Music Scholarship Auditions

Available Scholarships

• Ensemble Participation Tuition Waivers | Award amount: Varies

  Tuition waivers may be awarded for ensemble participation, and are available to all students – regardless of major – who are in good academic standing with the college.

• Award amount: $5,000

• Award amount: $400

Virtual Auditions Requirements and Tips

• VIDEO CONTENT: Create videos completing the following requirements and upload them to a cloud-based location that allows sharing via URL (if you use YouTube, post your videos as "Unlisted" videos). Provide the links to them in the appropriate fields on the online application form. Please also review the tips to make successful videos section further down on this webpage to ensure good quality.

  1. Personal Introduction video: In 90 seconds or less, tell us who you are and why you would like to study music at Peru State College.

  2. Musical Material video:
  Vocalists - 
  a. Two solo pieces of contrasting styles. Your solos can be in any language(s), and they do not need to be memorized.
  b. A sample of vocalization exercises. These can be scales or other warm-ups that you do with your teacher and/or accompanist.

  Instrumentalists - 
  a. One solo or etude selection. Your selection does not need to be memorized. If your selection has piano accompaniment, it is optional.
  b. Two scales of your choosing.

  3. If applying for the Victor Jindra Scholarship and/or Clements Band Scholarship: If you wish to be considered for these scholarships, please review the requirements located in the "Available Scholarships" tab on this page. Be sure to upload your documents as a combined PDF document in the appropriate field on the online application form.

  AUDITION RESULT COMMUNICATION

  We will do our best to send scholarship announcements within two weeks of your audition submission. If two weeks pass after you submit your materials and you have not received notice from us regarding your audition results, you are welcome to email Dr. Jacob Bartlett who will follow up to ensure that paperwork is being processed.

• VIDEO CONTENT: Create videos completing the following requirements and upload them to a cloud-based location that allows sharing via URL (if you use YouTube, post your videos as "Unlisted" videos). Provide the links to them in the appropriate fields on the online application form. Please also review the tips to make successful videos section further down on this webpage to ensure good quality.

  1. Personal Introduction video: In 60 seconds or less, tell us who you are and what attracted you to Peru State College.

  2. Musical Material video: 
  Vocalists (Concert Choir/Women’s Choir) -
  a. Any piece of accompanied music that you think represents you well. Please do not submit an unaccompanied selection. The pieces may be in any language. You may use sheet music as long as your face can be seen in the video.

  Instrumentalists (Concert Band/Jazz Ensemble) -
  a. Any piece of music that you think represents you well. Possible examples include a solo & ensemble piece, etude, honor band audition material, improvised jazz solo, or an excerpt from music you have played in school.
  b. Two scales of your choosing.

  AUDITION RESULT COMMUNICATION

  We will do our best to send scholarship announcements within two weeks of your audition submission. If two weeks pass after you submit your materials and you have not received notice from us regarding your audition results, you are welcome to email Dr. Jacob Bartlett who will follow up to ensure that paperwork is being processed.

• TIPS TO MAKE SUCCESSFUL VIDEOS

   When you create your videos, consider the following so that you are presenting your best!

  VIDEO/AUDIO RECORDING EQUIPMENT

  1. If you only have access to your phone, that will be fine. Do what you can to capture the best and clearest sound  quality that you can! For best results, we suggest a video camera or webcam/built-in camera in a computer. If you use an external microphone, the sound quality will be better.

  2. Do several test videos of yourself performing at loud and soft dynamics. If you can control your mic sensitivity, try to balance it so that the louds do not cause distortion and the softs are still audible. If you play a loud and directional instrument, do not play directly at the camera. Play off at an angle.

  THE ROOM, THE CAMERA ANGLE, & THE SOUND

   

  WHAT TO WEAR
  Dress up for your videos like you would for an in-person performance. Some guidelines:

  1. Shoes: Dress/formal shoes (not sneakers or casual sandals).
  2. Bottoms: nice slacks/pants or skirts (not jeans).
  3. Tops: a collared long-sleeve shirt (perhaps with a tie) or nice blouse.

  WHAT TO SAY AND DO WHEN YOU PERFORM

  At the beginning of each of your audition videos, say your name and tell us what you are about to play. For solo pieces, tell us the title and composer. If the solo is from a larger work (or book), tell us that too. Examples: 

  • Say, “I’m Sarah Smith, and this is a G Major scale.”
  • Say, “I’m John Jones, and this is Andante and Allegro by Balay.”
  • Say, “I’m Jayden Williams, and this is Etude #2 from Concone’s Lyrical Studies.”

  STREAMLINE YOUR FOOTAGE

  1. Trim your videos so that the empty space at the beginnings and ends are minimal. This will help save time for you and us.

  2. If you want to edit your various components into one video, that’s great! If not, that’s fine too.

  3. Give yourself time to do the recordings. Don’t feel like you have to cram everything into one session. Use the opportunity to do multiple takes and improve!