(7/8) Frederick Community College is now accepting applications for the Shields Music Scholarship Awards, which provide funding for music lessons to school-aged children and college students.

The Shields Music Scholarship Awards provided scholarships to 56 students during the 2019-2020 year. These scholarships enabled students to take lessons in piano, woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion, and voice. The awards have been offered annually since 2000 through the George L. Shields Foundation.

"We are proud of the many school-aged and college students who have advanced their musical talents through this opportunity at FCC," said FCC President Elizabeth Burmaster. "We thank the George L. Shields Foundation for making these private lessons accessible to students in our community every year."

Lessons are taught by faculty members from the FCC Music Department and will begin in September. Lessons will be offered in a hybrid remote format, with primarily online instruction. Face-to-face instruction will be limited and dependent on the Frederick Community College Roadmap to Resilience and Recovery plan. Students or instructors could opt to do all online lessons.

"Frederick Community College offers a full range of individual music lessons for elementary through high school students, as well as FCC music majors," said Jennifer Rundlett, FCC music faculty member. "By working with our specialized teachers, students can vastly improve their playing abilities and build confidence over the course of the year, improving their likelihood of staying with music and growing into talented musicians."

Scholarships for the 2020-2021 year are available in the following categories:

Developing: For children ages six to 14 who have no prior private musical instruction. Scholarships conferred on deserving students who have never taken private music lessons on any instrument or voice. Selections in this category will be based on the student statement and a public music teacher’s evaluation. No audition is required. The application deadline is August 8.

Merit: For children ages six to 18 with prior or current experience studying privately with a music instructor. Scholarships conferred on students who perform exceptionally on an audition that includes a piece or excerpts of no more than five minutes in length that will best show the students abilities. The application deadline is August 8.

Continuing: For children aged six to 15. Scholarships conferred on deserving students who have successfully completed the fall and spring semesters under the Developing category during the 2019-2020 year and who wish to extend their studies on the same instrument for an additional year at FCC. Selections in this category will be based on a recommendation of their FCC music teacher, and participation in a FCC solo recital or ensemble performance. No audition is required. The application deadline is August 8.

College Credit: Scholarships conferred on first-year FCC students who are declared music majors or open campus/dual enrollment high school students who are enrolled at FCC for a minimum of five credits of music classes for the academic year. Scholarships are based on a short audition, a student statement, an evaluation of high school transcript, and a teacher recommendation. Auditions will take place during the first week of FCC credit classes. Auditioning finalists are given written notification of the audition time and place. The application deadline is August 22.

All applications and more information can be found at www.frederick.edu/arts-center/ and must be submitted online. For more information, contact Dr. Marjory Serrano at mserrano@frederick.edu.