Arts Clayton has awarded Lovejoy High School graduate Christel
Vinot the "Apanay Fine Arts Scholarship" to study music
at Clayton College & State University beginning this fall.
The $1,500 scholarship, awarded annually by Arts Clayton, was
initiated in 2001 to recognize the leadership and cultural contributions
of Dr. Manolo Apanay, a local Clayton County physician, now retired,
and to create an avenue for local high school seniors to study
the arts at Clayton State.
Apanay has served on the boards of Arts Clayton and Clayton
County Chamber of Commerce, and is an emeritus trustee of the
Clayton College & State University Foundation. He was the
catalyst for revitalizing Cultural Crossroad (slated for this
September at Clayton State), which recognizes artistic diversity
in the community and which now provides the funding to support
the scholarship.
Apanay, in partnership with the Clayton/Henry/Fayette Medical
Society, became the first sponsors of Cultural Crossroads and
their contribution has been the springboard needed to cultivate
the event.
"With this partnership [Clayton County School System, Clayton
State, the Medical Society, along with Arts Clayton], we have
been able to grow the scholarship year after year," says
Linda Summerlin, executive director of Arts Clayton. "As
an arts council, this is an excellent way to share our vision
with the community and to support our students as they become
more successful and productive citizens."
Lovejoy AP Music Theory instructor, John L. Oden, recommended
Vinot for the Arts Clayton scholarship earlier this year and
Lovejoy's Director of Orchestra Studies, Jennifer Floyd, nominated
her.
"Christel has excelled in AP Music theory this year, demonstrating
keen musical ability and compositional skill," says Oden. "[She]
frequently expands on her classroom work through independent
composition and work that enhances her classroom experience."
"I have found Christel to be not only highly motivated
and to have a great personality, but also to be very intelligent
and perceptive in discussing both music and general matters,” adds
Floyd. "[Her] talents are not only known at Lovejoy, but
county wide."
Vinot is the county winner for composition in the PTA Reflections
Musical Composition Competition; she has been a member of the
Spivey Chamber Workshop all four years of her high school career,
and a pit member of the Clayton County All Star Musical "Annie."
"Christel demonstrates a deep commitment to her music and
composition through daily work and her excellent demonstration
of compositional as well as performance skills," continues
Oden.
"I've dedicated the last seven years of my life to music," says
Vinot. "I've always enjoyed playing the cello and [I] put
my heart into it. In the last two years all my free time has
been spent on writing music. I want to pursue music composition
as a career. Two things in specific I would like to get into
are film and video game music," she concludes.
"I fully believe in Christel's potential and her prospects
for finest success as a musician and composer," adds Floyd. "I
believe that the combination of her musical attributes and her
fine playing musicianship will not only be effective within a
musical environment, but will set a wonderful role model for
students like herself."
