Musical America Blogs

American Legion/Samsung Scholarships
Worldwide electronics leader Samsung endowed a scholarship fund of $5 million to be administered by The American Legion in 1996.Meant to show appreciation for U.S. veterans who came to Korea’s aid during its struggle against communist forces in the Korean War, the Samsung American Legion Scholarships are restricted to high school juniors who complete either a Boys State or Girls State program and are a direct descendant – i.e. child, grandchild, great grandchild, etc. – or a legally adopted child of a wartime veteran who served on active duty during at least one of the periods of war officially designated as eligibility dates for American Legion membership.

Samsung scholarships are for undergraduate study only and may be used for tuition, books, fees, and room and board. Winners are selected according to academic record, involvement in school and community activities, community service and financial need. Applicants who are direct descendants of Korean War veterans will receive special consideration.

The ASCAP Foundation Louis Armstrong Scholarship Honoring W.C. Handy
Created in celebration of W.C. Handy’s 125th birthday, a scholarship, funded by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, is awarded to a student at Mt. Vernon High School based on abilities in music performance and composition.

The ASCAP Foundation Ira Gershwin Scholarship
This scholarship was created to honor the classic lyricist, Ira Gershwin. Mr. Gershwin was educated in the New York City public school system and this annual award serves to honor a junior year student at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, a public school in New York City. The student is selected by the music faculty at the school. This scholarship is funded by a gift to The ASCAP Foundation from the Ira & Leonore Gershwin Philanthropic Fund.

The Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians
Every year, the Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians grants awards from $300 to $1500 for study in religious music and liturgy. The awards are intended to help musicians improve their ability to support religious worship services and are typically used for music lessons; high school, college or graduate level studies related to organ or religious music; or attendance at attendance at seminars.

The Thelma Byrum Piano Award
The NFMC Thelma Byrum Piano Award is given to a young student who has not yet reached his/her 17^th birthday as of March 1 in the year of the audition. Applicants must be native citizens of the United States of America, or must have received naturalization papers (either the entrant or his or her parents); must be a member of the National Federation of Music Clubs through club affiliation or as an Individual Junior Member. This award is given annually to applicants from any state.

The Marilyn Caldwell Piano Solo Award (biennial, odd-numbered years)
The NFMC Marilyn Caldwell Piano Solo Award is granted to talented young pianists who are or who become members of the National Federation of Music Clubs. Applicants must not have reached their 19th birthday as of March 1 in the year of the audition (odd numbered years); must be in High School grades 10, 11, or 12; must be native citizens of the United States or must have received naturalization papers (applicant or applicant’s parents); must be a member of the National Federation of Music Clubs through Junior Club affiliation or as an Individual Junior Member.

California State Fair Scholarship Program
Each year, the Friends of the California State Fair Scholarship Program awards California’s most promising students with scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000. The awards are earned by college students and graduating high school seniors who exhibit academic excellence, leadership potential, civic engagement, and a strong sense of personal commitment to continuing education. Recipients study a broad range of academic studies, which are reflected with awards in agriculture, animal science, arts, business, culinary, education, enology, event planning, fair industry, international studies, teaching credential programs, viticulture and past exhibitors of the California State Fair. The 2013 application is available in late January 2013.

Carpe Diem Scholarships
The Carpe Diem Foundation offers scholarships to students in music performance or composition. The number of annual awards varies. Around 20 recipients were awarded scholarships from the foundation in previous years. The awards range from $2,500 to $5,000 per year and the student has the option of renewing the scholarship for three years after the first award.

CFJS Scholarships
Central Florida Jazz Society Scholarship auditions are held every spring, and all students from high school seniors through the first three college years are eligible to compete if they are enrolled in an accredited college, junior college, or university. To apply for the scholarship, applicants must submit the completed application form, a written recommendation, and a recording of one to two improvised choruses of two different selections of different tempos. Ten finalists are selected and will then go on to compete in person at the annual CFJS Scholarship Auditions. Performances are professionally judged in five categories (Technique, Expression, Style/Interpretation, Presence/Showmanship, and Overall Performance), and the scholarship winners are the three highest-scoring students.

The Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers Scholarship
Open to Christian student composers who enrolled in a program of art music composition study in a preparatory music program, a collegiate music program, or an approved summer music program. Applicants must submit 2 letters of recommendation, a brief Christian testimony, a brief essay on how their compositional activities and Christian life are related, a curriculum vitae, a detailed explanation of how the award will be used, and 1 or 2 scores of art music composed for voice, instruments, and/or electronic media.

