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Anoka High School senior earns foundation’s Denny Carlson scholarship
Anoka High School senior Nathaniel Birkner is this year’s recipient of a scholarship named in honor of former Anoka-Hennepin superintendent Dennis Carlson.
The $2,000 scholarship, which is administered by the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF), is open to students across the district who are pursuing a post-secondary education in music or fine arts.
Birkner, who will be attending the University of Minnesota — Duluth to study music education, said music has played an important role in his life since he was four years old.
From piano lessons, time with his youth church choir, and jamming on the xylophone or recorder in elementary school, it wasn’t until middle school that Birkner really found his musical love in the form of drums.
“Through seventh and eighth grade I joined (Anoka Middle School for the Arts’) Jazz Band as their drum player. I was hooked,” he said.
In high school, Birkner, as a freshman was awarded a MSHSL superior rating at the solo and ensemble contest. From there he spent time playing just about anywhere he could through school, from marching, jazz, honors and concert band to various ensembles and solo performances to orchestra and choir performances — he performed just about everywhere, for a total of 795 high school concerts and performances over his educational career.
“Music has made a tremendous impact in everything I do,” he said.
The Dennis Carlson Scholarship for Music and the Arts was created in 2016 when an anonymous donor contacted the AHEF about developing a fund in Carlson’s name to honor his dedication and years of service and commitment to the district.
A former art teacher and longtime musician, Carlson was the director of Community Education for the Anoka-Hennepin School District before becoming superintendent in 2009. He retired in 2014.
The $2,000 scholarship, which is administered by the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF), is open to students across the district who are pursuing a post-secondary education in music or fine arts.
Birkner, who will be attending the University of Minnesota — Duluth to study music education, said music has played an important role in his life since he was four years old.
From piano lessons, time with his youth church choir, and jamming on the xylophone or recorder in elementary school, it wasn’t until middle school that Birkner really found his musical love in the form of drums.
“Through seventh and eighth grade I joined (Anoka Middle School for the Arts’) Jazz Band as their drum player. I was hooked,” he said.
In high school, Birkner, as a freshman was awarded a MSHSL superior rating at the solo and ensemble contest. From there he spent time playing just about anywhere he could through school, from marching, jazz, honors and concert band to various ensembles and solo performances to orchestra and choir performances — he performed just about everywhere, for a total of 795 high school concerts and performances over his educational career.
“Music has made a tremendous impact in everything I do,” he said.
The Dennis Carlson Scholarship for Music and the Arts was created in 2016 when an anonymous donor contacted the AHEF about developing a fund in Carlson’s name to honor his dedication and years of service and commitment to the district.
A former art teacher and longtime musician, Carlson was the director of Community Education for the Anoka-Hennepin School District before becoming superintendent in 2009. He retired in 2014.