The Hartt Community Division celebrates a generous gift from the Brown-Marfuggi family, named the Sherry Lynn Brown-Marfuggi Hartt Community Division Endowed Scholarship. This generous gift will be used to provide scholarship assistance to students with financial need who study at HCD.
In celebrating the immense generosity on this donation, the story behind the gift is also worth noting. In conversation with Barbara Hennessy, daughter of Sherry Lynn as well as long-time HCD parent, Hennessy explains, “Music and piano were always a focal point in my mother’s [Brown-Marfuggi] life, as in the lives of her children and grandchildren. The family hopes that the fund will provide scholarship assistance to students studying piano, to reaffirm the deep affinity for the impact that this instrument provided.”
Hennessy explains that while her mother never finished high school and received her GED later in life, her music education was very much self-taught. Growing up, Brown-Marfuggi was not able to have her own piano due to finances and frequent moves, so she would practice at her church. At an early age, she participated in a piano competition and was honored to receive an Honorable Mention. As Brown-Marfuggi recalled to her family the judge praised her performance, but also alluded to what she could do more of—if only she had a piano and lessons. Years later, Brown-Marfuggi’s contribution to future generations of music students will make a tremendous impact in its potential to cultivate many musical talents and allow them to shine.
Hennessy says, “My mother wanted to set up the opportunity for piano students to be able to receive the high-quality learning experience at the Hartt Community Division that she was not able to get.” Furthermore, Hennessy states that her mother “had hoped that this gift inspires others to do the same by giving back and encouraging the love of music for the next generation.”