CCM Prep, Benjamin Carlson-Berne Fund expand free lessons for young musicians
In partnership with CCM, the Fund supports youth music lessons & instrumental music programs at CPS
Cincinnati's Movers and Makers magazine recently featured CCM Prep and the Benjamin Carlson-Berne Scholarship Fund (BCB). A new partnership between CCM Prep and the BCB Fund will continue its mission to provide instrumental or vocal classical music lessons for underserved youth in the Cincinnati community and provide support to select Cincinnati Public School instrumental music programs.
The Benjamin Carlson-Berne Scholarship Fund (BCB) was established in 2004 by Susan Carlson and Philip Berne, in memory of their son Ben, whose passion was to expose economically disadvantaged children and youth to classical music. Scholarships are awarded to students in middle or high school who have demonstrated a love for classical music and a desire to study music.
“When kids invest in music, they grow in so many different ways," Susan Carlson told Movers and Makers.
Now operating in partnership with CCM Prep, the purpose of the fund is twofold: provide instrumental or vocal classical music lessons for underserved youth in the Cincinnati community and provide support to select Cincinnati Public School instrumental music programs. An endowment fund has been created at the University of Cincinnati Foundation to support these efforts. Additional information, including funding eligibility, will be provided soon.
“One of our goals is to reach out to students in the community, rather than always expect them to come to campus," Anne Cushing-Reid, Assistant Dean and Director of CCM Prep, said to Movers and Makers.
“Musicians, mostly CCM masters and doctoral students, will go to SPCA, Shroder and Withrow to give private lessons to scholarship recipients,” Cushing-Reid added. “My hope is that the Prep program can expand the scholarship offerings to even more Cincinnati Public Schools, do summer camps and connect scholarship recipients with other playing opportunities.”
Featured image at the top: CCM Prep students in rehearsal. Photo by Michael Kralik.
Related Stories
Cincinnati sees record rainfall in weekend deluge
July 21, 2026
The Cincinnati Enquirer talks to UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor Patrick Ray for context about a July 17 rainstorm that dumped a record amount of rain on parts of Cincinnati.
Putting preschool into perspective
July 20, 2026
Preschool and childcare can be difficult to navigate for parents, as Spectrum News 1 Ohio recently reported. Waitlists are long, and factors like cost, location and transportation can limit options. According to a recent study published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 41% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Ohio were enrolled in preschool between 2020 and 2024 — a 4% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers. For University of Cincinnati early childhood education faculty member Chad Nunamaker, that statistic has caveats.
Engineering magnets for a cleaner future
July 20, 2026
The United States is heavily reliant on imported rare-earth materials to make permanent magnets. Ugochukwu Philip Ochieze, materials science student at the University of Cincinnati, is studying how to use common materials to create permanent magnets, eliminating the need for expensive and scarce rare-earth materials. Pursuing his PhD, Ochieze was named Graduate Student Engineer of the Month by the College of Engineering and Applied Science.