Jasmine Howard Announced As 14th Annual peermusic Latin Scholarship Winner

Carolina Arenas, Director of the BMI Foundation’s peermusic Latin Scholarship, has announced Jasmine Howard as the winner of the 14th annual competition. Howard, a native of Wisconsin and student at Agnes Scott College, received the $5,000 award for her song, “Amanhecer.” She will be recognized at the BMI Latin Awards in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 20, 2018.

This year’s competition again featured multi-platinum bachata star Prince Royce as its spokesperson, and a judging panel that included Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Andrés Saavedra; Latin GRAMMY-winning musician Nicolás Junca from the band Monsieur Periné; Latin GRAMMY-nominated musician Linda Briceño; and peermusic’s VPs of East and West Coast Latin Divisions, Julio Bagué and Yvonne Drazan.  

“I am so grateful and honored to have been chosen for the peermusic scholarship,” said Howard. “Music is a universal language that has the power to uplift and inspire, and I hope that when people listen to my songs, they can hear my love for life and for humanity.”

The peermusic Latin Scholarship was established in 2003 through the generosity and vision of peermusic CEO Ralph Peer II, for the purpose of encouraging the next generation of Latin composers. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States and Puerto Rico. A $5,000 scholarship is presented annually for the best original song or instrumental composition in any Latin genre. For over a decade, the program has nurtured promising musicians who have gone on to distinguish themselves in the fields of television, film, recorded music, and concert performance.

Howard is a Brazilian-American vocalist, pianist, songwriter/composer and producer. Growing up in Brazil, she learned to accompany herself on the piano and became versatile in the national styles of bossa nova, chorinho and samba. At the age of six, she wrote her first piano piece under the instruction of international award-winning composer Ludwig Tuman. In collaboration with Grammy award-winning record producer KC Porter, Tuman assisted her in putting together an album of children’s music in 2001.

She received a number of scholarships to study abroad at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa, one of them being the Kilimanjaro Award in 2015. At the South African College of Music, Howard studied under jazz vocalist-pianist Amanda Tiffin. She performed regularly at popular venues such as The Great Wizoo and Lyra’s, in addition to singing African choral music in her beloved UCT choir.Howard aspires to reach national and international audiences through her artistry and musicianship. She hopes to have the opportunity to collaborate with artists worldwide in both songwriting and music production. Drawing musical inspiration from artists of a variety of genres, including Sting, Vanessa da Mata, Norah Jones, Feist, Lianne La Havas, Sara Tavares, Marisa Monte and Coldplay, she believes her true passion lies in the creation and experience of music.About the peermusic

Founded by Ralph Peer in 1928, peermusic is a global network of music publishing companies operating from 33 offices in 27 countries, with well over a quarter of a million titles in the company’s catalogue, and songs that vary from country, blues, jazz, and pop to Latin, concert, and rock & roll. For more information, visitwww.peermusic.com.

About the BMI Foundation

The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to encourage the creation, performance, and study of American music. The Foundation’s programs include competitive scholarships for songwriters and composers, operating grants for nonprofit arts presenters, and support for innovative music education initiatives in schools and communities across the country. For more information about the work of the Foundation, please visit our website at www.bmifoundation.org. For exclusive news and content, follow @bmifoundation on Twitter and  Instagram, and like “BMI Foundation” on Facebook at facebook.com/bmifoundation.