Graduation is music to his ears

Eric Lamm Young Eric Lamm is living his dream.

Lamm, an Agoura High School graduate and an accomplished musician, has been accepted to The Juilliard School, a competitive performing arts conservatory in the heart of New York City. Lamm received a scholarship that will cover his tuition at the private school for four years. Tuition at Juilliard runs more than $28,000 per year.

Lamm plays double bass and composes classical and jazz music. He plans to study classical music at Juilliard and continue playing jazz on his own.

His long-term goals have yet to be defined. "I just want to keep my options open," he said. "Whatever I end up doing, I want to be able to do it well."

Lamm plans to move to New York in mid-August and continue to write music and take course work in conducting. He said he was eager to live in an artistic, creative environment.

The 18-year-old has achieved much in Agoura Hills. He was a semifinalist as a jazz instrumentalist (bass) for the Music Center of Los Angeles County Spotlight Awards this year and was a member of the AHS jazz band that won second place in the Essentially Ellington competition in 2007.

He auditioned for and gained a spot in the Grammy Band this year. The Grammy Band is a student band assembled by the Grammy Foundation. The experience gave Lamm the opportunity to work with top jazz performers, including jazz pianist McCoy Tyner and Christian Scott, a renowned jazz trumpet player. Lamm also premiered a bass concerto written by a student from the Manhattan School of Music at Harvard University in 2006.

Lamm said his love of music was nurtured at an early age. He learned how to play the piano at the age of 5, followed by the electric bass, and the double bass at 12 or 13, he said. Lamm started composing music when he was 10.

Grateful to the many people who helped him cultivate his musical talent, Lamm said his experience at Agoura High School has been rewarding. He credits the school's music directors John Mosley and Chad Bloom for helping him develop as a musician through the Essentially Ellington jazz band, the school orchestra and choir.