Recent grad takes top honors in the annual competition.

Music-anthropology double degree holder Travis Knapp ’07 won first place and a $10,000 scholarship for his song “Before You Go” in the BMI Foundation’s 11th annual John Lennon Scholarship competition. Recognizing the best and brightest songwriters age 15 to 24, the scholarships were established by Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, and matched by donations from Gibson, the musical instrument maker.

Knapp received his award on stage in May at the BMI Pop Awards ceremony and gave credit to his IC experiences as key factors in winning the scholarship from among thousands of applicants.

“I certainly wouldn’t have had the same confident approach to songwriting if it hadn’t been for sight singing and jazz classes I took as an undergraduate,” Knapp said when the award was announced. “In fact, I’d say that every single course I took in the music school was a help to my songwriting. And beyond that, the anthropology courses I took got me thinking in important new ways.”