The Betsy Uschkrat Grant
For Our Roster of Songwriters and Music Producers, Ages 8-13
The Betsy Uschkrat Grant will make our Songwriting Program (ages 8–13) and Music Production Program (ages 8–13) accessible at a fraction of our professional rate. Grounded in our family-friendly Layer One curriculum, children will join our writing or production teams to build studio skills while exploring social dynamics. While applying for our roster, clients will select their preferred rate and, if accepted, gain access to Marcelland, our private online community, as Viscounts and Viscountesses—allowing them to attend workshops, participate in challenges, and take courses.
Our grant structure will offer four flexible rate options to meet different families' needs: 100% of our rate ($400/month) will include 1 weekly 60-minute small group team session plus the highest amount of outside support; 75% of our rate ($300/month) will include 1 weekly group session plus substantial support; 50% of our rate ($200/month) will include 1 weekly group session plus moderate support; and 25% of our rate ($100/month) will include 1 weekly group session plus foundational support. After 12 months of initial writer or producer development, annual guaranteed industry pitches will be 12 per year at 100%, 9 at 75%, 6 at 50%, and 3 at 25%. To learn more, please visit our Programs page.
Dr. Betsy Uschkrat is a celebrated soprano and dedicated voice teacher globally. Her stage career spans operatic, theatrical, and symphonic performances—including roles in Carousel, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, and Dialogues of the Carmelites. In addition to her extensive performance career, she competed in the Miss America Pageant as Miss Indiana 2006. Her former students now work nationally across the arts as professional performers, educators, and board-certified music therapists.
A winner of major vocal competitions, a two-time Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Finalist, and praised by The Times-Picayune as a “vocal powerhouse,” Dr. Uschkrat has performed with The Kennedy Center, New Orleans Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera. For Marcellé, her influence was deeply personal. “I was behind every other singer,” Marcellé reflects. “But she was patient. She gave me room to explore, write, and begin again.” Even when trauma and neurodivergence made retention difficult, Dr. Uschkrat’s balance of rigor and trust shaped Marcellé’s vision for beginner creators.
To join our writing or production team, families will apply and select how much of our rate they want to pay. If accepted, their child will join our roster at that rate—learning to write, produce, and collaborate with personal sovereignty. Through small group teamwork and personalized one-on-one development, students ages 8–13 will build technical control, emotional confidence, and collaborative trust without financial strain or pressure.
This institutional grant will honor Dr. Uschkrat’s commitment to voice pedagogy, musical freedom, and creator wellness. By making team songwriting and music production affordable, we will ensure that young songwriters and producers—including those navigating trauma, neurodivergence, or disabilities—receive trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming guidance. While fiscal sponsorship will support finishing, pitching, and releasing music across our label and publishing pipelines, our institutional grants will guarantee that team-based music education remains accessible to as many families as possible.