Braedan Handy, 14, of Indianapolis has been accepted and will attend Interlochen Arts Academy, the world's premier fine arts boarding high school. Handy, the son of Brad Handy (Amy Handy) and Diane Murphy (Michael Cmehil) will study contemporary guitar at the Academy. Previously, Braedan Handy has been a student at St. Michael / St Gabriel school since 2016.

Braedan has been studying acoustic and electric jazz, rock, contemporary, and some classical guitar. Over Christmas break 2019, he studied with Tommy Emmanuel, Frank Vignola, and Brent Mason at a guitar masterclass in Maui, Hawaii. He performed an original song "Boy with Two Homes" to a standing ovation. Braedan has been studying at Butler University in several musical areas. Guitar instructors Eric Garcia and Ethan Veilky have been a springboard for his studies, teaching him technical and foundational techniques. Voice and music composition instructor, Jerimiah Sanders, has been pivotal to his songwriting and singing. Handy has written several songs for solo work as well as for his rock band, Dirtstache. Ash Rock has a youth program where his band performs regularly at venues around Indianapolis. Preston Nash coordinates this program and inspires musicians (young and old) to strive for excellence in their craft, and has been a tremendous influence in Handy's playing, writing and recording music. School teacher Lorelei Cleary was encouraging and provided a space in the music room at St. Michaels/St. Gabriel where Braedan was free to create and belong.

Interlochen Arts Academy attracts more than 500 young artists from 40 countries and all 50 states. Together, they study music, theatre, dance, visual arts, creative writing, comparative arts, and motion picture arts in a college-like setting. While producing more than 250 artistic presentations in the school year, Academy students also master rigorous college-preparatory academics that prepare them to take prominent roles in any professional endeavor.

The Arts Academy was founded in 1962 to provide year-round training in the arts coupled with challenging and comprehensive college-preparatory academics. This combination has resulted in sustained achievement in arts and academics. Since the school was established, it has produced 43 Presidential Scholars, a record unmatched by any school in the United States, public or private. Alumni include singersongwriter Jewel, actress Felicity Huffman, jazz drummer Peter Erskine and car designer Bill Zheng. More than ten percent of the nation's orchestral musicians can claim roots at either Interlochen Arts Academy or Camp. Since 1958, more than 90 Grammy Awards have been presented to Interlochen alumni of the Academy and Camp.