University of Texas at Austin Student Awarded the Inaugural Kevin Garren Memorial Scholarship from the D’Addario Foundation

The non-profit D’Addario Foundation is honored to award Thomas Kurtz, Professor of Music at San Antonio College and Doctoral Candidate at the University of Texas Austin, the inaugural Kevin Garren Memorial Scholarship.

Currently, a Doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin, Thomas’s primary interest focuses on musicians’ health. As a certified Body Mapping educator in training, Kurtz wants to educate students on the importance of incorporating a secure somatic foundation in their musical training. Through Thomas’s research, he’s learned that injuries amongst musicians, such as tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and TMJ, are still widely stigmatized.

With this scholarship, Thomas will conduct free clinics in public schools across the central Texas region to introduce Body Mapping techniques that can be implemented into a young musician’s daily practice in order to minimize the risks of injury.

“As a passion-driven individual and fervent educator with an unwavering commitment to inclusivity, equity, diversity, belonging, and accessibility in the arts, my aim is to foster a community within which my students have the resources available to reach their full potential,” says Thomas Kurtz.

The Kevin Garren Memorial Scholarship was launched in 2022 after Kevin, a D’Addario employee for ten years, tragically passed away. Kevin worked alongside D’Addario & Co. to develop innovative product solutions for the music community of which he was both a member and valued benefactor.  “Kevin approached every aspect of life with one guiding characteristic: human excellence,” says Bill Wrightson, Vice President of Band & Orchestra at D’Addario. This scholarship is for college juniors, seniors, or post-graduates enrolled in an accredited university studying product/industrial design, engineering, music business, or woodwinds performance.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Thomas Kurtz on winning the inaugural Kevin Garren Memorial Scholarship established by the D’Addario Foundation,” says Cindi Garren, Kevin’s wife. “Kevin was a titan in the music industry with a passion for educating anyone who desired to hone their musical craft. It is clear to see this passion in Thomas Kurtz as he strives to bring awareness and free education to young music students. Thank you, D’Addario Foundation and D’Addario & Company, for this Memorial Scholarship in Kevin Garren’s honor and for keeping his legacy alive through this scholarship.”

Applications for the 2023 Kevin Garren Memorial Scholarship will open in late spring. To learn more, visit https://foundation.daddario.com/news/kevin-garren-scholarship/.