SCF brings home top honors from state music competition

Two State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota musicians took home high honors from the Florida College System Activities Association scholarship awards competition.

Classical saxophonist Zach McKee received a $2,000 scholarship for winning first place in the woodwinds category, and Kevin Conk, who is studying flute at SCF, earned honorable mention in the woodwinds category.

McKee plays in the Jazz Ensemble and Symphonic Band at SCF, and he has plans to pursue a degree in music education at Florida State University, the University of South Florida or the University of Florida.

Conk has played with the SCF Bradenton Symphony Orchestra and the Sarasota Pops, and he is hoping to transfer to the University of Iowa to study flute making.

SCF sent 36 students to participate in the symposium, with nine of those students competing in addition to McKee and Conk. Music faculty members Robyn Bell, Don Bryn, Pete Carney, Melodie Dickerson and Rex Willis accompanied the students.

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 5:06 PM with the headline "SCF brings home top honors from state music competition."