Marlow's Letter

It is with hope and faith that I ask you to consider me as a recipient of the Ruth T. Bedford ’32 Merit Scholarship for the Arts.

I remember when I was just six years old, sitting in an auditorium, shifting back and forth in my seat as little kids do.  All of a sudden the lights lowered and a spotlight shined on the stage.  The actors entered and beautiful voices began to sing.  At that moment, something touched me and I felt a sense of joy.  As a few minutes passed, my Mom asked me “are you okay, why are you crying?”  I didn’t realize tears were streaming down my cheeks.

I was attending my first musical, The Dream Girls at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and right then and there I said to my mom THIS is what I want to do.  This began my determined journey and passion for the performing arts.

The thrill of performing is a driving force for me.  The stage is a place where I can re-create aspects of myself (that are not always on the surface) through singing, acting, directing, and writing. 
Singing is an outlet for me.  I sing all the time, either songs I know, jingles, or things I make up just for fun.  Last spring, I auditioned for the National Children’s Chorus.  I didn’t know what to expect as it was the first time I had auditioned for something this big.  I thought to myself, “this is going to be very difficult, I’ve never auditioned at this level before.”  I was so nervous, not sure if I could handle it.  But before I could doubt myself anymore, my name was called…MARLOW BUCKNER.  I immediately rose from my chair.  It felt as if I were floating on air.  Show time!  I took a deep breath and walked to the platform in front of a beautiful cherry-wood grand piano.  The Artistic Director & CEO of the National Children’s Chorus, Luke McEndarfer, was personally doing the auditions.  He asked what I would be singing.  Leading up to audition, I had ideas of what I would do, what song I might perform, but nothing felt right.  At that very moment, I decided to sing a cappella.  I opened my mouth to sing, and the music came flowing out of me.  I was accepted into the chorus and it confirmed to me that the performing arts are my calling, my outlet, my hope, and my journey.
The performing arts are not the only areas in which I thrive.  I also believe in the importance of a diverse education and an engaging environment that includes science, math and technology.  Attending a high school that recognizes the importance of STEAM is important to me.

Being a recipient of the Ruth T. Bedford ’32 Merit Scholarship for the Arts will allow me to follow my dreams, while financially helping my mom, making it possible for me to attend the high school of my dreams, Foxcroft.