Furthering its mission to support local music education, SBGS named the guitar ensemble of Evergreen Valley High School the 2023 recipient of the Tom Gardin Memorial Scholarship.

Directed by music educator Matthew Hall, the guitar ensemble at Evergreen Valley High School engages students with a wide range of repertoire and opportunities to perform for the school community and the public. The ensemble is part of the school’s larger guitar program in which students of all abilities participate in group lessons, performances and theory classes. 

Established in memory of longtime SBGS supporter Tom Gardin, the Gardin Scholarships recognize outstanding programs and individuals in guitar education in the region. Past recipients include Santa Teresa High School in San Jose and Oakland School for the Arts.

Evergreen Valley’s guitar ensemble expects to use the Gardin Scholarship to purchase an amplifier to be used in class and performance. 

“We are pleased to support Evergreen Valley’s guitar program, which over the years has allowed many students to learn the guitar and experience the joy of the instrument,” said Josh Friedman, SBGS’s president. “The school’s guitar initiatives, along with its band, orchestra, and choir programs, are a driving force behind music education in the South Bay.”