Music Scholarship
Music Scholarship
Any prospective first-year student is encouraged to apply for a music scholarship- transfer students are not eligible. Because winners are required to continue study of their instrument or voice at Wooster, auditioners must perform in applied areas in which the College offers instruction. Music Scholarship applicants need not intend to major in music.
Criteria
Music Scholarships are awarded on the basis of music performance skills demonstrated at the audition or on compositional skills evidenced by written scores, and two letters of recommendation.
Applicants for a Music Scholarship must complete an application for admission to the college, submit the Music Scholarship Application Form, and two letters of recommendation, by January 15. Letters of recommendation should be submitted by your private music teacher and the high school music director most familiar with your work or another individual who knows your work well.
During the audition process, all Music Scholarship applicants are required to attend the Introduction to Music at Wooster program (Friday of audition weekend, 5:30-9:30 p.m., Scheide Music Center) which will include dinner with College of Wooster music faculty and current musicians, participation in a rehearsal with a choral or instrumental ensemble, and classroom sessions with Wooster music faculty on a variety of topics.
Auditioners may arrange overnight accommodations on campus on Friday evening through the Office of Admissions by calling 800-877-9905, and reservations must be made at least one week in advance of the desired date.
Audition
Music Performance applicants should present ten to fifteen minutes of concert music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Repertory and/or Twentieth-Century) or jazz in at least two contrasting styles selected from the Class A Solo Repertoire List (or its equivalent) from your state. Selections should be chosen to demonstrate technical facility as well as expression and tone quality. Memorization is desirable but not required. When possible, singers should perform in English and at least one foreign language, preferably Italian, and may include one song from a musical. Original music or popular music is not permitted. In keeping with copyright laws, applicants who perform using printed music must perform from published editions, not from photocopies or facsimiles.
Music Composition applicants should submit two representative scores. Recordings of compositions are encouraged but not required. Applicants who are not percussionists may audition on only one instrument or in voice. Percussionists must audition on at least two contrasting instruments.
Notification
Scholarship notification will be mailed by the middle of March. Students who have not been admitted to the College at that point will not receive notification until they receive a final admissions decision.
Expectations
Beginning with the first semester of the first year and continuing for as long as a Music Scholarship is held, Music of Winners Scholarship winners must:
- Enroll in private lessons on the instrument or voice in which the Performance Scholarship was won or in composition lessons if the scholarship was won for composition
- Participate in the Wooster Singers, Wooster Chorus, Wooster Symphony Orchestra, Scot Band, Wooster Jazz Ensemble, or Gospel Choir.
Holders of Performance Scholarships must participate on the instrument or voice on which the scholarship was won; keyboard players may be granted exceptions as to the type of ensemble that will fulfill this requirement.
Audition Dates
Music Scholarship auditions will be held in Scheide Music Center at The College of Wooster on the dates listed below.
- Friday, January 27 — 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 28 — 9:30 a.m. – Noon and 1:30 p.m. until finished
- Friday, February 3 — 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, February 4 — 9:30 a.m. – Noon and 1:30 p.m. until finished
All applications and accompaniments must be postmarked by January 15.
Recorded
Recorded auditions will be considered only for international applicants. Recordings (and all application materials) must Auditions be received by January 15.
Accompanist
If you wish your audition to be accompanied and are unable to bring your own accompanist, the College will provide one for you upon request. If you wish the College to provide you with an accompanist, please indicate so on your Music Scholarship application and send with your application published editions of your audition music on which you indicate desired metronome speeds. Copyright laws prohibit us from accepting photocopies or facsimiles of music scores. If the music for the accompanist is not received by the appropriate date speci.ed in the audition schedule above, the College regrets that it will be unable to provide you with an accompanist. It is completely acceptable to audition without an accompanist.
Entrance
College of Wooster students who wish to pursue one of the pre-professional degrees in Music (B.Mus. or B.Mus.Ed.) Audition must pass an audition for entrance into the program. While this audition is normally taken at the end of the first year at for Music Wooster, your Music Scholarship Audition may also count as this entrance audition for the pre-professional degrees. Programs Please note, however, that any pre-approval for entrance into the Music program that is granted at the Music Scholarship Audition is still contingent upon your general admission to the College of Wooster.