The Colburn-Pledge Music Scholarship
Awards available totaling approximately $4,000. Applicant must be a resident of Texas; studying a string instrument (violin, viola, cello, bass) in classical music with the intention of becoming a professional musician; in need of financial aid; and above all, possess genuine musical talent. Applicants may be under high school age, high school age, or college students. Out-of-state residents are ineligible, however, Texas residents may attend out-of-state music schools and music camps. Annual auditions of selected applicants are held in San Antonio on or about June 1. Deadline for applications for audition:  April 23Contact the administrator for more information and to apply at Colburn-Pledge Music Scholarship Foundation, 6322 Cornplanter, San Antonio, TX 78209. Email: cleoviolin@satx.rr.com

Connecticut High School Fine Arts Awards
The Connecticut High School Fine Arts Awards annually honors two outstanding seniors from each of the member schools in the state who excel in the performing or visual arts. They must possess the qualities of scholarship and leadership. Excelling in the performing or visual arts is of primary importance in the selection. Scholarship and Leadership are also supporting criteria.

Davidson Fellows Scholarship
The Davidson Fellows scholarship program, established in 2001, recognizes exceptional students and supports them in the fulfillment of their potential. Each year, Fellows are awarded scholarships of $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 and are recognized for their achievements at a special awards reception in Washington, D.C. The application categories are Science, Technology, Mathematics, Literature, Music, Philosophy and Outside the Box.  To be eligible to apply for the Davidson Fellows scholarship, applicants must be under the age of 18 as of October 1st of the year of application.

Downers Grove South High School Friends of Fine Arts Scholarhips
Friends of Fine Arts (FOFA) is an organization of parents, educators and community members supporting and promoting fine arts programs at Downers Grove South (DGS) High School through gifts and service. Various awards are provided for continuing studies for fine arts students, visiting musician funding and event funding.

General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Massachusetts
The Nickels for Notes $500 Scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who will major in piano, instrument, music education, music therapy or voice. The award is for tuition only and will be sent directly to the recipient’s college. Applicants must be seniors at a Massachusetts high school, or home-schooled and have achieved the standards for graduation set by the town of residence.

A $500 scholarship is also given in the name of the Dorchester Woman’s Club for undergraduates majoring in voice. The award is for tuition only and will be sent directly to the recipient’s college. Applicant must be Massachusetts residents and undergraduates currently enrolled in a four-year accredited college, university or school of music, majoring in voice.

Iowa Scholarships for the Arts
The Iowa Scholarship for the Arts supports the development of outstanding high school seniors who excel in the arts and are enrolled in accredited educational programs leading to careers in the arts. Application Deadline: February 1st, annually.

Applicants must meet all of the following in order to be eligible for this scholarship:  ◦Be an Iowa resident who will graduate from an Iowa high school during the 2011-2012 school year ◦Show proven artistic ability in at least one of these arts areas: dance, literature, music, theatre, folk/traditional arts, and visual arts ◦Be accepted as a full-time undergraduate student at a fully accredited Iowa college or university with a major in one or more of the areas listed above.

The Wendell Irish Viola Award
The NFMC Wendell Irish Viola Award is given to a student who has reached the 12th, but not the 19th birthday by application deadline (February 1). There are five $600 awards per year, one in each of the five NFMC Regions. 

Mount St. Mary’s University Fine Arts Scholarships
Established in 1999 to raise awareness and appreciation of the Fine Arts at Mount St. Mary’s University, the scholarship recognizes outstanding high school and community achievements in the arts and intends to encourage future involvement and participation. The scholarship is valued at $8,000 ($2,000 each year and renewable annually). All students regardless of anticipated academic major are encouraged to apply for this scholarship.

MTNA Student Competitions
MTNA holds five different student competitions each year at the state, division, and national levels. These include the Student Composition Competitions (elementary, junior, senior and young artist levels); Junior Performance Competitions (piano, string and woodwind); Senior Performance Competitions (brass, piano, string, voice and woodwind); Young Artist Performance Competitions (brass, piano, string, voice and woodwind); and the Chamber Music Performance Competition (string and wind).

First-place winners of each state’s competitions compete at the division level. Division winners compete as finalists in the national competitions. All finalists receive merit awards. Teachers of winners also receive monetary awards.

National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts
YoungArts identifies and nurtures emerging artists in the visual, literary and performing arts. Every year up to 150 of the nation’s most talented 15-18 year old artists, spanning nine disciplines, converge in Miami for YoungArts Week. Selected from up to 7,000 applicants from across the country, this week long gathering provides gifted young artists with life-changing artistic enrichment experiences. Master classes with internationally renowned artists, workshops, interdisciplinary activities, performances and exhibitions, YoungArts Week has it all. It is designed to support students at a critical juncture in their lives, and encourage their decision to pursue a career in the arts.

