Young music artists in Kitsap County have a chance to “ramble on” this summer.

The Soundwave Scholarship offered by Rambler Arts, an Indianola arts nonprofit, and the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network will give three young Kitsap musicians a chance to kickstart their career by recording, producing and releasing their original songs, then getting them onstage at a local venue to perform their work.

“The thing I’m most excited about is hearing a young person’s authentic, creative self, shining through their music. That is what I’m interested in hearing anytime I listen to music in general,” RA founder Lydia Ramsey said. “I’d say for many people, it’s not so much about a certain genre, but more about the fact that the music is woven together in a way that moves them like nothing else in the world does.”

The application period is open through April 1. Musicians between the ages of 14-18 are eligible, and they must have at least two original songs to apply.

Johnny Bregar, owner and engineer of The Brickyard Studio on Bainbridge Island, will host five sessions with students to record their music over a four-month period. Bregar has a plethora of equipment and instruments available to musicians, but scholarship recipients are welcome to bring their own.

Ramsey, an internationally acclaimed musician from Indianola, explained that the nonprofit’s mission is to help the Kitsap community reconnect with their self-expression and creativity. Her home doubles as a small event space, and her family has hosted live concerts, art shows and community gatherings since 2021.

For Ramsey, live music is only partly about the performance. The spontaneous and temporary connection to community, a “collective, fleeting experience with strangers and loved ones side-by-side,” is what makes a show memorable, and what the organization aims to cultivate, she said.

Feeling connected to the music community is an integral part of growing as a musician, Ramsey said. She recommends that young artists reach out for support, guidance and confidence from other musicians, and “create, create, create.”

“We need artists in the world. We do not thrive as humans without music to carry us through joys and sorrows, without art in our buildings and community spaces, or without creative individuals who need to be supported with resources and encouragement,” Ramsey said. “I hope this scholarship program inspires more young people to write music, to believe in themselves as creative individuals and that it will reflect back to them that they matter.”