KU music student selected for Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship

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Taylor Zickefoose, a University of Kansas School of Music student, has been selected from among applicants worldwide as one of two rising talents who will participate in the inaugural Bob Dylan Center Songwriting Fellowship.

Zickefoose, 28, is from the Seattle area. She is seeking her master’s degree in music composition.

She was selected from among nearly 600 applicants by a panel that included French singer and songwriter Juliette Armanet, American singers and songwriters Patty Griffin and John Mellencamp, Mexican singer and songwriter Carla Morrison, and American rapper and songwriter Nas, according to a news release from the center.

She will spend the yearlong fellowship elevating her craft with mentorship from industry professionals associated with Universal Music and the Bob Dylan Center, according to a news release from KU. She will have recording time in The Church Studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and time in the Bob Dylan Archive to study his creative process, as well as public engagement and presentation opportunities and a $40,000 project stipend.

“Being accepted to the Bob Dylan Center Songwriter Fellowship means that I can continue to pour myself into my passion with reckless abandon,” Zickefoose said in KU’s news release. “I am excited to learn from and work with the fellowship to have my music reach a wider audience.”

The other person selected for the fellowship is Tega Ethan, a 25-year-old singer-songwriter from Ibadan, Nigeria.

“Songwriters trying to make a go of it in the modern music business need the kind of encouragement and support that this fellowship provides,” Mellencamp said in the center’s release. “I congratulate Tega and Taylor on being the first two recipients, and hope they write some great songs during their time in Tulsa.”

Learn more about Zickefoose and listen to her music on her website, taylorzickefoose.com. Learn about the center on its website, bobdylancenter.com.

“Songwriting is a transformative and deeply spiritual experience I believe I was made to do,” Zickefoose wrote on her website. “It allows me to explore the human experience, from its most beautiful to challenging facets. It’s a journey that has the power to change lives and alter fates, offering healing and profound understanding.”

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