Prospective students audition for fine arts scholarships

By: Michelle Anstett
Editor-in-chief

Monmouth College students who walk near any of the arts buildings on campus this Saturday, Feb. 3 are sure to hear the sounds of high school students putting their best artistic foot forward and auditioning for arts scholarships.

Forty-three high school seniors who have expressed an interest in participating or majoring in one of the fine arts areas will be on campus for their auditions, in the first of two official admission fine arts days. Students are able to audition for scholarships in several areas, including acting, technical theater, vocal music, instrumental music, bagpipes and visual art.

While a student’s ability to receive scholarships is capped at the amount of $3,000, said Michelle Carlson, assistant director of admission and organizer of the fine arts days, he or she can audition in as many areas as desired. Students are asked to make various preparations for their auditions, and are notified of these requirements in advance.

Those wishing to audition for theater scholarships are asked to prepare a resume and a letter of recommendation, with actors asked to prepare two contrasting monologues three to seven minutes in length, and technicians asked to put together a portfolio of their theatrical work, which can include programs, photographs and design plans. Students wishing to audition in the visual arts area are asked to bring a portfolio of 12-15 of their best pieces, which can include “paintings, drawings, photographs, three-dimensional works or pictures of larger works,” Carlson said.

Music students have a very different set of criteria, with those planning on majoring in music required to perform two competition-level pieces in contrasting styles. Vocalists are required to perform in two different languages, and they are also expected to memorize their pieces. Pianists, unlike other instrumentalists, are also required to memorize their pieces. Instrumentalists planning to simply participate in the music program but not declare music as their major are only asked to play one piece. All instrumentalists will be required to play scales and have their sight-reading skills evaluated.

Those wishing to audition for bagpipe scholarships have a very different set of requirements, Carlson said, and must fill out a scholarship application.

Saturday’s auditions begin at 8 a.m., with the visual art and theater students auditioning in thirty-minute intervals until 4 p.m., with an hour-long break at noon for lunch. Music auditions will be held in two shifts: 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. in ten-minute intervals. The break between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. will consist of several activities, including a question and answer session with members of the music department, a concert and lunch where the jazz band will perform.

Campus tours, led by the Scots Ambassadors, will be available to students and their families at 10 and 11 a.m., as well as at 1 p.m.

The admission fine arts days, a yearly endeavor for the admission staff, take a great deal of planning and organizing to make sure everything runs smoothly. This year, with scheduled auditions already at the “100 mark,” the staff and Scots Ambassadors will be kept busy.

As to the organization side of the fine arts days’ activities, Carlson said she receives a great deal of assistance. Prior to the audition dates, she sends out invitations to all those students who listed any of the arts as an area of interest. Those students wishing to audition then return the invitation with their choice of dates, and Carlson works with the individual departments in order to schedule the auditions. That information, along with the audition requirements, is then communicated to the students, who begin to prepare for the auditions.

On the morning of a fine arts day, Carlson, along with admission staff members Wendy Anderson and Annamarie Smith, checks students in and give them their schedules for the day. Food service provides a variety of breakfast items for the students and their families, as well as snack items in the afternoon. The Scots Ambassadors, along with conducting the campus tours, escort the students to their auditions, assuring their prompt arrival.

The second fine arts day, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Feb. 10, has 44 prospective students scheduled to audition. If students are unable to make one of the fine arts days, Carlson said, they are able to arrange an individual time to visit campus and audition, but that must happen prior to March 1 so the financial aid office can figure financial aid packages promptly. At this time, there are 13 prospective students who have set up an alternate date, but they will “probably be getting some more scheduled,” Carlson stated.

Once the scholarship decisions have been made by the individual departments, the student is contacted as to whether or not he or she received a scholarship. Once the financial aid office makes the actual dollar amount determinations on scholarships, the student is notified of the amount upon reception of his or her financial aid package.

The scholarships given help to enrich Monmouth College’s growing fine arts departments, and the fine arts days are a large part of the admission office’s yearly activities.