Music Arts Awards Scholarships

Marcay Dickens, Lucie Novoveska, and Ilia Steinschneider

By Nancy England

The following news ran in both the Oak Ridger and the Oak Ridge Observer on May 24, 2007.

Music Arts, a nonprofit Oak Ridge-based music school with a faculty of 24, has been awarding scholarships for over 20 years.  The school’s Advisory Board met earlier this week and awarded several scholarships to students applying for the first time for financial assistance for their private lessons.  Other scholarship students who have been accepted during the past year will continue to receive their scholarships through the next half year, with all recipients reviewed prior to the Winter Quarter.

Members of the Advisory Board are elected by the music school’s faculty of 22 instructors to represent them on the Board of Directors.  One of their main responsibilities is to award scholarships.  The process is strictly confidential, with only the Advisory Board members and the school director aware of the applicant’s background. 

Scholarships are funded by a yearly fund drive.  In past years, the fund drive has taken place in September, but the Board of Directors has decided to advance the fund drive to early summer in order to better coordinate with the Oak Ridge Arts Council’s annual appeal.  The music school is a full member of Arts Council.

Anyone wishing to be considered for a scholarship should request an application from the school at 482-5614.  One of the requirements for a scholarship is for the student to study with the sponsoring Music Arts instructor for approximately one quarter, or three months, to better establish the student’s seriousness of purpose and ability to progress.  During this period, a discount of 20% is applied to lessons.  Scholarships can be awarded at either a 25%, a 50% or a 75% level.

Summer Quarter’s three months starts June 4 and runs for 13 weeks, with Fall Quarter starting the first Monday of September.  Schedules can be adjusted by individual instructors to take into consideration the students’ vacation plans and other activities. 

The broad range of instruments taught include piano, voice and guitar in addition to band and orchestra instruments.  More information is available on the school’s website, www.MusicArtsSchool.org, or by calling 482-5614.