FRANK SCOTT AWARD

The Frank Scott Award, has been presented to Dr. Willis Rapp, for his contributions to music education and his leadership of the Reading Pops Orchestra (often featured in Jazz Fest concerts) and other ensembles. Dr. Rapp has served on the faculty of Millersville University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Iowa State University, and Kutztown University, where he retired in 2013 with the distinction of Professor Emeritus. Since 2000, Dr. Rapp has served as conductor of the Reading Pops Orchestra and has guest conducted, performed as a recitalist, and appeared as a clinician in 28 states and three provinces in Canada.

In 2007 Dr. Rapp was the recipient of the Kutztown University Faculty Research Award, and in 2009 he was honored with the Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. He co-founded the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research, which opened on the KU campus in 2023.

Since its founding in 1926, the Reading Musical Foundation has evolved from a modest gathering of business leaders who wanted to support the Reading Symphony Orchestra and the Reading Choral Society to a multi-faceted nonprofit that has been nicknamed “a United Way for music.”

Over the years, the RMF’s annual campaign has raised funds to support other musical organizations, such as the Reading Pops Orchestra, Friends of Chamber Music of Reading and many more. But beginning in 1971, the RMF began establishing scholarship funds for music students, and since then the emphasis on education has grown to include support of educational programs and camps through grants, the “Operation Replay” program that provides used instruments to students who cannot afford to buy instruments, and special projects.

The organization’s support for music has also expanded to include jazz, Americana and other genres beyond classical music. It has been an indispensable partner to the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest’s getJazzed educational program, which includes summer camps, jams, workshops and performing opportunities for jazz students.

Throughout her notable career in the Reading area and beyond, vocalist Maria Damore has been a chameleon, slipping easily from pop to opera, from jazz to Broadway tunes, and from rock to Greek folk music.

Her performances have ranged from starring in Broadway musicals in regional theaters to appearances with her pop/rock duo/trio, Maria Damore and the Jazzy Gents, and the Stavros and Maria Greek Folk Music Duo, in a variety of venues and festivals.

Maria has also performed as part of the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest and served as a clinician for getJazzed Berks Vocal Day. She is a private voice teacher, and an associate faculty member for the LoVetri Institute for Somatic Voicework each summer.

Guitarist Josh Taylor is best known in recent years for his performances of Gypsy Jazz music. He and his son, guitarist Josiah Taylor, have been featured in Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest concerts, as well as performances throughout the region.

As a teacher in the Reading School District’s after-school music programs and in the Reading Musical Foundation-sponsored improvisational music programs at the Olivet Boys and Girls Clubs in Reading, Taylor has mentored many student guitarists. He also coordinated the music program for the RSD’s four Gateway Schools for Performing Arts, attended by more than 300 sixth graders.

Taylor and saxophonist/composer Chris Heslop founded the Hot Club of Reading, along with Josiah, bassist Trey LaRue and multi-instrumentalist Ken Gehret. Taylor, LaRue and Heslop also perform as Hessie’s Hot Jazz, and LaRue and Taylor perform as a duo.

Bassist Bennie Sims has been an in-demand player, singer, composer, producer, bandleader and educator, during a professional career that began in 1978.

As a bassist and music director for The Three Degrees, and for vocalist/actress Lisa Simone, Sims has toured the world. Local audiences know him for performing in every Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, as part of the opening-day Peanut Bar lunch, and in many venues around the region.

Sims has played with the local bands Springfield, Taboo and Marty and the Mangoes, and later the popular Philadelphia band Pieces of a Dream.

His long friendship with guitarist David Cullen has resulted in their band, the Groovemasters (also known as the Bluesmasters), which also features pianist Cliff Starkey and saxophonist/vocalist Erich Cawalla. Sims is a successful producer who works from his own state-of-the-art home studio and has instructed inner-city children at the PAL Performing Arts Center in Reading and at the Second Street Learning Center summer music program.

Guitarist and educator Carl Zeplin has been an integral part of getJazzed, the educational component of Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, for many years.

