Alumna’s devotion to music education lives on in scholarship created through OHIO Match

Family and friends of Isabel Courtney Hall, BFA ’46, BSED ’47, recently met with the first two recipients of the Isabel Courtney Hall Music Education Scholarship. Pictured (from left) are Chris Siegfried, Hall’s niece; Mietta Smith, a first-year OHIO student majoring in music education; Teresa Beach, Hall’s niece; Heather Aycock, a first-year student studying music education; and Tim Rogers from the Charles and Isabel Hall Foundation. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ ’14, MA ’17

When Isabel Courtney Hall, BFA ’46, BSED ’47, passed away in 2015, after nearly seven decades of passionate devotion to music education, her family considered how to best honor her legacy. Hall had always had a gift for sharing her love of music, inspiring countless others to perform, study and even teach themselves. After conversations with College of Fine Arts Dean Matthew Shaftel, Hall’s family settled on a fitting tribute for someone so impactful: a scholarship for incoming Ohio University School of Music undergraduates to help them prepare for a career teaching music themselves.

Thanks to OHIO’s Undergraduate Scholarship Investment Program, also known as The OHIO Match, the gift will achieve an even greater impact. The six-year program, which concludes on June 30, provides $0.50 in matching funds for every dollar committed to eligible scholarship endowments. In the program’s first five years, donors contributed $8.52 million in eligible gifts, resulting in $4.26 million in matching funds and the awarding of more than $580,000 so far in scholarship funding. Numerous students have benefited from the program and the generosity of individuals and families like Hall’s.

“We are so thankful to be able to honor Isabel Courtney Hall in this way,” says Shaftel. “She exemplified the spirit of the School of Music by using the power of music education to bring positive transformation to her family, friends and community. With the foresight of her family and the added power of The OHIO Match, Isabel Courtney Hall’s legacy will continue to bring positive musical transformation through the work of future School of Music students.”

A recent luncheon held to celebrate and connect the donors to and first recipients of the Isabel Courtney Hall Music Education Scholarship featured a pictorial display of Hall’s life and accomplishments. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ ’14, MA ’17

The Isabel Courtney Hall Music Education Scholarship initially became available to incoming School of Music undergraduates in the fall of 2018, with Mietta Smith, BFA ’22, being the first recipient. Smith grew up in Columbus and attended Hamilton Township High School, where she participated in marching band, multiple concert bands, symphonic choir and chamber. Although Smith’s mother placed a steadfast emphasis on the importance of a college degree, she and Smith both worried about the cost. Smith describes “finally getting the guts to go in and audition for the School of Music” as “the best decision I have ever made”—first, because it brought her to Athens, and second, because it led to her being awarded the Hall scholarship.

“This scholarship definitely makes a difference,” Smith says. “It would be a lot harder, and a lot more stressful for me and my mom, to make my monthly payments without this help.” Smith hopes to one day become a music teacher herself so that she can influence others to pursue music.

Kate Albe, director of development for major giving, noted how scholarships like Hall’s are essential for attracting and supporting prospective students like Smith.

“Gifts like this change everything for recruiting,” Albe said. “There are so many gaps in scholarships for undergraduates and some of our highest ranked majors don’t have enough support. Participation from individuals and family gifts is really the key to helping support our students.”

Heather Aycock, BFA ’22, the other student to receive the scholarship in its first year, echoes Smith’s gratitude. Aycock was raised in the small town of Harrisburg, Ohio, and “fell in love with the tuba” in sixth grade. She notes that playing the instrument wasn’t always easy—her size and gender didn’t match the profile of a standard tubist—but she worked hard to become proficient regardless.

“As I practiced more and learned more, I realized how much music had helped me,” Aycock says. “Music is truly a language we can all speak; I just want to be there to guide student musicians into learning it.”

Chris Siegfried, the niece of Isabel Courtney Hall, and College of Fine Arts Dean Matthew Shaftel speak with the first two awardees of the Isabel Courtney Hall Music Education Scholarship and others gathered at a recent luncheon connecting the scholarship’s donors and recipients. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ ’14, MA ’17

The enthusiasm that Smith and Aycock share for teaching music resonates with the passion and generosity Hall bestowed on countless students, friends and family members throughout her long life.

Born in 1923 in Chauncey, just north of Athens, Hall was the second of Helen and Gilbert Courtney’s five children. Faith and community were guiding principles for the family—Hall’s father served as pastor for five different churches in the area—while music was understood as a powerful creative force that could bring people together. Corinne Shaffer, one of Hall’s nieces, describes the Courtney household as “a home where there was always singing around the piano.”

Hall earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in music in 1946 and a bachelor of science degree in education in 1947. She took an active part in extracurriculars at OHIO, participating in the Women’s Glee Club, Kappa Beta Sorority and the Disciples of Christ Foundation. After graduating, she married Charles Hall, and the two moved to Norwood, Ohio, in Cincinnati. There, Hall began teaching music with her characteristic energy, first at Norwood View and Williams Avenue elementary schools and later at Deer Park Junior/Senior High School in Cincinnati.

Chris Siegfried, another of Hall’s nieces and past president of the Charles and Isabel Hall Foundation, recalls that “Isabel loved to play the piano and sing. I can remember many years when Aunt Izzie taught me and my sisters how to sing in harmony and blend our voices.”

Shaffer remembers one time in particular when she and her sisters stayed with Hall while their parents went on vacation. “It was extremely hot, but she sat at the piano determined to teach us musical harmonies to perform for my parents when they returned. She even bought us outfits to look alike, matching dresses. When we picked my parents up, we were singing all the new songs we’d learned in the car—in harmony.” When the extended family would gather at Helen and Gilbert’s home in Chauncey for Christmas, it was Hall who would bring music books to help prepare Siegfried, Shaffer and their cousins for caroling.

Besides teaching, Hall herself sang regularly in the Chancel Choir at Zion United Church of Christ in Cincinnati. She also directed the Zion Youth Choir, an activity she would enthusiastically pursue for over 50 years. In the late 1960s, Hall took the Youth Choir on tour across the country, and in the ’70s, she established the Cherub Choir for younger children.

“She put a tremendous amount of time into all her programs,” says Shaffer. “Her husband, Charles, was very supportive; he was always there, too. Sometimes when they needed props, he would make them himself.”

Judy White, a former student of Hall’s and the church’s current choir director and minister of music, describes Hall as “an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. I was one of the lucky ones, because I was only 10 years old when Isabel entered my life. She encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and sing my first solo during a Sunday service. Her friendship and influence helped me find a way to become a high school music teacher and eventually the director of the Zion Chancel Choir for the last 20 years.”

With the support of Hall, White formed the adult choir Norwood Community Chorus (NCC) in 2006. In its 10 years of existence, the popular group held a large number of performances, eventually reaching a peak membership of over 50 singers. In 2012, Hall helped the NCC to participate in the World Choir Games, where they received a silver medal.

“The Chorus brought her joy,” recalls Siegfried, “and brought pride and recognition to the community.”

Shaffer believes that the scholarship named after her would also bring Hall joy. “She would say it’s wonderful. She was very encouraging of other people interested in music, and she helped her nieces and nephews go to college. It’s a natural fit, enabling people who have a genuine interest in furthering their music education.”

For her part, Smith is incredibly grateful for the trust placed in her as the inaugural recipient of the Hall scholarship. “I would like to thank all the donors and especially Isabel’s family and Isabel for helping me in my college journey,” she says, “and I hope to live up to her legacy.”

The OHIO Match ends June 30, 2019, and has been expanded to include OHIO’s regional campuses and donor-specified programs. For more information, click here or call 740-592-3863.