The SAMA Helen Bonny Scholarship Fund (HBSF) was established in 2010 with an initial February proposal and five-hundred dollar pledge from The Chalice of Repose Project. This proposal was approved by the SAMA board of directors in the spring of 2010 and announced to the public on April 18, 2010, at SAMA's first public event, a Symposium held at Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut.
The scholarship was designed to honor the pioneering violinist and music therapist who was also historically distinguished as one of SAMA's first Luminaries. Little did anyone of us suspect that Dr. Bonny would make her transitus on the morning of May 25th, 2010. Shortly after the moving film and tribute to Dr. Bonny which was delivered at the Symposium, two separate gifts arrived, each in the amount of two-hundred and fifty dollars. The first was from the Music for Healing and Transition Program, and the second was from Advanced Brain Technologies. In addition, each board member pledged a modest donation to demonstrate total board involvement.
Dr. Bonny's belief in the transformative power of sound and music moved across disciplines and methodologies, and she successfully interconnected music and consciousness in ways that no previous researcher had accomplished. In honoring her, we laud the work of a great pioneer, and develop a fund to assist the next generation of practitioners in their continued growth.
Education is a crucial part of the SAMA mission. Helen Bonny Scholarship Fund contributors, through their support of the continuing education of students and practitioners, ultimately contribute to the advancement of a multi-disciplined field. Won't you consider joining us in the development of this scholarship fund? The first award will be conferred at an upcoming national conference, tentatively scheduled for early 2013.
Your generous donation celebrates Dr. Bonny as well as the learning and growth of members of the SAMA community. You can donate by calling 877-551-7262 or emailing admin@soundandmusicalliance.org.
Please return to this page in the near future to see the details about the scholarship application process.