Most of the Fortnightly Music Club members are women, but men are often in attendance as family, guests and musicians.
A free afternoon concert for members and the public is held either the second or third Sunday afternoon of each month at Northridge United Methodist Church, 4610 Derr Road, and has featured professional musicians, and musical groups from Cedarville and Wittenberg universities. Members or students of members often take the stage.
The piano they use at Northridge Methodist is their original club piano and is used as often as possible. The keeper of the piano’s key is Vice President Mary Ann Blazer, who has been a piano teacher for more than 50 years. She was also the vocal teacher at Greenon High School from 1965 to 1971.
A conversation with Blazer quickly overflows with her love of music and her affection for an organization that gives musical training and opportunities to so many.
The highlight of the club’s year is the awarding of a $1,000 scholarship to a local high school senior who intends to pursue a degree in music. The scholarship began with donations from two former members. The Springfield Foundation manages the application process which begins in the winter.
At the conclusion of the process in May, each applicant must present a live performance of “two compositions of contrasting styles” that lasts less than 10 minutes. “Musicianship, interpretation, technique and stage presence” will be critiqued by judges selected by the organization.
Currently the organization is seeking donations to continue its traditional audition, which both President Jan Stevens and Blazer insist are essential to the process. It is currently $3,000 from its goal of $30,000. The deadline for donations is in October.
The scholarship can make a difference for a student seeking a musical career.
The 2022 Scholarship was awarded to Wesley Benjamin, a home-schooled student who plays the trumpet. He is currently attending Eastman University in Syracuse New York.
The 2021 winner was Northeastern senior Arianne Potts, who played the Euphonium which is similar to a French horn. She went on to Capital University.
The 2020 scholarship was awarded to vocalist Dean Gregory Kaffenbarger, who went on to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
These scholarships have been assisting music students for decades.
Jenny Townshend Lindsey, a Greenon graduate, was the scholarship winner more than 20 years ago. She studied at Capital then University of Chicago. She is now a professional opera singer, a soprano, in New York City and has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Sarasota Opera House.
As Lindsey explained, scholarships such as the Springfield Fortnightly Club’s scholarship make it possible for music students to study at excellent universities, which they might not have been able to afford on their own.
This year’s scholarship application deadline is past but next year interested music students should contact their school counselors to obtain an application. In addition to Clark County public and private school students, this scholarship is also available to students from Fairborn High School.
Applications will be asked to include a list of musical activities at school, church, or in the community, as well as a recommendation by one of the student’s teachers.
For more information on the scholarship, performances or how to donate to keep this program going, contact Blazer at 937-767-1892.
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