Music scholarship

[Bedknobbroomsticks]

Hi there, posting on Education rather than in Music as hoping others who have gone through the process can offer some advice.

DD's music teacher has suggested she would be a strong candidate for a music scholarship at the 11+. She is also keen. Neither DH nor I are musical and we're also not familiar with the world of scholarships. We assumed (naively) from reading the requirements that it only required Grade 5+ in one of two instruments. Turns out that it's a whole lot more than that.

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed. Can anyone advise what kind of questions she would be asked? We assume she'd be asked why she enjoys her music clubs, what she might want to do with music in high school? Anything more? Will they ask questions such as composers or genres of music she might like and why? We don't have a clue how to prepare for this. We know they'll want her to demonstrate musicanship but as neither of us have a musical bone in our body, we don't have a clue how to help with this.

Secondly, she needs to pick and prepare two different audition pieces. Other than knowing it shouldn't be a graded piece, we also don't have a clue! If anyone could suggest any pieces we could consider (she's currently G6), we'd be very, very grateful. Her piano teacher is the loveliest young chap but very young and quite inexperienced so isn't able to help much in this regard. In a slight panic as her friend is also going for the scholarship and started preparing her pieces at the start of this year which makes me realise how ill prepared we are!

Thank you so much in advance.

Depending on where you live, I can potentially recommend some piano schools that specifically help prepare for scholarship auditions. It can be quite specific for the schools you are targeting -- is this a state school that offers a few places based on music or are you targeting independent schools? If that latter, are you already at a pre-school or are you at a state school. If at a prep, they should really be helping with this and guiding you through the process.

Different schools require different things - the website is a good place to start. The private schools will often be open to a chat / email conversation with the Director of Music, so worth getting in touch. But they will emphasise the level of commitment - Music Scholars have to be in various groups / choirs, attend most or all of the concerts etc, so they will be looking for a child and family who are up for that, as well as the skill level.

My daughters had music scholarships at 11 and I agree with the advice to check with the school exactly what they are looking for. Different schools will want different things. In some schools, pianists may be at a disadvantage because the school will be primarily interested in getting good players and singers into its orchestras and choirs. Others won't have that focus.

My daughters' school suggested on its website that people contacted its Director of Music for more information and I'd definitely recommend that, if it is an option for you.

At the time (a few years ago so may have changed since then) the scholarship audition at my daughters' school had a number of elements:

• Playing two instruments, one of which had to be the piano. The advice from the school was not to play the most difficult piece they could, in the hope of impressing with technical skills. They said it was better to play a piece that was well within their technical ability, that they could play well and with musical expression. They also made clear that people usually ignored that advice! Even with no experience of preparing children for scholarships, your daughter's teacher should be able to advise on a suitable piece or pieces.

• aural tests. These will test musicality and will be similar, but not necessarily identical, to the ones your daughter has taken in grade exams.

• sight-reading. On orchestral instrument only (even if that was their second instrument, which it was for one of mine).

• singing. We didn't know about this in advance. They were asked to sing the first verse of a well known carol (they were asked in advance whether they knew it, which they did). They were not looking for trained voices - I assume they just wanted to see if the children could sing in tune.

• interview. This was really just an informal chat about them and their musical activities, likes and dislikes. Certainly no difficult factual questions.

Mine also had to do a written application which asked them to talk about the music they were involved in. That's obviously much easier for those who play orchestral instruments and/or sing in a choir.

They didn't prepare for anything except learning their pieces.

Good luck!

I'm no expert when it comes to 11+ music applications, but all I wanted to say is that it's best to play pieces you're very comfortable with and can do an impression musically and artistically-speaking, than pushing for the hardest, technical piece which might lack in expression or just be a bit too fresh.

Talk to the teacher and decide on a couple of pieces she really loves performing, and get her used to playing in front of people often - some friends, grandparents, invite the neighbours over for a quick concert.

I would check what a Music scholarship actually means at the schools involved before signing up for extra music lessons etc. In my area, the only benefit of music scholarships was free or reduced price instrumental lessons at the school. In return for this, music scholars were expected to take part in the relevant orchestras, music ensembles, concerts etc at the school. Some schools may offer money off the main school fees, but this isn't true at all schools.

Sorry for the slow response. I've only just had a chance to log in again. Goodness, the responses are SUPER helpful. Thanks to everyone who posted with advice. This is really enlightening and useful. Really appreciate the insights. Will make an appointment to speak to the music director and some really great advice about how to pick her audition pieces. She does play an orchestral instrument but doesn't have lessons (she stopped last year as she wasn't enjoying it but continued to play for fun) so we'll probably need to resume lessons so she can play it in her audition as I suspect they want her for this rather than her main instrument (piano).

Very sensible to have a chat with the music director of the school you and your DD are interested in.

Pieces need to be contrasting and, as PP have said, things that are comfortably within your daughter's current level.

You're correct that an orchestral instrument will be preferred to piano.

Most schools will only give a very small percentage discount for any kind of scholarship, but it can be topped up to 100% depending on your means and depending on how much they want the child at the school.

I have immense experience of music scholarships, but would be better able to advise if you can provide an idea of what kind of school it is (day or boarding? Assume more likely to be day, if she's going for entry at 11+), and whether it's a 'big name' school or not...

My child has a music scholarship. I would say the first thing that they are looking for is a genuine passion and aptitude for music. They are looking for those that play the instrument because they love it (as opposed to it being another thing to do). The Grades are very much a background - it is the enthusiam for music which is the important thing as there is commitment with a music scholarship

I agree with EstoPerpetua - contrasting pieces and meeting with the head of music