Established in 2017-18, the Foundation’s Visible Music College Scholarship Fund provides financial scholarships for need based and deserving students who are accepted for enrollment at Visible Music College. The fund was seeded with $50,000 from the Foundation’s Undesignated Fund and contributions from donors exceed $18,000. The first grant for scholarships was made in 2019-20 for just under $3,500.
The Visible Music College is a global Christian college designed to train and equip musical artists, producers and professional managers in skill and character for effective service in the music industry and the Church, and to stand out as Christians in their profession. This is achieved through a rigorous accredited program in association with an internal record label. Students are launched into their field as musicians, producers, church worship leaders, and community volunteers.
VMC Founder and President, Dr. Ken Steorts
Visible Music College was established in 2000 by Founder and President, Dr. Ken Steorts. Ken's vision was shaped while touring worldwide as a performer with the Dove Award-winning and Grammy-nominated Christian band Skillet. During this time, he observed young musicians with great promise but little instruction or guidance. Drawing from both traditional and vocational educational models, he pioneered an educational center where a mix of academic music study, technical skill development and character-building mentorship produces qualified, creative and passionate world-changers for the Church and the entertainment industry.
Visible Music College attracts students from all 50 states and over 25 foreign countries. Within a Christian discipleship model, students get hands-on professional experience while earning an accredited bachelor degree. Visible graduates work in ministry as well as the broader music industry. In ministry jobs, they're employed at churches as worship leaders, music directors and audio technicians. In the music industry, they're affecting popular culture managing record labels, marketing music venues and becoming pop artists. They have recently had students as finalists on NBC's The Voice and American Idol.
Geordy Wells is Vice President of Advancement and a member of Second Presbyterian Church. He stated, “Students from around the world would not be able to attend Visible Music College without support from the school's institutional scholarship fund. In fact, about 80% of Visible students typically need assistance. Through the Second Presbyterian Church Foundation, Christian leaders and gifted musicians pursuing ministry will benefit from this initiative now and into the future. We are so thankful for the Foundation's support for our students, programs and mission.”
The grants made from the Fund are to be used for the purpose of providing scholarships for tuition, books, or room and/or board at Visible Music College. Priority is to be given to the application of these scholarships for need based and deserving students from the Memphis area or need based and deserving international students. Additional priority is to be given to students pursuing a degree in modern music with a major in worship leadership, vocals, or instruments, whose aim upon graduation is to serve within the Christian community or express their talent as a Christian artist.
While the Fund is an endowment for scholarships, it also has an expendable component, which allows donors to contribute resources that can be immediately deployed to support current student scholarships.
