Music students audition for scholarships

Music students from high schools across the nation will flock to the University of South Dakota to audition for scholarships this weekend.

The Department of Music will hold auditions Feb. 16 at the Colton Recital Hall in the Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts.

Department Chair Tim Farrell said about 80 high school seniors will come to play this year, but transfers and upper classmen can also audition.

“Basically, the faculty all listen to the students and determine their talent level,” he said.

The department gives out about $220,000 per year in scholarships per year, Farrell said.

The amount each student gets depends on their commitment to playing for the department. Farrell said music majors can receive anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500, music minors can receive $500 to $800 and others not as involved in music usually get about $300. Any student who gets a scholarship must also keep a 3.0 GPA.

Senior saxophone player and music major Michael Bruning first auditioned for scholarship dollars as a sophomore and said it was a valuable experience.

“Usually you play something you’ve been working for a month or so, so going into it you’re pretty comfortable, but the last week before the audition you play it a lot more,” he said.

Bruning said to audition in front of a panel of music professors was just like any other audition one would perform to get a job.

“It’s not as bad as it seems,” he said. “You know what you’re going to play and you’ve played it 100 times, so you’re pretty comfortable.”

Farrell said the audition was a good indicator of whether young musicians are able to handle the pressure of performing and contain their nerves.

“You’re going to see the student’s true colors and you’re going to see them in front of people being nervous,” he said. “Whether they prepared or not is also apparent, so it’s a good indicator of how committed they are.”

This year, Farrell said the Department of Music is looking for more people who play woodwinds, like clarinet and flutes. There is also a shortage of string players, like cellos and violins, so students auditioning with those instruments, if chosen, are more likely to receive more money.

Senior John Mathews auditioned for scholarship dollars as a senior in high school and was awarded one for his skills playing the trombone. He is currently a music performance major and said the experience was rewarding.

“The reason I’m here is because of scholarships,” he said. “The program offered me a large chunk of my tuition.”