Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras

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Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras

• Bud to Bloom and Music Merit Scholarships
• Education Competition Winner 2007-2008

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Womens Symphony League of Tyler, Inc.
Chairs LaVerne Gollob and Bonnie Palmer
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Two scholarships created for different levels of
musical ability

• Music Merit - college aged advanced musician
• Bud to Bloom - beginning musician (less than 6
  months of musical experience)

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The goals of this project

• Provide funding for music lessons
• Fulfill portion of our leagues mission statement
  and to encourage music education within our
  community
• Outreach to Tyler and Smith County

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Project need

• Research determined a lack of music scholarships
  in area for these specific groups
• Excess monies from 2006-2007 leagues year were
  earmarked for music education/creation of
  scholarships by league president

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Project Success measured by

• Number of applications received
• Amount of interest generated by the project from
  participants
• Appreciation expressed by music instructors in
  the area
• Inquiries about whether this program would be
  offered annually
• Donation received for an additional scholarship

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Information gained from project

• The quality of young musicians in our area
• Limited scholarship funds for music education in
  our area
• Need for continued WSL funding to establish
  annual music scholarships project
• Need for an additional scholarship to provide
  funds for school age musician with more than six
  months of musical experience

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Difficulties encountered

• The creation of all aspects of these two
  scholarships proved to be more time consuming
  than originally thought by the committee
• The late date of actually completing the
  scholarships criteria greatly limited the time
  applicants had to complete requirements by the
  due date

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Project status

• This will become an annual project. WSL plans
  to expand the scholarship program this upcoming
  year by offering another scholarship for a school
  aged musician. WSL also plans to earmark
  additional funds for these projects.

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Community Engagement

• Interest generated by this project could
  encourage community support and involvement in
  the project in the future
• The media exposure of the WSLs Music
  Scholarships reached out into the community and
  identified individuals interested in music -
  this could lead to new members for the WSL and/or
  new symphony supporters
• The project generated interest from all of the
  participants
• An additional donation of money was received to
  create another scholarship
• This project was a WSL volunteer endeavor - from
  concept to awarding the recipients
• Members of the community were identified that
  could help with getting the information into the
  appropriate hands

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Communication/Technology

• Brochures were printed and sent to area schools,
  church choirs, music teachers, and music stores
• Brochure was available online through the WSLs
  website (http//www.wsltyler.org/)
• Publicity was obtained in the local newspaper and
  two area magazines
• E-mail was utilized as a tool to reach a majority
  of the educational facilities
• WSL volunteers were utilized for this project
• This project was aimed at the general public

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Project served to educate a new population

• This project allowed WSL to provide monies for
  music education to groups not previously served

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Number of volunteers needed for project and how
utilized
Volunteer Involvement

• Six volunteers participated in this project
• 1designated funds to be used
• 1established general scholarship guidelines for
  the committee to develop with a completion
  deadline
• 4created all guidelines and criteria for
  scholarships, created brochures, researched
  groups to publicize scholarships, sent out
  publicity to local media, and executed all other
  details to establish a new project

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Number of onsite volunteers for this project and
involvement
Volunteer Involvement (cont.)

• Four volunteers
• Judged the applications, letters of
  recommendations, personal essays, and performance
  DVDs/videos
• Determined the winners of the scholarships and
  notified the award winners
• Contacted all other applicants to notify them of
  results

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Criteria for scholarships

• Bud to Bloom Scholarship (500 scholarship)
• must be a legal resident of Smith County, Texas
• must never have studied music or have studied
  less than six months
• any age
• for vocal or music lessons
• submit application by March 15th with two letters
  of recommendation and a 10 processing fee

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Criteria for scholarships (cont.)

• Music Merit Scholarship (1500 scholarship)
• legal resident of East Texasmay be enrolled in a
  college or university outside of East Texas
• a declared music major, who is a well-rounded
  college student actively studying music
• is currently a full-time student enrolled in a
  college or university, academically classified as
  an undergraduate, graduate or doctoral student
• submit application by March 15th with
• sealed official transcript
• personal essay (250 word minimum)
• five minute DVD or video of performance
• three letters of recommendations from applied
  music professor, music history or theory
  professor, and one of choice
• 10 processing fee

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Timeline of Project

• June 2007funds designated for scholarships
• Septembercommittee meeting to establish two
  scholarships with a presentation deadline of May
  2008
• October, November, Decembermonthly committee
  meetings to create the brochure and establish
  criteria and guidelines for the scholarships
• Januaryweekly committee meetings to finalize
  scholarship details brochures printed
• Februarypublicity in local newspaper and two
  magazines brochures distributed to area schools
  and businesses

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Timeline of Project (Cont.)

• March 15, 2008 deadline for receipt of all
  required information for the scholarship
  application process
• Aprilapplications were judged and winners were
  determined
• May 2008winners announced and others notified
  checks given to winners music instructors
  publicity from local newspaper

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Financial Information

• Funding/Revenue
• Womens Symphony League (designated funds)
  2000.00
• Application processing fee
  120.00
• Donation to print brochures
  50.00
• TOTAL REVENUE 2,170.00
• Expenses
• Scholarship awards 2,000.00
• Postage to return some performance DVDs
  5.00
• Printing of brochures (in-kind donation)
  50.00
• TOTAL EXPENSES 2055.00
• NET PROFIT 115.00

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Impact on community

• Scholarship paid for music education of
  accomplished and beginning musicians
• Additional WSL funds were earmarked for the
  continuation of this scholarship project annually
  
• Donation received will be utilized to create an
  additional scholarship
• Media exposure about our leagues scholarship
  project reached out to the community and the
  general population

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Suggested improvements

• Increase amount of money available for
  scholarships
• Distribute applications earlier
• Initiate local media publicity campaign earlier

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Bud to Bloom Scholarship winner
Christina Reis, is an eleven year old, 5th grade
student at Grace Community School. Christina
became interested in music following a visit to
Six Flags over Texas when she was four years old.
After listening to Zoe Girl and Steven Curtis
Chapman in the parks amphitheater, she was
hooked. She returned home singing and hasnt
stopped since. Her love of music doesnt stop
there. She has taken piano lessons for seven
years, strums the guitar, and has sung in the
Green Acres Baptist childrens choir. She is very
active with basketball, soccer, is a member of
the Dance and Drill Team and would like to take
up the saxophone next year. She wants to take
voice lessons to develop her voice. I love to
sing. Music plays a big part in my life. It
carries a very powerful message. states
Christina.
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Music Merit Scholarship winner
Noah Claytor is a music education major at
Stephen F. Austin State University. He began
studying music seven years ago while attending
the Brook Hill School in Bullard. He plays the
cello and loves the orchestra. He was one of
seven students in the first orchestral class at
the Brook Hill School under Ms. Jamie Reason.
While at the Brook Hill, he received the Music
Scholar Award for two years, All Region Orchestra
for five years, Superior Rating in Solo/Ensemble
at the State Level, Fine Arts Student of the Year
and was Principal Cellist of the Brook Hill
Orchestra. Noah states. If it werent for my
being able to attend Orchestra Camps, I dont
think I would have continued on. The camps really
inspired me to work and learn the cello. His
goal is to continue his education in conducting
through graduate school with teaching as the goal
at the collegiate level.
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Scholarship Committee