Prior to his retirement in 2018, Zeplin was a music educator for the Kutztown School District for 32 years, and he is a private guitar teacher. He is the former coordinator of the Berks High School All-Star Jazz Band.

Carl performs as lead guitarist with his own Standard Quartet, and with the blues band Hogan Heroes, and has performed with other groups ever since graduating from Berklee College of Music.

The late Samuel J. Marabella (1926-2021), a Reading native, studied piano with Dr. Chester Wittell, and went on to become a professional musician after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.

He toured with the 33rd Special Services Band while still in the Army after the war ended. When he returned to Reading, he performed jazz with Frankie Scott and “Saxie” Shollenberger, then toured with Hal McIntyre’s Orchestra as a pianist and arranger.

After marrying in 1951, he worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Reading while continuing to perform as a bandleader for several groups of his own, and as a pianist for many other bands. His original songs have been featured in films and plays, including a musical, “A Symphony of Dreams,” written by his son, Santo Marabella. He was a beloved performer at countless events throughout the community and enjoyed playing for the Music in the Schools program sponsored by the Musicians’ Local 135 union.

Cliff Starkey’s skills on piano, bass and vocals have taken him on tours with The Three Degrees, Lisa Simone, Aretha Franklin and many others.

He was the house pianist for the “Emeril Live TV Show” on the Food Network for nearly a decade. As a member of The Groovemasters (also known as the Bluesmasters), he has helped to open Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest at the Peanut Bar for many years and had the honor of performing for former President Bill Clinton.

Starkey now fronts and manages his own band, which performs at public and private functions throughout the Northeast. He also has been a dedicated music educator, in programs at the Olivet Boys and Girls Club, the GoggleWorks and as part of Berks Jazz Fest’s getJazzed events.

Bassist Paul “Skip” Moyer has been a fixture in both the classical and jazz scenes in Berks County since his senior year at Reading High School when he began performing with the Reading Symphony Orchestra and the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra.

His first professional jazz gig was with Joe Miller and the Reading Jazz Quartet. Moyer began his bass studies with Wes Fisher and studied with Frederick Zimmerman while at a string conference at West Chester University.

Skip joined the U.S. Navy as a musician and graduated from the Navy school of music. After studying with Frederick Batchelder of the Philadelphia Orchestra for a year, he moved to New York City, where he studied with New York Philharmonic principal bass player Johnny Schaeffer.

In addition to his 41 years with the RSO, Moyer has played with the Reading Pops Orchestra, Philharmonic de Caracas in Venezuela, and with many jazz artists including Dave Bromberg, Jimmy Dorsey, Sammy Kaye, Al Grey, Gerry Mulligan, Bela Fleck and more.

He has taught bass privately for many years. Moyer maintains an active performing career with local and regional ensembles.

Through the years, Mike Anderson has led a double life: by day, a General Partner of Anderson Advertising (now The Anderson Group), and by night a saxophonist with Berks Horns.

Anderson designed the distinctive hot-pink logo for Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest in its inaugural year of 1991 that has been used ever since on shirts, jackets, posters and everything associated with the festival.

And since 2001, Anderson has joined trumpeter Rob Diener and trombonist Bill Miller (later John Loos) as Berks Horns to back many of the biggest names to play at Berks Jazz Fest, including Jeff Golub, Rick Braun, the late Chuck Loeb, the Heads Up Super Band and many more. Anderson has also been a staunch volunteer and friend of the festival since its beginning and served as Marketing Coordinator and Stage Manager in the early years.

Since 2019, Dr. Glen Brumbach has been an assistant professor of music at Texas A&M University/Central Texas.

But prior to that, he had a long career in the Berks County area, during which he influenced many aspiring and successful musicians. He taught music and was a band director for 34 years in the Boyertown, Reading, Muhlenberg and Muncy (Pa.) school districts.

His concert, marching and jazz ensembles won the highest ratings at area competitions and festivals and have performed nationally and in Canada and Europe. His jazz ensembles were selected three times to perform at the Pa. Music Educators Conference and at the National Association for Music Education Eastern Conference.

