Merit Blog

Kamila flashes the peace sign while on stage with her clarinet

Alumni Spotlight: Kamila Muhammad

Year(s) Attended Merit: 2007 – 2012 Program(s): Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory (Class of 2012). Kamila received Merit’s 2012 Mary Herron Replogle College Scholarship. Instrument(s): Clarinet – primary instrument; Saxophone –

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A headshot of Pamela Meadows in front of a charcoal grey backdrop

Alumni Spotlight: Pamela A. Meadows

Year(s) Attended Merit: 1980 – 1988 Program(s): Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory (Class of 1988) Instrument(s): Violin Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Education: BA from Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA; M.Ed. from University of

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A headshot of Noah Meites, smiling

Alumni Spotlight: Noah Meites

Year(s) Attended Merit: 1994 – 2001 Program(s): Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory Instrument(s): Trumpet Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Education (most recent): Royal Conservatory of the Hague, the Hague, the Netherlands, Postdoctoral Study (Music Composition), 2013;

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A headshot of Sol Flores, smiling

Alumni Spotlight: Sol A. Flores

Year(s) Attended Merit: 1983 – 1988 Program(s): Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory Instrument(s): Piano, Voice Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Current profession: Founding Executive Director (since 2002) for La Casa Norte (LCN), a community-based organization in

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Dante Pope plays the drums while wearing a tuxedo in front of a white backdrop

Alumni Spotlight: Dante’ Pope

Year(s) Attended Merit: 1995 to 2004 Program(s): Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory Instrument(s): Percussion, Voice Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Education: Fisk University, B.S. Political Science Current profession: Professional multi-genre drummer and vocalist and former policy manager for

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