Huntley student doesn’t want to miss a thing on Lollapalooza scholarship
By Mike Danahey mdanahey@stmedianetwork.com July 22, 2012 5:10PM
Jenny DInh, 17, of Lake In the HIlls, is attending the Berklee College of Music for a summer program thanks in part to a scholarship from Lollapalooza.
Updated: August 24, 2012 6:03AM
While the Lollapalooza music fest hits Grant Park in Chicago Aug. 3-5, thanks to the folks behind that mega-event, Jenny Dinh of Lake in the Hills will be close to finishing up a summer program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Dinh was awarded the Berklee Lollapalooza Five-Week Scholarship, which is granted to one young Chicago-area musician annually to help pay for attending the session, which started July 7 and ends Aug. 10.
“It’s been really fun,” Dinh said. “I’ve met a lot of people. When I’m not in class, we’re in the practice room all the time.”
Dinh, 17, will be going into her senior year at Huntley High School this fall. She frequently sings and plays guitar Friday evenings or Saturday afternoons at the Potbelly Sandwich Shop along Randall Road in Algonquin.
“It’s a little difficult for me to find places to play at my age, so I sing at family restaurants,” Dinh said.
Dinh described her sound as easy listening, and her tastes run from legendary country singer Patsy Cline to contemporary mellow guy Jason Mraz.
Berklee was founded in 1945 and specializes in teaching a broad range of contemporary music, including jazz, rock, country, pop, rap, soundtracks, and even scoring video games. Famous alumni include singer Gavin DeGraw, Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, producer Quincy Jones, and singer-guitarist John Mayer.
Dinh is among more than 1,000 students enrolled in the summer program, and she is living on campus with a singer from California and one from Florida. Dinh is taking 12 classes with it, all leading to a recital. Dinh said she will be singing solo with an ensemble and be one of two singers with another at the final performance.
While Lollapalooza features the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Keys, Black Sabbath, Jack White, The Shins and Passion Pit, Dinh said one of the numbers for that show will Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” That’s the decidedly melodramatic power ballad penned by Diane Warren for the 1998 movie “Armageddon.”
At the age of 13, Dinh taught herself to play guitar and ukulele, mainly through YouTube tutorials. She has been nominated for Best Folk/Acoustic and Best Female Vocal Artist — Hollywood Music In Media Awards 2012, and Best Singer/Songwriter and Best Folk/Acoustic Artist — All Indie Music Awards.
Dinh said she would like study music after high school and the opportunity to go to Berklee, where tuition is close to $18,000 a semester.
“I would love to go here,” she said.