Brumbach’s ensembles have opened for Maynard Ferguson, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Stan Kenton Alumni Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He also taught brass instruments privately.

Brumbach earned his BS and MS degrees in music and music education from Mansfield University and his PhD in music education from the University of Maryland. He studied jazz ensemble techniques at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Directors’ Academy. He was past president of the District 10 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association and was the original vice president and founder of the Berks County All-Star Jazz Band.

His work in conjunction with Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest and Berks Arts Education Committee (2000-2013) resulted in his receiving the Frank Scott Award.

The late Tim Price, who passed away on July 21, 2022 at the age of 70, was a jazz musician, educator and writer.

Born and raised in Reading, Price began learning saxophone at Northwest Junior High, and after graduating from Reading High School in 1969, went on to study at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass.

There he studied with Hal Grossman, Charlie Mariano and other professionals, then moved to the Bronx to begin his performing career. He played the Catskills circuit, subbed for Michael Brecker, sat in with Sonny Stitt and toured with the Tommy Dorsey and Harry James bands. He became known throughout the world as an innovative multi-instrumentalist, playing all the saxes, clarinet, bassoon, saxello, flute, piano, the South Indian nadaswaram and the Hungarian taragato.

After moving back to Exeter Township, he taught privately at home and in New York, as well as giving virtual lessons to international students.

In addition to his many concerts in the U.S. and Europe, he performed more than 20 times at Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, beginning in 1991.

Guitarist David Cullen performs in many styles, including classical, jazz and world music, and has released 10 albums on Solid Air Records, featured on NPR stations across the U.S.

He has performed with Will Ackerman, Samite, Tracy Silverman, Darol Anger, The DePue Brothers Band and Michael Manring. Cullen also has played with The Jaco Big Band, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philly Pops and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Cullen earned a bachelor’s degree in music in classical guitar performance from the Hartt School of Music. He is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Elizabethtown College, working with music therapy and music education majors. Cullen also teaches jazz and classical guitar and guitar skills for music therapy and music education students at West Chester University, and guitar for music business and music technology students at Millersville University.

He has recorded on the Windham Hill Guitar Sampler and other Windham Hill compilation CDs, and he is a Grammy Award winner for Best Pop Instrumental Recording. He has published two books: “Jazz, Classical and Beyond” and “Grateful Guitar” (Warner Bros. Publications). He has performed many times at Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, primarily as part of The Groovemasters (also known as The Bluesmasters).

Marty Mellinger is a pianist, composer, arranger and producer who is the founder and owner of Cross Keys Recording Studio (formerly Schoolhouse Productions) since 1993.

He has performed as a leader/music director for Marty and the Mangoes and Spiral Staircase, and has performed internationally with Rita Coolidge, the Sammy Kaye Orchestra, Mary Wilson, The Three Degrees, Lisa Simone and more, including concerts at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Blue Notes in Japan, the Edinburgh Festival and the Paris Jazz Fest.

As a producer, composer and arranger, he has worked on more than 240 CD projects with artists in all genres.

In 1988 he was the Regional Grammy nominee for producing Frank Scott’s “Never Too Old To Dream.” He has written and produced more than 800 commercials and short film scores and is an Addie Award winner for many national TV spots.

Composer/saxophonist Chris Heslop has made an impact on the Berks County music community in many ways, including writing original works for various organizations, educating students on many levels and leading bands throughout the region.

Heslop teaches music composition at the Yocum Institute for Arts Education, and formerly taught jazz history at Albright College. He is a member of the Alex Meixner Band, which tours nationally, and performs regionally with the Hot Club of Reading and with his own Hesse’s Hot Jazz.

He has composed music for operas, including “The Bear Prince” and “Da Ponte,” (both produced by Berks Opera Company) and several films. He has arranged and/or composed for the Reading Pops Orchestra, Dave Stahl Big Band, Rob Stoneback Big Band, the Heads Up Super Band and many others. He has performed with Olivia Newton-John, The Temptations, Johnny Mathis and more.

