Senior Ethan Gillespie is awarded a church music scholar award

Senior church music major Ethan Gillespie was recently awarded the Norma Aamodt-Nelson Student Scholar Award by the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. The award was created in 2021 to honor long-time church musician Norma Aamodt-Nelson, who recently passed away. The award has now been given three times, and each of the previous times, Concordia University, Nebraska students were the recipients with Renata Peperkorn winning in 2021 and Thomas Schulteis winning in 2023.    

The award is open to any undergraduate student preparing for a career in church music. The audition has two parts: a solo performance and a recording demonstrating their ability to lead a congregation in song. This is a video audition and is submitted as a recording. They also submit a written portion explaining the pieces that they chose for the audition and how they could be used within the context of the Lutheran liturgy.  

Gillespie will receive a cash prize of $500, and a fully funded trip to this summer’s ALCM conference, held in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. At this conference he will “officially” receive the award. He has also been invited to perform at the conference, which is an amazing opportunity and honor for a church musician. Both previous winners of the award, Renata Pepperkorn and Thomas Schulteis, will be involved in the conference as well.  

When asked what led him to pursue church music, Gillespie said, “…When I was eleven my grandfather was dying. He was a church musician and played organ. Though I don’t remember much of what I said, my cousin and I promised our grandfather that we would learn organ. Thirteen years later and I’ve been playing organ for about twelve years!” 

Gillespie hopes to be called into the church and be able to support the church’s song through playing and leading other instrumentalists in their support of the Lutheran liturgy and hymnody.  

In his free time, Gillespie enjoys building Lego sets and creating new ideas and watching MLB trivia videos on YouTube. He also writes his own choral and instrumental music. He is currently in the process of completing his first large-scale work that another church musician commissioned.  

“I am glad to be a part of furthering and continuing a tradition of excellence here at Concordia University, Nebraska!” Gillespie said. 

A church music degree from Concordia University, Nebraska qualifies you to direct a comprehensive music program in a church. You will learn to lead the church’s song with organ, piano, choirs and instrumentalists and to teach it to adults and children. You may optionally combine it with a music education or vocal music education degree. Upon graduation, members of congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod who take the necessary theology courses may be certified as directors of parish music. Learn more about Concordia’s church music program here.