Top 5 Scholarships for Musicians

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D espite the thriving musical industry, it is sad to say that there are not enough opportunities for musicians today. Students looking to pursue a degree in music rarely have the funds needed to further improve their interest in the arts.

The good news is that the situation isn't completely hopeless. Today, you will find that there are several institutions providing funding for musicians. If you are currently looking for financial help in the subject, here are some institutions that can provide the help you need:

BMI Foundation

With the BMI Foundation, you get to choose between lists of musical scholarships, depending on your specific study of the field. Following are some of the opportunities you can try out:

• Lionel Newman Conducting Scholarship – for student conductors focusing on classical music. Winners of this scholarship can perform with the Debut Orchestra of the Los Angeles Young Musicians Foundation for 3 years.
• Women's Music Commission – this offers a $5,000 for women between 20 to 30 who are making efforts toward musical composition.

Young Musicians Foundation

Although the scholarship itself is a little small, the Young Musicians Foundation opens its doors to musicians between the age of 9 and 25. Winners of this scholarship get $1,000 for instruments, lessons, and more. Typically, the foundation awards $1,000 each to 40 different people in 40 different categories so bagging one is somewhat easier.

University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina is bit more generous with their scholarship. Around 2/3 of their major is supported by the university scholarship and consideration to be a member varies per major. With music, you only need to audition to be part of the 1st level trials. From there, the competition becomes more stiff but in the end, the university will shoulder most of the cost of your schooling.

ASCAP Foundation

The ASCAP Foundation is currently one of the most generous and long-standing institutions providing educational help. It currently offers an array of musical scholarships including but not limited to the following:

• Louis Armstrong Scholarship which is given to students in Mt. Vernon High School. To qualify, the said student must excel when it comes to composition and performance.
• John Denver Music Scholarships offers financial aid to musically gifted students between the age of 10 and 16. Once chosen, the scholarship will shoulder the full tuition at the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp.
• Charlotte V. Bergen Scholarship funds schooling at conservatory of music for gifted students.

MTNA Chamber Music Performance Competition

Offered to US citizens aged 18 to 26 years old, the competition often involves a full ensemble with players holding a variety of instruments such as tuba, trumpet, horn, violin, woodwind, and many others. Winners of the contest are afforded a cash prize of $3,000 for those who come in first place and $1,500 for those who come in second.

Of course, those are just few of the scholarships available today for musical students. Whether you just need a short burst of musical help or a 4-year course of funding, you will find that there are lots of those on offer from esteemed institutions. Apply to each one of them, putting your best foot forward every time to increase your chances.