Director of choral activities memorializes sister with gift to benefit music students

MURRAY, Ky. – Dr. Bradley Almquist, Murray State University professor of music and director of choral activities, recently made a generous gift to the Murray State University Foundation to allow the Department of Music to purchase a new Yamaha P-22 piano so that vocal and instrumental music students will have a high-quality new piano to use for practice.

This gift will help the Department of Music begin to replace several of its older pianos, many of which are more than 50 years old.

Almquist said that his gift was inspired by his memory of his late sister, Sharilyn, who found joy and healing throughout her life from music.

“My sister, Sharilyn, always loved music,” Almquist said. “She would play the piano and sing as a way to express her joy in life but also as a tool to address her depression. Following an automobile accident that left her a quadriplegic, singing became part of her respiratory therapy. The deep breaths required to sing assisted in rebuilding the diaphragm and other respiratory muscles.”

In addition to this recent gift, the Almquist family also memorialized Sharilyn by establishing the endowed Sharilyn Dawn Almquist Memorial Voice Scholarship in 2006 to assist Murray State students majoring in vocal music. With this new gift to allow the department to purchase a piano, Almquist shares his late sister’s love of music in yet another way to benefit students today at Murray State who share that passion.

“While there is a great need for concert grand pianos, there is also an overwhelming need for studio and student pianos,” Almquist said. “We, the family of Sharilyn, are blessed to give the new Yamaha piano for use in the Music Department at Murray State University and hope to be able to do more in the future. It is such an important and valuable way to remember and honor someone whilst facilitating the education of another generation of musicians and people who simply need music in their lives.”

“For as long as I have worked here, the Murray State University Department of Music has boasted quite a few faculty members who, on top of their passionate teaching and artistry, give back to the department and University in other ways as well,” said Dr. Mike D’Ambrosio, chair of Murray State’s Department of Music. “Former students and community members that have worked with Dr. Almquist are already familiar with his passion for music and for teaching. We are so moved by Dr. Almquist’s generous gift and the family’s continuous support of our music program.”

There are many ways to support music students at Murray State University by assisting with equipment, scholarships and experiences. To make a gift, visit murraystate.edu/giving or call the Office of Development at 270-809-3001.