Billman, Keith launch $1 million matching fund to expand scholarships for MSU College of Music students
Dr. James Billman and Mr. Dustin Keith, both members of the College of Music National Leadership Council, have combined resources to create a $1 million matching fund to encourage other donors to create scholarships for music students.
Scholarship and fellowship support can shape a student’s future, and it helps a college significantly, too. Now, two Michigan State University alums are working together to help more students access those opportunities while encouraging others to amplify the impact of their own giving.
Through a joint commitment totaling $1 million, James K. Billman Jr., M.D., and Mr. Dustin Keith established the College of Music Matching Gift Program Expendable Fund, a new initiative designed to increase scholarship and fellowship support for undergraduate and graduate students in the MSU College of Music.
The matching fund is part of a scholarship campaign that seeks to create 16 new endowed scholarships for College of Music students. Donors who establish qualifying scholarships can significantly increase the impact of their gifts while supporting areas of the college that are personally meaningful to them. The matching opportunity continues through May 1, 2027, coinciding with the college’s Collage Concert and 20th anniversary celebration.
For both Billman and Keith, the initiative addresses one of the college’s most pressing needs: attracting and supporting talented students in an increasingly competitive environment.
Dr. James Billman has funded 24 scholarships at MSU in addition to his major contribution to Music facilities expansion that resulted in the Billman Music Pavilion. Here he is seen with just a few of the many students who received scholarships thanks to his generosity.
Billman, a 1969 MSU Biochemistry graduate, specialized in pathology, and as member of the College of Music National Leadership Council he has long championed student scholarships. The namesake of the college’s Music Pavilion, completed in 2020, he has funded 24 scholarships at MSU.
His generosity has put him in the position of seeing firsthand how financial support influences a student’s educational choices. It is a valuable perspective considering today’s competitive recruiting environment.
“Every year there are only a certain number of people with high level skills, and those people are in demand from other music schools across the country,” Billman explained. “It’s quite expensive to go to college now, so students often will take the school that gives them the best financial deal, even if it’s not the best school for them. At the same time, there are fewer assistantships for graduate students than there have been because of recent budget cuts, so that diminishes the ability to compete at the graduate level, too. So, we are under pressure.”
Billman said he and Keith share a belief that scholarship support serves as the most effective way to address those challenges while encouraging new philanthropy.
“Dustin’s of the same opinion that the need for scholarships is acute,” Billman said of Keith. “I had done previous matching gifts, and it’s like putting the scholarship on sale. Sometimes having that spark will get people started on establishing a scholarship they had been planning for years.”
Dustin Keith visited with percussionist and Spartan Marching Band member Maggie Cipirano this fall. Maggie is the first recipient of the Keith Family Scholarship that Dustin created in 2024. Since then, he has joined forces with Dr. James Billman to create a matching fund encouraging more donors to support MSU Music students.
The program also allows donors to direct scholarship support to the studios, ensembles or student experiences that matter most to them.
“If someone gives $100,000, they get $50,000 extra from the match funds,” Billman said. “So, they would have a bigger scholarship, and of course they get to choose the subject of the scholarship, put their name on it, or name it as an honor or a memorial for a relative or friend.”
For Keith, the partnership with Billman grew naturally from his own experience as both a scholarship recipient and donor. Although he grew up in Columbus, Ohio and expected to attend Ohio State University, Keith ultimately chose MSU after visiting campus and studying with Professor Joe Lulloff. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2004 and was a member of numerous University ensembles, including the Spartan Marching Band.
“Literally from the moment I stepped on campus, there was just something about the energy here, ” Keith said. “I understood from the moment that I talked with Joe that this was going to be a place that was going to push me both personally and musically.”
Keith went on to build a successful career in business and law, eventually becoming CEO and principal owner of Hi-Way Paving. He established the Keith Family Scholarship at MSU in 2024 to support future music educators. Initially, he envisioned his support going to a saxophone student, but after meeting the first recipient, percussionist Maggie Cipriano, he saw the true impact of the scholarship on the quality of the person, musician, and student who the college can better attract.
“I appreciated the broader impact a scholarship can have across the college. I got a chance to meet Maggie and realize how fulfilled the mission statement of my scholarship was: bringing to MSU the people that you really want as future music educators, people who are passionate about music, about music education, and about making this their life’s calling.”
Dr. Billman and Mr. Keith met in person for the first time at a saxophone symposium in Ohio in March 2026. From left, Dr. Parker Fritz (DMA), Professor Joe Lulloff, Dr. Billman, Mr. Keith, and Dr. Karen Roll Gardener (MM/DMA).
When the Keith Family Scholarship was established, it benefited from one of Billman’s earlier matching scholarship initiatives. Seeing the additional impact firsthand reinforced Keith’s belief that scholarship support can help the college recruit and retain exceptional students.
“Using one of Dr. Billman’s other matches really emphasized for me that the college is starting to pull in those difference makers who are the future music educators,” Keith said.
Conversations with college leadership also underscored the growing need for scholarship and fellowship support, particularly as students weigh competing financial offers from institutions across the country.
“Can you imagine having more scholarship funds available to really chase the people that we want in the school? To me, being a part of enabling that, whatever that looks like, is one of my newest missions in life. That’s what I want to do. I want to help make it easier for someone to be able to pursue their dream.”
For Billman, the motivation remains simple and enduring.
“At this point in life, I have had over 500 scholarship recipients across the MSU campus, so I probably only meet a small percentage of them,” he said. “But I do enjoy meeting the students. I think any scholarship donor will say it’s a good feeling to help the future generations along.”
Keith said his commitment is rooted in gratitude for the institution that helped shape his career and his life. He hopes to continue creating opportunities for future generations of students while helping the college build on its success.
“I want to be able to make these gifts recurring and to make a real difference in the place that made a difference in my life,” Keith said. “I’m so proud of what the college has done and where we’ve gotten without the resources that we should have, and I’m really excited to help be a part of the College’s continued growth and evolution.”
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To learn more about the College of Music Matching Gift Program and increase the impact of your gift on the life of student musicians, contact Senior Director of Advancement Ann-Marie Lindley at (517) 432-4889 or mailto:alindley@msu.edu. The MSU College of Music fundraising efforts are part of the Uncommon Will; Far Better Future campaign.