The 2025-2026 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient is Scott Rush, ’86 (BM, performance – horn). The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes School of Music
alumni who have made exceptional contributions to their field through a distinguished
musical career. Scott Rush is the team lead for the “Habits” series published by GIA
and currently serves as the conductor of the Charleston Wind Symphony. He is a graduate
of the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of South Carolina and
is the former Director of Bands at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, SC. Under
his direction, the Wando Symphonic Band performed at the 2007 Midwest Band and Orchestra
Clinic and were two-time BOA Grand National Finalists. Mr. Rush is active as a conductor,
clinician, and adjudicator throughout the United States and Canada. He is the author
and/or co-author of eighteen highly touted books, some of which include: Habits of A Successful Band Director, Habits of a Successful Musician, Habits of a
Successful Beginner Band Musician, Habits of a Successful Middle School Musician,
Habits of a Successful Middle School Band Director, and Habits of a Significant Band Director, for GIA Publications. In 2010, Mr. Rush was elected to the American Bandmasters Association.
He has served as President of the South Carolina Band Directors Association and the
Servant Leadership for Music (SLAM).
The Community Impact Alumni Award recipient is Heidi Brown Carey, ’91 & ’94 (BA in Music, cello and performance certificate; and Juris Doctor). The Community
Impact Alumni Award recognizes School of Music alumni who are making exceptional contributions
to their communities. A dedicated cellist and committed arts advocate, Heidi Carey
is a product of the South Carolina public school arts system. A native of Greenville,
SC, she played with the Carolina Youth Symphony and the Greenville Symphony and attended
the Greenville County Fine Arts Center before studying with Dr. Robert Jesselson at
the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Upon graduation, she attended the University
of South Carolina School of Law and earned her Juris Doctor degree. She has played
in regional orchestras and chamber ensembles, was a pioneering cellist in the rock
band Treadmill Trackstar and has been a section member of the South Carolina Philharmonic
since 1998. She continues her law career as a partner at Riley Pope & Laney, LLC.
In 2025 she was appointed by Governor McMaster to the South Carolina Arts Commission
and honored with the Dr. Benjamin Wilson Woodruff, Jr. award. Ms. Carey also participates
in Arts Capacity, facilitating chamber music in correctional institutions. She plays
a handmade cello, crafted by Damir Horvat in 2018. Ms. Carey is passionate about music
outreach, legal excellence, and lifelong service through faith and community initiatives.
The inaugural Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient is Christian Folk, ’21 (Master of Music Education). The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes School
of Music alumni ages 35 or younger who are excelling on their career path and are
poised to make lasting exceptional contributions to their field. Christian Folk currently
serves as a Music Education Specialist for the Smithsonian Institution and as the
Assistant Director, Research Services for the University of Texas-Austin Strategic
National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP). Christian also serves as an adjunct professor
of music education at Towson University and museum studies at the University of Maryland.
He holds a Ph.D. in Music Education and a graduate certificate in Museum Studies and
Material Culture from the University of Maryland, College Park, a master’s in music
education from the University of South Carolina, and a bachelor’s in music education
from Winthrop University. Their research interests and publications explore the intersection
of arts education and museum education, restorative justice practices, best DEIA practices,
critical race theory and anti-racism, queer and disabled pedagogies, and arts accessibility.
Dr. Folk has over a decade of public school and higher education teaching and research experience, and has worked with multiple organizations that address issues of equity and accessibility in cultural arts programs. His work in nontraditional musical experiences is highlighted in his dissertation research — a three-study, multi-method examination of the intersections between music education and museum education pedagogies at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. They have peer-reviewed publications in Arts Education Policy Review, Visions of Research in Music Education, and the Journal of Band Research. His research has been featured at conferences including the National Association for Music Education Biennial Conference, the Society for Music Teacher Education, and the American Educational Research Association, where he was awarded the 2025 Outstanding Early Career Award in Music Education. He also currently serves as the Production Editor for the peer-reviewed journal Visions of Research in Music Education. Christian currently resides in the D.C./Maryland metro area with his wife Christy, exploring as many new museums and bookstores as possible.
About the USC School of Music Alumni Awards
Awards Ceremony
April 24, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.
All award recipients will be formally recognized at the School of Music’s Awards Day
Ceremony.
Eligibility & Criteria
- Nominees must be graduates of the USC School of Music.
- An individual may not receive the same award twice.
- Nominees must meet the criteria for their specific award.
- Award recipients are expected to participate in the Awards Day Ceremony unless extraordinary circumstances prevent attendance.
Terms and Conditions
The School of Music reserves the right to present all or only a selection of the awards
each year.
Only information submitted within the official nomination form will be reviewed. Incomplete
forms will not be considered.
2024-25 Award Winners
The 2024-2025 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient was Martha Shaw, ’99, DMA, conducting, and the 2024-2025 Alumni Community Impact Award recipient was Jerry Gatch, '85, Bachelor of Music Education, '87, Master of Music, and '05, DMA, conducting.