Saginaw Strings

Congratulations to Saginaw Strings Alumni, Saginaw Bay Youth Orchestra alumni, and SBSO musician Taylor Clark on receiving the Scott J Seeburger Young Artist Award from Saginaw Arts & Enrichment!

Story by Janet I Martineau

At age 23, she is a busy self-employed violinist/composer with a handy bachelor’s degree in business management.

Meet Taylor Ann Clark, the 2026 recipient of the Scott J. Seeburger Young Artist Award administered by the Saginaw Arts & Enrichment Commission.

On May 6, during the commission’s 36th All Area Arts Awards, Clark will officially receive the $1000 stipend that goes with the award given to support the budding careers of Saginaw County artists between 17 and 30. There were seven applicants this year.

“I am working on my third self-produced album with my own compositions, and I will use the money to hire professionals to mix and master and it,” says Clark, who lives in Thomas Township.

“My first two were a do it yourself. And I hope I will be able to use some of the money to make a video at Dow Gardens in June.”

Clark has operated her own company, titled Taylor Ann Music LLC, since 2021 in a fascinating journey which was set in motion many years ago.

“At seven years old, my grandparents gave me a (quarter size) violin as a Christmas gift and frankly I didn’t know what to do with it at that time. A year later my mother set up lessons for me.”

Rod Bieber, a long time violinist with the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, and Ellen Burtch, a strings teacher at Nouvel, were among her instructors.

Saginaw native Clark also went through the Saginaw Strings elementary-age program, and from 7th grade through 12th grade was a member of the Saginaw Bay Youth Orchestra and became its concertmaster.

She released her first music album in 2023 and her second in 2025. She describes the music she writes as “jazz, neo soul, lo-fi jazz, with a little hip hop. Lots of different influences, with a little bit of classical in there, too. It’s fun to experiment.”

Her music is available across several digital platforms.

What keeps Clark really busy though is playing mostly solo “gigs” for corporate events, weddings, and a variety of social functions.

For art exhibition openings, she says, like a recent one at Midland Center for the Arts, she views the style or nationality of the featured artist and tries to select music that personalizes it to the artist. She and pianist/harpist/singer Hillary Huebler Corbin have teamed up to play at the annual Covenant Kids Gala at Horizons.

Weddings take her to various places like Mackinac Island, the Gem Theater in Detroit, and recently at a rooftop venue in the San Diego area. Mother’s Day might find her at country club buffets.

“I really like doing weddings on Mackinac Island because that is a unique experience, often in intimate and smaller venues. Tight-knit. Beautiful.”

And once a month she plays music for dinners at Veedu Indian Kitchen and Lounge in Midland.

For the past two years Clark also has played in several Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra concerts, and this week for a pair of Beethoven choral concerts performed at Midland Center for the Arts and Saginaw Valley State University.

Gig bookings are either solo violin or with backing tracks and the occasional partner like Corbin. And so far she plays what is called cover music, not any of her original music.

Clark attended elementary and high school at Community Baptist Christian School in Shields and received her bachelor’s degree at Northwood University in Midland.

Asked where she would like to be in her career 5 to 10 years from now Clark says she would like to be doing small tours performing her original music, traveling with fellow musicians, traveling further to wedding gigs.

“I am thinking of maybe forming a band at some point and renting a place like Midland Center for the Arts for a show. It’s just working out all the logistics” — which is where that business degree might help.

Yeagi Kim Broadwell, a violin player with the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra and a co-conductor of the Saginaw Bay Youth Orchestra, wrote a support letter for Clark’s Seeburger nomination.

In it she said, “Taylor Clark is precisely the kind of artist this award was designed to support — talented, driven, and on a clear upward trajectory.

“I came to know Taylor when she was serving as concertmaster of the Saginaw Bay Youth Symphony, and at that time she stood out to me not only for her technical command of the violin but for her poise, leadership and musical maturity well beyond her years.

“Beyond her performance accomplishments, what truly distinguishes Taylor is her artistic identity. Through her creative work composing and exploring her own stylistic direction, she demonstrates a level of artistic curiosity and authenticity that is rare in emerging artists.”

Registration for the 2026 Spring Session is now open.
https://www.saginawstrings.com/registration

Join Saginaw Strings this Saturday at 11:00 AM for our Winter Concert and hear what our students have been working on!

Then don’t rush off — Spaghetti & Strings follows the concert, because music is better when pasta is involved. 🍝

Do us a favor:
📲 Share this with friends and family
👏 Come enjoy the music
🍽️ Come hungry
💵 And yes… the wallets are welcome too 😉

See you Saturday!

EXCITED ABOUT OUR CONCERT on Saturday- graduation sponsored by Art Sample Home!

Art Sample Home is proud to be your trusted Saginaw furniture store for nearly 100 years. As a family business, now four generations strong, we value local programs like Saginaw Strings that invest in our youth. We invite you to stop in and see what makes us unique. You can always find fresh ideas for your home at Art Sample!

Looking forward to the concert, Saturday at 11:00!

Our online store is open just in time for the holidays! Shop now and get the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. Visit us online today.

Saginaw Strings Apparel Fall Store Online ordering for Saginaw Strings Apparel Fall Store ends on Mon, Nov 3, 2025 (11:59 PM EST)