or party to any sponsorship or entertainment contract that, in the judgment of Modern Drummer, conflicts with the spirit of the scholarship.
Potential recipients must submit up to a two-minute video of a performance and a short essay describing why this scholarship will be significant to both their life and their drumming and the impact Peart’s playing and legacy has had upon their drumming.
Official rules and the application may be found at this link to Modern Drummer. All submissions must be received prior to November 26, 2021.
Entries will be reviewed in the order they are received, and the recipient will be announced at the Modern Drummer 2021 Festival, as well as featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
