Recent Herricks graduate Jocelyn Chiu’s music career began at the age of 3 as a way for her mother to fill the toddler’s natural 4 a.m. wake-up time. Now 15 years later, Chiu’s early hour dedications have paid off as she has won a scholarship from the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame and pursues a future in music.
Chiu, an Albertson resident, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame for her skills as a harpist.
“We are thrilled to award these scholarships to such talented and dedicated young musicians,” Tom Needham, LIMEHOF’s Educational Programs Director, said. “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.”
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) organization promoting the music of Long Island, Queens and Brooklyn. The organization has inducted more than 130 members into its Hall of Fame, conducts education programs and awards scholarships and honors to students and educators.
Chiu was recognized among a class of nine other students from across Long Island – the largest singular awarded class since the program began.
Students apply directly for the scholarships in a process which is reviewed and judged by the Hall of Fame’s Education Committee.
Along with Long Island students, Brooklyn and Queens students are also welcome to apply. The 2024 awards received a record number of applicants seeking out the scholarships.
Chiu’s introduction to playing instruments began in those early morning hours with the violin but pivoted six years later.
At the age of nine, Chiu’s mother told her to begin learning a new instrument. Thinking of one of the hardest instruments to find a teacher locally, Chiu chose the harp.
Just a few weeks later, Chiu was in the living room of her new harp teacher where she fell in love with the instrument.
Chiu is the principal harpist at the Grammy Award-winning New York Youth Symphony and Resident Harpist at Herricks High School.
She is a 2024 graduate of Herricks High School, where she served as Executive Board Student Council president and vice president of DECA.
Chiu will be attending Northwestern University, where she will major in harp performance and economics.
Blending into Chiu’s music is also a desire to share it with others.
In playing an uncommon instrument, Chiu found a lack of accessibility for other young musicians seeking to learn the harp. To address this, Chiu founded Hello Harp, a seven-week festival where she taught 12 elementary-age students for free. The festival ended with a recital at the Searingtown Library.
Chiu also sought to share her music at NYU Langone Winthrop, where she performed for hospital staff, families and babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the hospital lobby.
Her music has been featured in multiple original recorded pieces by young composers.
