Youth Music Scholarship Awards presented by the Wichita Falls Symphony League

1
Youth Music Scholarship Awardspresented by the
Wichita Falls Symphony League

• Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras
  Conference
• For the Love of Music
• Abilene, Texas April 16-19, 2009

2
Project Purpose and History

• Provide private lessons for music students
• Originally founded in 1954
• Re-organized by Gail Key
• Violinist with the Wichita Falls
  SymphonyOrchestra
• Private Suzuki violin teacher
• Member of the Wichita Falls Symphony League
• Founder of the Wichita Falls Youth
  SymphonyOrchestra
• Partnership begun in 1996 with Dr. Ruth Morrow
• Pianist with the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra
• Private piano teacher
• Midwestern State University professor
• Bolin Chair of Piano

3
History Through Gail Keys Influence

• Link of appreciation and love of the arts through
  early training
• Perpetuation of symphonic music
• WF Symphony League purpose in bylaws support of
  young musicians through scholarships
• Gail Key encouraged love of classical music
  through
• private teaching and ensembles for children ages
  two - twelve
• ensemble performances of high school students
• Establishment of WF Youth Symphony Orchestra

4
Financial Report

• Revenue
• 2500 Fund-raising, scholarship or Merrill Lynch
  accounts
• 300 Student entry fees
• Expenses
• 125 Flyers and entry forms
• 2500 Awards to students
• 100 Judges stipends
• 75 Application and mailing

5
Establishment/Development of Program

• Begun in 1954
• Strings students and other orchestral instruments
• Partnership with Midwestern State University in
  1996
• Allowed us to reach a larger audience
• Scholarships established to honor
• Febe Garcia
• Gail Key
• Myloa Bielke

6
Timeline

• Early March
• Sites reserved for auditionsand concert
• Judges selected
• Middle March
• Applications sent to musicteachers, schools
• Publicity for event begun

7
Timeline

• April
• Publicity continues
• Volunteers solicited
• May usually the first Friday in May
• Auditions held
• Invitation extended to students for the recital
• Recital held in the evening following the
  auditions
• Scholarship funds distributed to students
• Invitations extended to certain students to play
  at the WF Symphony Leagues May Luncheon

8
Event

• Judges set up in audition room(s)
• Volunteers provide snacks incertain areas
• Volunteers act as runners, etc.during the
  auditions
• Students perform
• Winners are invited to perform atthe evening
  recital
• Evening recital is held
• Reception is held following recital

9
Community Impact

• A free concert is offered to the public.
• An awareness of symphonic/classical literature is
  brought to the community and awakens interest in
  classical music
• 73 of the 2007 audience had never been to a
  concert or in MSU Akin auditorium
• 82 of the parents had never been to a WF
  Symphony Orchestra concert
• Students who cannot afford private lessons are
  given the opportunity to participate
• Students have the opportunity to participate in a
  competition situation

10
Areas for Possible Improvement

• Continue adding funds to corpus toincrease
  number/amount ofscholarships offered
• Seek honorariums/memorialsfor specific
  scholarship funds
• Consider adding vocalscholarship