Anmy Paulino Collado received the Gerald Christoff MusicLink Award of $1,000. This newly established award stems from funding provided to the foundation after the death of Rosemary Christoff, who initially established the Gerald Christoff Endowment Fund. The award is given to a student who shows outstanding achievement in MusicLink lessons and resides in New York state or takes lessons from a teacher living in New York state.

Anmy showed determination from the start, personally reaching out to the MusicLink Foundation to request piano lessons with a teacher who could speak Spanish to they could communicate with her mother to make arrangements. Julie Wegener, the MusicLink NYC coordinator was so touched by this letter from an eight - year -old that she instantly accepted Anmy as a student, and continued to teach her for the past 9 years. Anmy attended the prestigious Horace Mann High School on full scholarship which provided overseas opportunities for study. Julie describes Anmy as “gifted, motivated, engaged, intellectually curious, and possesses genuine empathy towards others with a driving commitment to contribute to the culture of her community.”

From Anme’s essay: “Born in the Dominican Republic, I have always loved my musical heritage. From my semester abroad in South Africa to musically oriented trips in Hawaii and South Korea, my inclination towards musical study allowed me to connect with other musicians from different traditions. I learned many traditional South African spirituals, mostly in Xhosa. In Hawaii, my musical inclination allowed me to connect with native Hawaiians through their indigenous chants.”

Anmy will be attending Skidmore College on full scholarship pursuing a dual major in music and anthropology with a focus on ethnomusicology.