This year marks API's eighth annual Visionary Scholarship. After much consideration and review, President Larry Droppa and a team of API representatives have awarded Justin Rhody, Anthony Soto, and Gibran Sponchiado with scholarships of $2,000 each to put towards their education in professional audio. In order to qualify, applicants must attend a school with an API 1608, Legacy, Legacy Plus or Vision console. The recipients are varied in experience, but united in their love for audio.

Soto is a second year audio engineering student at the New England School of Communications (now a part of Husson University). His submission is a track of Mes Amis' upcoming album "Gypsy Jazz". Soto worked primarily on NESCom's API Vision console to complete this track.

Sponchiado is a second year MFA student, originally from Brazil. He is currently enrolled in the Recording Arts and technology program at Middle Tennessee State University. "One Kiss At a Time", his submission to the scholarship, is a "pop/country ballad," tracked on the 48 channel Vision console at MTSU's "studio B".

Rhody is in his junior year at SUNY Purchase, where he studies Studio Production. Rhody submitted a track titled "Never Come Down", which he produced and co-engineered. Most of the tracking was done on site at SUNY Purchase, particularly using the school's API 3124+ unit. Additional work was completed at what Rhody calls his "modest apartment studio".

API managing director Gordon Smart, who was part of the judging panel, said this about this year's applicants: "It's extremely encouraging to see such a talented group of people going through these various audio programs. Students deserve to learn on the very best equipment, and we appreciate the fact that more and more schools are incorporating API consoles into their audio departments."