The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame Awards $10,000 in Scholarships To High School Seniors

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) recently awarded Ten $1000 scholarships to ten graduating students from across Long Island. Also, for the second year in a row a Pat DeRosa Memorial Scholarship was awarded in memory of LIMEHOF inductee Pat DeRosa. 

Winners include:

Cooper Arbisi (Massapequa, NY, Massapequa High School)

Stephen Buff (Center Moriches, NY, Center Moriches High School, Flute)

Cody Chelune (Levittown, NY, Island Trees High School, Vocal, Tenor)

Jocelyn Chiu (Albertson, NY, Herricks High School, Instrument: Harp)

Giuliana Gallone (Kings Park, NY, Kings Park High School, Vocal/Bass Clarinet, Guitar & Piano)

Dara Gordon (Dix Hills, NY, Commack High School Vocal/Musical Theater)

Emily Helbock (Sayville, NY, Sayville High School, Instrument: French Horn/Piano)  

Ryan Loughlin (Farmingdale, NY, Farmingdale High School, Vocal, Bass/Baritone, Cello/Piano)

Aidan Passaro (Mt. Sinai, NY, Mt. Sinai High School, Vocal, Tenor/Piano)

Julian Zuzzolo (Sea Cliff, NY, North Shore High School, Percussion)

Pat DeRosa Scholarship Winner

Peter Hoss (Greenlawn, NY, Harborfields High School, Tenor Saxophone) 

"We are thrilled to award these scholarships to such talented and dedicated young musicians,” said Tom Needham, LIMEHOF's Educational Programs Director. “Supporting the next generation of music students as they embark on their college journeys is at the heart of our mission. These scholarships not only recognize their hard work and passion but also reinforce our commitment to nurturing musical talent and education within our community. We can't wait to see what these young people will accomplish in their musical careers."

This is the first year that LIMEHOF has expanded its scholarships to include not only music but also the performing arts. This also marks the largest number of scholarships awarded in a single year since the program began.

LIMEHOF has awarded tens of thousands of scholarships to Long Island high school students since its inception. The students submit applications that are judged by LIMHOF's education committee, chaired by board member Tom Needham. This year had a record number of applications received. Students from schools in Queens and Brooklyn are eligible to apply in addition to those from Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

For more information about LIMEHOF's scholarships and educational programs visit https://www.limusichalloffame.org/scholarshipsgrants/

About the Pat DeRosa Memorial Scholarship

Mr. Pat A. DeRosa performed for many years from Manhattan to Montauk and beyond. He taught music in Huntington and South Huntington and in 2018 the Guinness Book of World Records named him the “World's Oldest Professional Saxophone Player”. (101 years old and still playing in 2022). Additionally, he was inducted into the Long Island Hall of Fame and the South Huntington Hall of Fame.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in South Huntington, Pat picked up a saxophone in the Bowery with his mom at the age of 12. After High School, he worked at Grumman before he was drafted into WWII where he played with the Glenn Miller Army/Air Force Band.

After the war, he played at The Latin Quarter and the Copacabana as well as other NYC clubs while attending the Manhattan School of Music where he received a Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in English Horn and Oboe. He played with Tommy Tucker, Tex Benecke, Lionel Hampton amongst others while on the road stopping to make a movie in Hollywood where he was invited to have lunch with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. When he returned home, he was introduced to John Coltrane and they played duets together for three years.

Most recently he could be seen playing with his daughter, Patricia DeRosa Padden of Montauk, on piano and his granddaughter Nicole DeRosa Padden, also of Montauk, on vocals and flute as well as sitting in with numerous bands on the East End and Western Suffolk.

Pat retired from teaching in 1978 but his students continued to contact him often. This Memorial Scholarship has been set up for a High School Senior to continue their studies in Music on the saxophone or woodwind instrument. The criteria includes a 95 or above in Music and a 90 overall average. An essay should also be provided by the student to show why they would like to continue to pursue music.

About LIMEHOF

Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island's musical and entertainment heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State's Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music and entertainment in all its forms.  In 2022, LIMEHOF opened its first Hall of Fame building location in Stony Brook, New York. To date, the organization has inducted more than 130 musicians and music industry executives, and offers education programs, scholarships, and awards to Long Island students and educators.  

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