Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Join now to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost.
If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below.
Existing account
New subscriber
Don’t hesitate! Start your digital-only membership today and not only receive full access to our premier news website NNY360.com but also to the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times eEdition!
Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.
Promotional Rates were found for your code.
Sorry, an error occurred.

do not remove
Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Overcast. Low 63F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: July 7, 2025 @ 1:32 pm
Luik Hopper, 2025 recipient of a KAI Music Education Fund scholarship. Submitted photo
Grant Mullin, 2025 recipient of a KAI Music Education Fund scholarship. Submitted photo

Features writer
Luik Hopper, 2025 recipient of a KAI Music Education Fund scholarship. Submitted photo
Grant Mullin, 2025 recipient of a KAI Music Education Fund scholarship. Submitted photo
WATERTOWN — The KAI Music Education Fund has awarded $6,500 in scholarships since the first awards were given in 2022. The nonprofit is building a solid foundation, which is music to the ears of the former north country music teacher whose family created the scholarship in her honor.
Kathryn Amore Ingerson said that the fourth annual KAI Music Education Scholarship Fund Recital on July 13 will reflect the success of the scholarship while highlighting talented, young musicians.
“Now that we have four years of scholarship recipients in the program, we will have the opportunity to see and hear the changes and growth of each performer,” she said.
Ingerson retired in June of 2022 from the Thousand Islands Central School District, where she reshaped the music department and consistently over a 26-year career and led it to statewide accolades. As she prepared for retirement, her family surprised her when they informed her that, behind the scenes, they had created the KAI Music Education Fund.
The July 13 recital is at 4 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 227 Sherman St. It will feature:
— 2022 scholarship recipients: Katelyn Nier (General Brown) and Duncan Van Schaick (Thousand Islands Central) — both recent SUNY Potsdam Crane School of Music graduates.
— 2023 recipient Evangeline Hopper (TI Central), a Onondaga Community College graduate who will transfer to Fredonia School of Music in the fall.
— 2024 recipient Alexandria Ives (TI Central and a student at Ithaca School of Music.
2025 recipients: Luik Hopper (TI Central) and Grant Mullin (South Jefferson), who are both heading to Fredonia School of Music in the fall.
“This is an opportunity to showcase the musical talents and performances of our high school and college recipients for our community,” Ingerson said. “It’s also our major fundraiser of the year.”
Kyle Ramey, organist and choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church, will serve as accompanist for many of the performers.
“There will be quite a variety of music and performances by vocalists, instrumentalists and composers featuring their arrangements and original works,” Ingerson said. “Some performers come from musical families and will have parents and siblings joining them on their portion of the program.”
Recital is key to mission
After fundraising the first year, the KAI Music Education Fund was able to increase scholarship amounts as more money was raised. “That’s one reason the recital and community attendance is so important,” Ingerson said. “The other of course, is to celebrate our young, aspiring professionals and to have their musical skills on full display for all to enjoy.”
Ingerson said that scholarship applications reached a record amount this year. “While it is our mission to support each student, there is a standard we wish to uphold in terms of musical proficiency. So the selection committee decided to offer two levels of scholarship: the full scholarship for $1,000 and an honorable mention for $500.”
The selection committee is composed of Ingerson and three other music teachers and retirees. The application process is rigorous and involves an online application, a personal essay, two letters of recommendations from music teachers and two video auditions.
The complete list of KAI Music Education Fund recipients:
2022:
Katelyn (LaMarche) Nier, General Brown, $500.
Duncan Van Schaick, Thousand Islands, $500.
2023:
Evangeline Hopper, TI $1,000.
Victoria Huffman, Indian River, $1,000.
2024:
Alexandria Ives, TI $1,000.
Jack Marra, Watertown, $1,000.
2025
Luik Hopper, TI $1,000.
Grant Mullin, South Jefferson, $500 (Honorable Mention).
Recital, scholarship info
Admission to the recital is $22. For tickets and more information, go to kaimusicfund.org. New to the annual recital this year, donated, themed baskets from local individuals and businesses will be available for silent auction bids. They can be previewed on the KAI Music Education Fund Facebook page. “This was initiated as another way to increase donations to our fund,” Ingerson said.
Information on how to apply for the scholarship and how to donate to it can also be found on the site.
Johnson Newspapers 7.1
Features writer
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Your comment has been submitted.

Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Get the most of NNY360, register today!
By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com
Get Breaking News Alerts deliverd FREE to your inbox
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
By providing your email address, you consent to receive emails and special offers from NNY360.com
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:

source