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MINNEAPOLIS — There are many inspirations in music that young artists look to. It’s not often that you actually meet them, though.
At the University of Minnesota, that inspiration wasn’t just on campus Saturday – he’s helping out the next generation of students.
“What better place than where, you know, it all began?” Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, said.
Smith is originally from St. Paul, and his parents are graduates of the University of Minnesota.
The Chad Smith Foundation launched in August, and Smith says it only made sense to start their first college scholarship at a place that means so much to his family.
“I remember hearing, my early recollection, when I was really young, was the baseball stadium, which is now the Mall of America, was there, and you could hear, ‘now, starting in first base, Harmon Killebrew,’ that’s how long ago that was,” Smith said. “So, yeah, it’s close to our heart, our family’s heart, and it’s just, it’s very authentic and real, and I think that connects with people.”
Smith performed Red Hot Chili Peppers songs with students from the U of M School of Music Saturday afternoon at a luncheon benefitting the scholarship.
“There’s this sort of barrier that can happen as you move out of high school and look for college, and is it possible to do music?” Patrick Warfield, director of the School of Music, said. “This scholarship will make it possible for many more students to come to the University of Minnesota and actually pursue their dreams.”
Warfield says that scholarship is currently for one student at a time, and launches next fall. He says it’s for $10,000 and is renewable each year for a four-year degree. Warfield says the scholarships will be ramped up over time.
“Music is a good in its own right, and Chad is devoted to each of those things, recognizing that it can improve all sorts of aspects of a young person’s life,” Warfield said. “And we want to make certain we are also educating that next generation of music teachers that go out to the state of Minnesota and beyond, to make certain every student has that opportunity.”
Fans of the band and Smith were in attendance for that luncheon. Henrique De Holleben flew in from North Carolina to support.
“It’s really important to me to be around the music and music to be around me, because it makes me feel who I am,” De Holleben said.
“When you impact someone positively, it just makes everything so much better, right? So if you have the chance to do something for something bigger than yourself, I think you should just do it,” he added. “If it means to be here to support one drummer, or if it means to support your band, or that cause that you fight so hard, during your scholarship, you do it because it, in the end, is going to define who you are.”
“Music is fun and it’s a healer. It’s so many great things,” Smith said. “But, like, have fun with music, and if you’re passionate about it and you love it, you’re going to want to do it. So we’re just here to help.”
To learn more about the scholarship, click here.