Spotlight was developed to:
• Offer distinctive learning opportunities to Southern California students at every stage of artistic development
• Nurture the skills and qualities that lead to success in the arts as well as in other careers — self-discipline, communication abilities, tenacity, dedication, poise, and cooperation. Unlike similar arts programs that focus on competition, Spotlight em
phasizes the achievement of artistic goals through the process of developing skills, knowledge, and discipline in a supportive environment. All students who enroll in Spotlight gain opportunities to learn through professional feedback regarding their performance auditions. Young artists who advance to semifinals participate in master classes and the opportunity to perform at The Music Center and receive cash scholarships. Overall, Spotlight awards over $100,000 annually in scholarships and cash awards to students who place as finalists, semifinalists, honorable mentions and promise award recipients. Each year more than 2,000 high school students participate in the program. Many of our finalists go on to successful careers in the arts, whether in pop music (Adam Lambert), dance (Misty Copeland); (Matthew Rushing with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre), Broadway (Tony Award winner Lindsay Mendez), or classical music (Liang Wang, Principal Oboist, New York Philharmonic). As proud as we are for these stars, we are dedicated to the larger idea that all kids deserve access to quality arts education.
