Amy Grant Scholarship inspires music students, lasting legacy of Lighting of the Green

Amy Grant Scholarship inspires music students, lasting legacy of Lighting of the Green

Kim Chaudoin | 11/25/2024

For the last 20 years, tens of thousands of Nashvillians and members of the Lipscomb community have celebrated the start of the Christmas season with the annual Lighting of the Green with Amy Grant and her musical friends.

As Lipscomb University celebrates the 20th anniversary of Lighting of the Green, what has become a beloved tradition because of the holiday cheer and festive concert has created a legacy that extends far beyond the festive season, most notably through the Amy Grant Scholarship.

Established in 2014 by anonymous donors, the scholarship not only honors Grant's enduring influence as a trailblazer in Christian music but also provides transformative opportunities for Lipscomb music students to pursue their dreams. The scholarship, awarded annually since 2015, supports students who demonstrate a passion for music and a drive to make a difference in the world.

A defining moment

Sarah Wood Zaayman was the first recipient of the Amy Grant Scholarship. She says the experience was a defining moment.

"It was surreal being named a recipient of the Amy Grant Scholarship. I was in absolute disbelief when I heard my name called. It still feels like a dream," recalls Zaayman, who graduated in December 2016 with a degree in vocal performance and a minor in English. "Hugging Amy and singing on stage and getting to light the Christmas tree … it was one of the most fairytale-movie moments of my life. It was so encouraging."

At the time, the Lebanon, Tennessee resident had just started a music project, developing what would become Juniper Vale, the artist project that she is still doing today.

"I was writing songs nonstop and starting to craft a voice as an artist, so that moment and the timing of it was really affirming. To be encouraged by Amy just made me want to champion my artistry even more and to foster that spark that she saw in me," she says. "And nine months later I released my very first song as Juniper Vale."

"So I would confidently say that the scholarship contributed immensely to the momentum that led to that big moment in my life and it helped to build a foundation for the rest of my career," continues Zaayman. "What a gift. I'll be forever grateful."

Today, Juniper Vale has amassed over 100 million streams. This year, Zaayman also launched her own record label, Uncrumpled Records, to support emerging artists.

She credits Grant's example as being an inspiration to her own career aspirations. "She is a fearless trailblazer in the industry, innovating in her genre and leaping across genres. She has an authenticity that bridged the gap between markets and found a way to create a universal experience for listeners no matter their background," shares Zaayman. "Seeing her accomplish what she has has made me feel like I can do anything. Her impact is monumental and beyond inspirational."

In addition to the encouragement of being selected as the first Grant Scholarship recipient, Zaayman says her time at Lipscomb was life-transforming.

"To be honest, the beginnings of everything in my life right now started at Lipscomb," she explains. "Not only did my degree transform the way that I sing and write, but the Bible classes at Lipscomb introduced me to the most beautiful understanding of God. Those classes still impact my life every day because they opened my mind up to a whole new way of being and believing.

"And, I met my husband on campus as well! We wrote music together, and then he and I started the Juniper Vale project together, and then we got married and now we've got a dog and we've built a business and a life together! Lipscomb played a pivotal role in every aspect of who and where I am today."

Reminder of a supportive community

Ella Mine, the 2016 Amy Grant Scholarship recipient, is a Nashville-based musician who tours, records in a home studio, produces and engineers for other artists. The scholarship was an affirmation of Mine's dream of pursuing a career in music.

"The Amy Grant scholarship is a beautiful affirmation of the importance of an imaginative approach in career and education, and a reminder that our community is supportive and our heroes are rooting for us," says Mine, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music production in 2019.

Grant has been a source of inspiration for Mine.

"What I've witnessed of Amy Grant on and off stage is a state that I am always working to move towards. In some fields of psychology, there's something called true self-energy that I felt from Amy Grant before I even knew what it was," she explains. "It's a state in which imbalances in your internal system don't get in the way of the self compassionately and curiously interacting with its environment."

"If you've ever seen someone on stage and felt the reality that they actually care about you, and you think 'I know it's crazy, but you could be an angel,' odds are their someone who has worked to cultivate that unhindered self-energy for the benefit of everyone," Mine continues. "Amy is one of those people. As an observer, I've carried for years the effects of witnessing her perform in that state."

A much-needed boost

Since graduating from Lipscomb in 2021 with a degree in commercial music, Devin Badgett has spent about four to six months out of the year touring. When he isn't on the road, Badgett can usually be found working on music with friends. "Music opens doors to emotions that I am fully unequipped to intellectualize. I love it," he says.

When he was named the Amy Grant Scholarship recipient in 2018, it was the boost Badgett says he desperately needed at the time.