The students continue to be adjudicated during their performance at YoungArts Week by our esteemed National Panel. These Panelists then select the award level each student receives. There is $500,000 in total monetary awards and up to $10,000 monetary awards for individual winners. In addition to receiving monetary awards, all YoungArts Winners join the ranks of our 16,000 YoungArts alumni.

Gold / $10,000; Silver / $5,000; Level I / $3,000; Level II / $1,500; Level III / $1,000

National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts
Each year, 20 YoungArts Finalists are named U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts. At the request of The Commission on Presidential Scholars, which is appointed by the President of the United States, National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, through its YoungArts program serves as the exclusive nominating agency for U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Participants in the YoungArts program are the only students eligible to receive the designation of Presidential Scholars in the Arts (PSA), based on their artistic and academic achievements. Being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar is the highest scholastic honor available to graduating high school seniors. Each year, a group of 60 PSA nominees are selected from the 150 YoungArts Finalists. From these students, 20 winners are chosen by the White House appointed Commission on Presidential Scholars and named U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, alongside 121 other scholars at a White House ceremony. In addition to this once in a lifetime honor, the visual artists, photographers and writers present their work in an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the performing artists perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; truly a life changing experience for any young artist.

The Lynn Freeman Olson Composition Awards (biennial, odd-numbered years)
The NFMC Lynn Freeman Olson Composition Award is given to a young student in grades 7-12.  All applicants must be nonprofessionals whose works have not been previously published for the purpose of general public use or sales. The applicant must evidence current membership in the National Federation of Music Clubs. Non-members may enroll as Individual Members by enclosing a check payable to the National Federation of Music Clubs ($13.00 younger than age 18, $16.00 age 18 through 25).  The applicant must be at the appropriate age/grade level and be studying in some area of music at the time of the application closing date (March 1) of the year of entry.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Scholarship
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation Scholarship Fund was established in 2010 to provide annual scholarships for post-secondary education to graduating Cleveland Metropolitan School District high school seniors who have demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in the music industry. Applicants may be aspiring professional musicians and/or those seeking to develop skills in professions that facilitate, enhance, and sustain the music industry such as marketing/promotion, radio broadcasting, film/sound recording, audio technician, or law.

Eligibility criteria: Must be a graduating high school senior from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, completing a college preparatory curriculum, accepted full time at an accredited college or university (or accredited school of music), demonstrate interest in pursuing a career in the music industry, demonstrate financial need, a U.S. citizen or legal resident with I-551 permanent residency card or passport stamped “I-551 in effect.”

SAI Interlochen Center of the Arts Scholarship
This $1,000 scholarship is for a female high school music student. Winners are determined by the facility located in Interlochen, Michigan. For more information contact Kate Olson, Director for Development, Interlochen Center for the Arts, at 231.276.7611. Visit Sigma Alpha Iota

SBO Magazine Essay Contest and Scholarship
The School Band and Orchestra magazine sponsors a yearly scholarship contest that requires participants to compete with a written essay for a one of 10 awards for $1,000. The contest is open to students from Grade 4 through high school, and is also open to home school students.

The Claire Ulrich Whitehurst (Flanagan) Piano Award (biennial, even-numbered years).
The NFMC Claire Ulrich Whitehurst (Flanagan) Piano Award is given to talented young pianists who are or who become members of the National Federation of Music Clubs as Individual Junior Special members or through Active Junior Club affiliation in the state in which they live before the application is submitted may enter this competition. (There is an entry fee of $10.00.) Applicants must not have reached their 19th birthday as of March 1 in the year of the audition;  must be in High School grades 10-11-12; must be native citizens of the United States of America or must have received naturalization papers (either the entrant or his or her parents); must be a member of the National Federation of Music Clubs through club affiliation or as an Individual Junior Member.

Young Musicians Foundation Livingston & Evans Scholarship
Open to wind players who will be high school juniors or seniors in fall 2012. The award is $2500.

Zildjian Family Opportunity Fund
The Zildjian Family Opportunity Fund, established by the Zildjian family in 2001, is a permanently endowed trust managed and administered through the Percussive Arts Society. Awards ranging from $500-$3,000 provide funding for percussion-based presentations directed for underserved youth, ages pre-school through high school. All services funded are free of charge to participants and take place in local community settings.