Heslop graduated with honors from Temple University, where he studied saxophone with Larry McKenna and arranging/composing with John Valerio, Dennis DiBlasio and Paul Miller. He also studied composition and score reading with Malvina Leshock and continued his studies in New York City with composers Jim McNeely, Mike Abene and Mike Holober.

Pianist/French hornist/composer Erwin Chandler, who passed away on Jan. 2, 2020, performed in many local orchestras and bands, as well as leading his own group, Berkshire Brass.

Chandler also performed as a sideman with artists such as Henry Mancini, Chuck Mangione, the Brubeck Brothers, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis and many others.

He taught French horn for 20 years at Lebanon Valley College, and taught at Interlochen Music Camp, the Milton Hershey School, and in high schools and colleges.

As a composer, he received commissions from orchestras, bands and schools. He was awarded the George Washington Medal of Honor by the Valley Forge Freedom Foundation for his work, “The Constitution.”

Chandler graduated with a degree in music from Ithaca College and earned an M.M. degree in French horn from Indiana University. He studied composition with Warren Benson, William Mayer, Bernard Heiden and Juan Orrego-Salas.

Saxophonist Mike Eben has devoted much of his career to teaching students of all ages about jazz, not only how to play it, but to help them understand its history and significance as a world-renowned art form.

After graduating from Muhlenberg High School where he played in the band, Eben earned a degree in music education from Lebanon Valley College, where he performed in the college jazz ensemble. He has taught a class on the history of jazz at Albright College, where he also has directed the “Big Cat Jazz Ensemble.”

Eben taught instrumental music and led jazz bands in the Muhlenberg School District until his retirement. He performs and records with his band, From the Hip, and with his own jazz sextet throughout the region.

He also chairs the getJazzed educational component of the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest and hosts two jazz camps each summer.

The late Wayne A. “Big Al” Seifarth, an avid jazz supporter and performer, was a 1955 graduate of Reading High School, a 1960 graduate of Albright College, and a 1964 graduate of Temple University.

Seifarth taught history and social studies in the Conrad Weiser School District for more than 35 years. But he was also passionately involved in music and helped to create the Music in the Schools Jazz Program, designed to introduce junior high students to jazz.

He played the flute and performed with Ken Gehret’s Irish Mist band and as a duo with Gehret, as well as with the Reading Pops Orchestra.

Seifarth was a member of the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest education committee. The getJazzed Al Seifarth Instrumental Day was established to honor his memory.

Vocalist Toni Lynne was introduced to Frank Scott in 1966, when she was the featured vocalist for the Incredible Saxons, the house band for the Crystal Restaurant, Stokesay Castle and the Riveredge Hotel.

Lynne performed with Scott at events that included the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz Fest, Scenic River Days, local television shows, and the opening band for Ray Charles at the Rajah Theatre (now the Santander Performing Arts Center).

Lynne has also performed for many years with Skip Moyer’s ensembles and with the vocal trio Ladies of Jazz (with Sharon Bailey and Suzie Ernesto) at Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, and at the Gerald Veasley Jazz Base at the Sheraton Reading Hotel.

Robert “Doc: Mulligan (1926-2021) was a dedicated and highly respected physician (a graduate of Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia) who developed the Nuclear Medicine Department at the Reading Hospital.

But ever since he played trombone at Ashland High School and in the Blue Band at Penn State University, he had a passion for music. He spent many hours practicing the piano and trombone and arranging music for bands.

Mulligan performed with the Hafer/Jacobson Big Band, the Wyomissing Big Band, the Bobby Mercer Big Band, Trombones Incorporated, and the Bones of Contention. He freelanced for Billy Epstein, Jack Jones, Sammy Kaye, Maynard Ferguson, Al Martino and others.

Mulligan was an avid supporter of the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest, especially in helping to develop its music education programs.

As a result, the festival instituted the “Doc Mulligan getJazzed Day.”

He was the inaugural recipient of the Frank Scott Award for his many contributions to the art of jazz.