"To be honest, it took me by surprise. I spent a lot of my time at Lipscomb feeling socially out of my depth, so when I received this award it bolstered my confidence," shares the East Nashville resident. "Receiving recognition from my mentors was something that I really needed at the time. I often felt like an outsider in the program, so knowing that my mentors saw that I was trying my best was encouraging."

Badgett says he remembers even today how kind Grant was to him when he met her at the scholarship presentation.

"We had a brief conversation. From that short interaction it became immediately evident to me why so many of our professors admire her," he recalls. "Amy (and so many others) have instilled in me the value of a smile. Gentleness goes a long way in this world."

Living the dream

Abby Siler says receiving the Grant Scholarship in 2019 had a profound impact on her life. "It was amazing-both financially and emotionally. It allowed me to develop as an artist and songwriter during a pivotal season of my life," she shares.

"Obviously Amy is a huge inspiration and a trailblazer in Christian music. I went through a lot even in my college career within my family," Siler continues. "The financial impact that the scholarship made for my family and me was huge. Lipscomb was such a pivotal piece of my journey in moving to Nashville and developing as a person, artist and songwriter. Lipscomb really gave me the foundation of my career and the tools I needed to learn how to write songs, to navigate living in Nashville, to being an adult and so much more. It really was a pivotal season."

A 2021 graduate with a degree in commercial music with an emphasis in songwriting, Siler is living her dream. She is a songwriter on staff at Integrity Music, where she writes songs for the "global church and the local church" and she just recently completed her first nationwide tour with the band Rend Collective, opening the show and playing her songs.

"I love writing songs for the worship and glory of God. I remember being in college wanting to write for Integrity, just always admiring the way they value music for the church," recalls Siler. "And today I'm doing just that."

Siler says Grant's example "has given me the opportunity to do what I do and to chase the dream of writing and releasing and performing music for Jesus in my own language."

Inspiration to 'keep going'

Diana Dockery is also living out her dream of a career in music while pursuing a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling. Most recently, Dockery has been on tour with Skye Peterson this fall playing keyboard and providing background vocals and recording her own music for a new project.

The Cookeville, Tennessee resident graduated from Lipscomb in 2022 with a commercial music major with an emphasis in songwriting. She says receiving the scholarship in 2020 was a surprise because she was surrounded by talented students in her class.

"It encouraged me to know my professors believed in me and the work I was doing at Lipscomb both musically and academically," says Dockery. "Receiving the scholarship inspired me to keep working on the music I was writing at Lipscomb, and ultimately led me to record my debut EP as my senior capstone project."

"Amy paved the way for musicians like myself. As a woman in the world of Christian music and beyond, she has been an example of the kind of woman I hope to be," she continues. "Not only is she an amazing artist, but her kindness and generosity have created a legacy that I believe will bless many generations to come."

Dockery credits Lipscomb with preparing her for her career and fostering valuable connections and friendships that have impacted her both personally and professionally in positive ways.

"I learned many practical skills along with the theoretical knowledge I gained through my courses that allowed me to be confident as I entered the professional world of
Music," she explains. "It was the education I received at Lipscomb that provided me with the many opportunities I have been blessed to have musically. Along with Amy Grant, I would love to thank Brown Bannister, Don Chaffer, Cindy Morgan, and other members of the faculty in the School of Music for their encouragement and belief in me. It's because of their encouragement and teaching that I am the musician and person I am today."

Confidence to pursue interests

Luke Snyder ('23) said the scholarship gave him the confidence to pursue his musical interests.

"(Receiving the scholarship) felt amazing It came as a huge surprise to me, and it was pretty life-changing to know that people thought I was worthy of the award," shares Snyder, the 2022 Amy Grant Scholarship recipient. "It gave me incredible confidence, and loads of gratitude for the people that invested in me, musically and interpersonally."

He says Grant has been an inspiration to him. "I am thankful for every God-honoring, human-filled song she's ever written," he explains. "It shaped my idea of music and faith and life as I grew up and listened to her, and it is a very unique and powerful footprint in the Christian music world."

As a student, Snyder was one of five nominees around the world selected for the 2022 Marvin Hamlisch International Music Award in Film/Media Scoring: Emerging Division. He graduated from Lipscomb in May 2023 with a degree in commercial music production with an emphasis on composition. Today he teaches music lessons while doing various freelance music work, including composition, film scoring, transcription, performance and production.

"Lipscomb prepared me incredibly well for a career in music," he says. "It pushed me, put me into new experiences, gave me so many new skills, connections to future work, real-world experience in music, and turned me into a confident and capable musician and human being. Ben Blasko in particular was incredibly influential to me, and I am always grateful for the endless patience and wisdom he gave me."

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