T.M. Stevens Music Scholarship Fund

The music world remembers Thomas Michael “T.M.” Stevens as a virtuoso bassist whose dynamic style blended funk, rock, jazz, and soul into an unforgettable symphony of sounds. Having toured and shared stages with iconic artists such as, James Brown, Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Narada Michael Walden, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, the Pretenders, Parliament Funkadelic, Steve Vai, and Bootsy Collins, T.M. Stevens left an indelible, global mark on music. Everyone has heard T.M.’s bass on hit songs including “Unchain My Heart”, “Living In America”, “Simply the Best”, “Freeway of Love”, “Don’t Get Me Wrong”, “The River of Dreams”, “I Shoulda Loved Ya” and too many more to mention.

T.M. made playing the bass look “easy”, but the skill, dexterity, power, and speed of his bass playing placed him in the virtuoso circuit. T.M. always found joy in teaching and helping up-and-coming and even beginner musicians. Lessons he imbued as a global clinician – put in the hours, do the work, learn the patterns and scales, listen, hear the world around you, play the world and the sounds you hear on your instrument, collaborate, investigate - passed on to those he mentored. He inspired them to dig deep and practice with an open heart, and always hear the inner clock and their soul's pulse. He lived and performed by the motto: Be YOU and be at one - you and your instrument. Be One.

Bass Forever - T.M. Stevens.

Following his passing on March 10, 2024, the T.M. Stevens Music Scholarship Fund was established by Carrie Beehan in association with the non-profit organization The Inkubator 501-C (3) to honor his memory and continue his legacy of musical excellence.

A Heartfelt Invitation

We invite you to play a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of musicians by supporting the T.M. Stevens Music Scholarship Fund. This initiative honors T.M.'s profound love for music and his commitment to education, particularly for those from his birthplace in the Bronx, New York—a community he held dear throughout his illustrious career.

Empowering Young Talent -The T.M. Stevens Music Scholarship Fund

The T.M. Stevens Music Scholarship Fund supports gifted musicians aged 12 and up, starting with the first year within the Bronx district. This program does not merely offer financial support but is a beacon of hope and opportunity, enabling young artists to cultivate their skills and achieve their musical dreams. Having never had the opportunity to study music formally, T.M. clearly understood how crucial support is for talented individuals held back only by their financial circumstances. Up to five acclaimed professional musicians will judge potential Scholarship recipients. Applicants can submit via video reel uploads, and applicants will be encouraged to submit to a specific platform via social media announcements and notifications through local music stores and schools.

Your endowment sets the course for the first year of this Scholarship, where we concentrate on awarding a gifted bass player from the Bronx district support for bass lessons with a master teacher and mentor. In addition, the Scholarship funding includes an online auction of some of T.M.'s treasured international Gold and Platinum discs, photos, memorabilia, and an exciting package of his 1996 Midi Peavy Cyber bass featured on the 1996 Bass & Beyond Original Funk Master poster and magazine (included).

As the Scholarship grows, so will its outreach. We are organizing a Memorial Concert in 2025 in T.M.'s beloved Jersey Shore area. The concert will feature local stars and legends wishing to support T.M.'s first-year Memorial concert. Ticket proceeds from this event will support yet another young, talented artist and widen to include applicants playing guitar, keys and drums as we garner further support for T.M.'s Scholarship legacy.

For those of you lucky enough to have traveled with T.M. as he taught young musicians in workshops globally, you will have understood how passionate he was about encouraging young and old alike to pick up an instrument and play, feel your natural rhythm and start to respond to the music within you. A couple of hours with T.M. in a workshop was often life-changing for the students. They walked out loud, proud, and ready to fire up their instrument, be it bass, keys, drums, guitars, horns, or vocals. T.M. unlocked their young hearts and gave them the courage to let their lion roar (T.M. was an outgoing Leo, a ‘lion king’, and his onstage roar was beloved by all.) He also knew fortune did not reign equally on students, and holding this in our heart, we are designing a Scholarship based on gift and grit, mentors and masters, lesson packages or music school tuition. We will take it one scholar at a time and see how far we can go spreading the memory and talent of the great T.M. Stevens in the hearts of young, audacious players.

