Established in the memory of David E. Ballard, with the support of the Living Legacy Foundation, this $10,000 scholarship supports youth who have experienced homelessness and/or been part of the foster care system pursuing a career in live entertainment. Field of study may include but is not limited to live event operations, production, music engineering, music business management, customer service, hospitality and/or other related fields. 

This is one of the six scholarship programs specifically designed to support students interested in the core aspects of the concert business, including: concert promotion, venue operation, ticketing, sponsorship, e-commerce and artist management. 

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a full-time undergraduate student with a minimum of 60 credits earned,
• enrolled at an accredited college or university at the time of award in the fall semester
• Applicant must be pursuing a career in live entertainment. Field of study may include but is not
• limited to: live event operations, production, music engineering, music business management,
• customer service, hospitality and/or other related fields
• Applicants who have experienced homelessness within the last four years, and/or been part of
• the foster care system any time after the age of sixteen, are eligible to apply
• Applicant must be permanently residing in the U.S.
• Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher
• This award will be paid directly to a qualified educational institution in two equal payments of $5000, distributed across at least two academic semesters

• junior
• senior

• US Citizen
• Permanent Resident

Application Guidelines

• Complete the Scholarship Application Form
• Provide a student copy of their college transcript to confirm GPA
• Submit a resume or CV
• Provide proof of enrollment from the educational institution
• Provide two (2) letters of recommendation from industry professionals and/or instructor(s)
• Provide either a proof of dependency letter or an Independent Student Status Form completed by one of the following: school liaison, caseworker, social services provider, or campus financial aid administrator
• Write an essay on how your experiences with homelessness and/or foster care have shaped
• your goals related to pursuing a career in live entertainment. The essay should not exceed 500
• words and should include the student’s long-term professional goals within the entertainment industry
• In addition to the application essay, the scholarship recipient will be required to write a final impact essay at the end of the school year updating Music Forward on how the funds supported their scholastic journey and progress towards their long-term career goals