Kelsey Walls Receives Yamaha/Dennis DeLucia Scholarship

"Left to right: Yamaha Artist Dennis DeLucia, 2010 Yamaha/DeLucia Scholarship winner Kelsey Walls, and Troy Wollwage, Percussion Marketing Manager, Yamaha Band and Orchestral Division"

DAYTON, Oh.—Yamaha is pleased to name Kelsey Walls as the recipient of the 2010 Yamaha/Dennis DeLucia Scholarship. Ms. Walls is a first year Music Education major at the University of Kentucky, and a member of Tates Creek Indoor (PIO). The scholarship, named for famed percussion teacher, arranger, clinician and judge Dennis DeLucia, is awarded each year at the Winter Guard International (WGI) Indoor Percussion Finals to a deserving percussionist.

"I would like to thank WGI and Mr. DeLucia for this scholarship, and also Yamaha. I have never played on anything but Yamaha drums, starting in high school, then on to the University of Kentucky marching band, and also with Tates Creek Indoor Ensemble," said Ms. Walls, who was raised in Lexington, Kentucky "I have always loved the above and beyond customer service we receive. This year we were in the lot on the day of the WGI finals tuning drums when a lug broke off in a lug casing. We started to panic, but within a couple of minutes one of the Yamaha reps was over replacing the lug casing with a new one for us."

The Yamaha/Dennis DeLucia Scholarship is both a way to honor Mr. DeLucia's contributions to marching music and a continuation of Yamaha's long history of supporting the study of music. This year marks the fourth presentation of the award at WGI.

"Over the past 50 years, Yamaha has supported music education activities at all levels," said Troy Wollwage, Marketing Manager for Yamaha Percussion. "Today, that level of support is unmatched by any other music instrument manufacturer. This is because education is at the core of what we believe in as a company. If young people are not given the support and assistance, then the musicians of tomorrow will be few and far between. This scholarship not only represents Mr. DeLucia's contributions to the indoor percussion activity, it stands as a testament to our company and our foundation."

For more information on Yamaha, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, Wind Instruments, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com/band.