The Undergraduate Scholar Award was established by The Presser Foundation to celebrate undergraduate music students who have achieved a high level of musical and academic excellence, demonstrated leadership and service, and contributed to an inclusive community.
Each year, one student in their final year at hundreds of higher education institutions across the country is chosen as the recipient of the Award. As part of the Award, the student receives $3,000 to use as they wish and carries the honor of being known as a Presser Scholar for the rest of their life.
Nathan Asher (he/they) received the 2024-25 Undergraduate Scholar Award from Appalachian State University after earning a degree in Music Industry Studies with a concentration in recording and instruction. In this post, learn more about his background, his passion for music, and how he is using the funds from the Award to continue playing the harp.
Background
Throughout his childhood, Asher had a strong love of music and studied many different instruments, including piano, clarinet, French horn, jazz guitar, and the Otamatone, a niche musical synthesizer shaped like an eighth note. If it made noise, including his own voice, there was a distinct possibility Asher tried to learn how to use or play it at some point.
As a high school student, Asher studied at the Charlotte Teacher Early College at UNC Charlotte with a plan to pursue a degree in music education. During this time, Asher performed with the UNC Charlotte Symphony Band, the Charlotte Pride Band, and the Charlotte Youth Wind Ensemble as a French horn player, but found his musical home at Cannon Music Camp, Appalachian State University’s high school summer camp for music students. During this time, Asher learned about Appalachian State’s Robert F. Gilley Recording Studio and the robust Music Industry Studies program they offered, and fell in love with this side of music they’d never seen before.
For the rest of high school, Asher focused on learning jazz guitar (his primary instrument at the start of his degree), at-home music production techniques, and how to create meaningful impact in his community. He volunteered at his local LGBTQ+ Center, Time Out Youth, throughout high school, serving as an advocate for his community and helping change harmful policies throughout their school district.
Academic Excellence
After learning about Appalachian State’s Harp program during his sophomore year and joining as their only full-time harp student, Asher was musically involved across several ensembles and solo performances on the jazz guitar. During their junior and senior years, he participated in the Appalachian Community Orchestra, Symphony Band, and Appalachian Symphony Orchestra, eventually rising to serve as Principal Harpist. Their versatility extended beyond the concert hall, as he contributed to recording sessions across several genres, accompanied the Treble Choir, and joined the Harp Ensemble for the Holiday Scholarship Concert.
Beyond his harp studies, Asher served as music director and primary arranger for One Acchord, App State’s only co-ed a capella group. In this role, they performed as a singer while creating 2-5 contemporary music arrangements each semester spanning multiple genres. His leadership helped the group achieve a notable milestone in 2025, when One Acchord placed 1st at Acapellageddon—Appalachian State’s a capella competition—for the first time ever.
Leadership
Within the School of Music, Asher served as Studio Manager for the Robert F. Gilley Recording Studio, where their passion for education flourished through mentoring and teaching underclassmen. As Co-President of The Femgineers, a student organization for gender minorities in the recording industry, he helped the organization reach its largest size ever and secured a donation of 50 microphones to distribute among students, the music library, and other departments.
Their leadership extended across campus in multiple capacities. For three years, he managed 30 student volunteers annually as the Volunteer Coordinator for GuitarFest, and he served as Director of Campus Resources for the Student Government Association. Through their involvement with the LGBTQ+ Center—first as a Leadership Team member and later as an Undergraduate Assistant—he planned campus-wide events and managed 40 student volunteers.
Contributing to an inclusive community
As Co-President of the Femgineers, Asher built community among women, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ students across different majors by providing performance, audio engineering, and marketing opportunities. He forged partnerships with outside organizations to offer masterclasses and mentorship opportunities from industry professionals, and they collaborated with the People of Color Sound Engineers to help them establish an official student organization.
Through his work with Student Government and the LGBTQ+ Center, Asher supported individual students while driving institutional change across the university. They engaged extensively with students, faculty, and administrators to advocate for critical issues including allergy and disability inclusion in Campus Dining, campus safety for women and LGBTQ+ students, and the creation of inclusive environments following DEI policy changes across the UNC System.
Impact of Award
Asher shares, “Earning the Undergraduate Scholar Award has enabled me to continue studying the harp after graduation. Having only begun harp studies in my sophomore year, I could pursue this passion solely because the university owned a harp I could use. In February, I purchased a used Lyon and Healy Semi-Grand 85E pedal harp, which transformed my final semester at ASU. With this instrument, I performed across Boone with my band Pansy Club, in chamber ensembles, with the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra in my final semester, and with my friends and teacher at my final recital to earn my Performance Certificate.
“During this past summer, I interned with We Are Moving The Needle, a nonprofit that empowers women, non-binary, and trans producers and engineers through scholarships, mentorships, research, and advocacy to drive equity and lasting industry change. I earned a full-time role with the organization after completing my capstone, and it has truly been a dream come true to contribute to this work! I am able to continue performing harp and recording my music in my local community while learning about and contributing to the greater audio community through working with our 22 college chapters, administering scholarships, creating panels for industry conferences, and helping to plan and execute our yearly GRAMMYs-week award ceremony, the Resonator Awards.”