FARMINGDALE, NY — The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) recently awarded $1K scholarships to 10 graduating students from Long Island, the hall of fame announced.
Ryan Loughlin from Farmingdale, a graduate of Farmingdale High School, was one of the scholarship winners.
Loughlin is a passionate vocalist, cellist, pianist, and music producer. In elementary school, Loughlin was encouraged to join chorus and orchestra, where his passion for music was born, he told the music hall of fame. Because of his participation in choir, he discovered that he was a rare talent known as perfect pitch. In realizing his potential and music ability, Ryan decided to branch out and take on composing and producing music, along with teaching himself how to play piano.
While participating in his high school music ensembles, Loughlin was able to earn the title of president of both Farmingdale High School’s Mixed Chorus, and Symphony Orchestra, along with being the principal cellist of the Symphony Orchestra.
He was also selected to be a part of the All-County Division 5 Mixed Chorus for both 2023 and 2024, and the All-State Mixed Chorus in 2023 all as a Vocal Bass 2. He has also received the Farmingdale High School National School Choral Award, and The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts Award, for his dedication to the Mixed Chorus, and Symphony Orchestra respectively.
Loughlin also took it upon himself to help record and produce two different song covers for the a cappella group he is a part of, Farmingdale High School’s Daler A Cappella. He led the group with the recording process and was responsible for the mixing and mastering of both the tracks that he created for the group. He also put together a Spotify and Apple Music profile for the group, where you can now find both of the songs he produced online.
Loughlin currently plans to attend Purchase College (SUNY) where he will be majoring in studio production, and minoring in arts management. He hopes to pursue a future of working in the music industry, where he hopes to produce for many different artists.
“Ryan is very grateful to have been chosen for this scholarship, and he would like to thank his family and friends for the constant support,” the hall of fame wrote.
The full list of LIMEHOF scholarship winners were:
- Cooper Arbisi (Massapequa, Massapequa High School)
- Stephen Buff (Center Moriches, Center Moriches High School, Flute)
- Cody Chelune (Levittown, Island Trees High School, Vocal, Tenor)
- Jocelyn Chiu (Albertson, Herricks High School, Instrument: Harp)
- Giuliana Gallone (Kings Park, Kings Park High School, Vocal/Bass Clarinet, Guitar & Piano)
- Dara Gordon (Dix Hills, Commack High School Vocal/Musical Theater)
- Emily Helbock (Sayville, Sayville High School, Instrument: French Horn/Piano)
- Ryan Loughlin (Farmingdale, Farmingdale High School, Vocal, Bass/Baritone, Cello/Piano)
- Aidan Passaro (Mt. Sinai, Mt. Sinai High School, Vocal, Tenor/Piano)
- Julian Zuzzolo (Sea Cliff, North Shore High School, Percussion)
For the second year in a row, a Pat DeRosa Memorial Scholarship was awarded in memory of LIMEHOF inductee Pat DeRosa.
Peter Hoss from Greenlawn, a graduate of Harborfields High School who plays tenor saxophone, won the scholarship.
“We are thrilled to award these scholarships to such talented and dedicated young musicians,” said Tom Needham, LIMEHOF’s educational programs director, in a news release. “Supporting the next generation of music students as they embark on their college journeys is at the heart of our mission. These scholarships not only recognize their hard work and passion but also reinforce our commitment to nurturing musical talent and education within our community. We can’t wait to see what these young people will accomplish in their musical careers.”
This is the first year that LIMEHOF has expanded its scholarships to include not only music but also the performing arts. This also marks the largest number of scholarships awarded in a single year since the program began.
LIMEHOF has awarded tens of thousands of scholarships to Long Island high school students since its inception. The students submit applications that are judged by LIMHOF’s education committee, chaired by board member Needham.
This year had a record number of applications received. Students from schools in Queens and Brooklyn are eligible to apply in addition to those from Nassau and Suffolk counties.