A Vision for the Future

Your support will contribute to the growth and development of individual young artists and help us expand this tribute into a nationwide program. This initiative aims to champion talented musicians who need more resources to elevate their artistry. By joining us, you will ensure that the rhythm of T.M.'s life and his joyous love of music continue to inspire and empower. Your donation is not just a financial contribution but a powerful tool that shapes the future of this Scholarship.

Join Us

Support the T.M. Stevens Music Scholarship Fund and play a vital role in keeping this musical giant's legacy alive. Your contribution is not just a donation but a crucial part of preserving T.M. Stevens' legacy. Together, we can pave the way for young artists to follow in his resonant footsteps, ensuring his spirit continues to uplift and influence the world of music for generations to come.

Donate Today | Inspire Tomorrow

Your donation, no matter the size, can significantly impact the future of these young artists.

Be part of this extraordinary journey to transform lives through music. Your contribution will create a lasting impact, echoing T.M.'s dedication to music and his belief in the power of education.

In loving Memory of Thomas Michael Stevens July 28, 1951 - March 10, 2024

I’d like the memory of me
To be a happy one,
I’d like an afterglow of smiles when life is done. I’d like to leave an echo of slapping bass
And a Lion’s roar.
I’d like to leave the joy of thunderous solos
And remarkable grooves.
I’d like the tears of those
Who grieve to dry before the sun,
Celebrating the strength of my loving soulful heart. It was a giant one.

(Inspired by the poem Afterglow by Helen Lowrie Marshal. Adapted for T.M. Stevens by Carrie Beehan)

About T.M.'s Band Shocka Zooloo:

T.M.’s ultimate pride and joy was his own group, “T.M. Stevens’ Shocka Zooloo”, where he had the role of leader, main songwriter, lead vocalist and bassist, releasing a total of seven albums internationally. He fostered many musicians as his band members –
TC Tolliver (the Plasmatics), Gary ‘G-Man’ Sullivan (B-52’s and CroMags), Kirk Douglas (the Roots),
Michael Barnes (REESE, Shannon, Patti LaBelle), PM Eaton – and invited many top performers as guests on those recordings – Corey Glover, Will Calhoun (Living Colour), Bernie Worrell (Parliament Funkadelic), Cindy Blackman (Santana), Vinnie Moore, Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme, Rihanna), Stevie Salas (Rod Stewart). Here, he would be able to express himself through his own music cultivated through his many experiences across every genre – T.M. called it “Heavy Metal Funk mixed with African roots and Reggae”.

With Shocka Zooloo, T.M. left audiences speechless with his joyously funky songs and famous bass solos. The French gave him keys to their cities, and Germans believed he was their true funk meister; the Austrians, Hungarians, Czechs, and Romanians claimed him for their own, and the Scandinavians were convinced he should only live there! In Italy T.M. personally stopped the historic Leaning Tower of Pisa from falling over by soloing to it and has a coffee named after him in a cafe in Vatican City! He knew how to garner respect, understood cultural dynamics, bamboozled racists and knew how to get most people to relax, enjoy the music, and have a good time. When you think of T.M., you think of loud, fun-filled, funky stage nights, everyone dancing on stage, kids playing solos tucked under T.M.’s arms, two-hour-long shows still leaving the audience screaming for more. He always gave his all!

When T.M. entered a room, folks instantly felt his charismatic, vivid personality, massive musical force, and gigantic loving heart, which brightened the space. He had time for everyone and dropped pearls of wisdom, loving smiles and big hugs on his fans and friends to the point he was late for everything!

T.M.’s heart found home in New York and New Jersey. He loved coming home, ‘chilling’ with friends and loved ones near the water at the beaches in New Jersey, or hitting his "greatest city in the world," New York City. Born in the Bronx, he carried his roots in his heart everywhere he went.