Year 9 Foundation Music Scholarship Application Form

The College Board offers Middle School scholarships annually.

Up to four scholarships are awarded each year, covering up to 50 per cent of tuition fees for five years and possibly covering instrument tuition costs for top candidates. Application is by audition.

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents of New Zealand. Auditions will be held on Wednesday 21 May 2025.

Please note: In order to apply for a St Andrew’s College Middle School Scholarship, you must complete the Application for Admission Form by clicking here, if you have not already done so. Students in Year 8 at St Andrew's College do not need to complete the Application for Admission Form.

2026 Foundation Music Scholarship Applications close on Friday 4 April 2025.

Submission Process

Please note there are two components to the application submission process:

1. The Application Form (located below on this page)
2. The Video Submission

Please provide a video performing one piece of music on each instrument you wish to audition with. Please keep the length to no more than five minutes per instrument. However, if it is an extended piece, don’t worry about going over this time limit.

Video Upload Checklist:

1. Please ensure file is .MOV or .mp4

2. Please ensure the file size is no larger than 100 MB.

3. Please ensure that your video file is titled as per the format below before uploading:

StudentFirstNameStudentLastName_MusicalInstrument

e.g., JaneDoe_violin.MOV or JaneDoe_flute.mp4

Please click here to upload your Video Submission.

Please note, your video submission also needs to be received by Friday 4 April 2025.

Foundation Music Scholarship Criteria

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents of New Zealand. For these scholarships, candidates should be in Year 8 at the time of application. They will attend an audition at which they will perform two contrasting pieces from their own repertoire on their musical instrument (a minimum of Grade V or equivalent standard of performance is required). If they wish to audition on two instruments then they are to perform one piece per instrument.

They may be asked to sing short passages by ear, respond to aural tests of pitch and rhythm and sight-read material provided by the examiner. The panel requests that applicants bring with them photocopies of the music to be played at the audition. It is mandatory for students to perform with an accompanist for at least one of their pieces (they must provide their own accompanist). It is not necessary to play repeats in the music.

Evidence of good or above average scholastic progress, together with testimonials of personality and conduct will also be required at the time of application. The successful candidates for the Music scholarship will be expected to take Music as part of their academic programme from Years 10–12.

Terms and Conditions for the Award of Music Scholarships

The award of a Music scholarship is conditional upon the student fulfilling the expectations for which the scholarship was awarded. These expectations are discussed at the time of interview. Head of Music, Mr Duncan Ferguson, will outline and answer any questions about the terms and conditions of the award.

Terms and Conditions

1. The scholarship holder shall be a good role model. This means that his/her actions and behaviour must not only be beyond reproach, but also reflect the student’s team spirit. Music groups at the school are just as much ‘teams’ as sporting ones and a successful music group always shows this sense of team unity. This role model aspect grows in importance as the student moves into senior years. Almost inevitably the student becomes a section or group leader, meaning responsibility is demanded of him/her.
   
   
2. The scholarship holder shall attend regularly all rehearsals and performances. ‘Attendance’ indicates being punctual, thoroughly prepared at all times and an example to the section and, indeed, the whole group, in terms of performance standard.
   
   
3. Scholarship holders shall perform as soloists at least once a year. This could be at events like the performance evening, held each term, chapel services and assemblies.
   
   
4. Scholarship holders must continue with the musical instrument for which the scholarship was awarded. To avoid any confusion, students must remain with a recognised teacher of their instrument/voice for the duration of their scholarship.
   
   
5. Scholarship holders shall belong to a minimum of two school groups, with the addition of a special Years 9–10 choral participation. For the first two years of the scholarship, students will take part in the Middle School Choir, except where a choir rehearsal overlaps their instrumental group practices. The groups that scholarship students are to be in are determined by the Head of Music. Note: It is common for students to be involved voluntarily in three or four musical groups.
   
   
6. Scholarship holders shall actively assist group musical directors. Such assistance will typically include such basic administrative matters as setting out chairs and stands, issuing music, organising tuning of their particular sections and packing up afterwards. This is of great benefit to the school’s group directors.
   
   
7. Review of scholarships. In order to maintain good contact with all scholarship holders and to provide them with mentoring and guidance, there will be a regular review cycle managed by the Head of Music. Students have the opportunity to set and discuss their goals for music each year, to raise any concerns they may have, and to receive feedback about their progress as scholarship holders. This review cycle is also informative for parents who receive the completed review documents mid year and towards the end of the year.

(These terms and conditions outline obligations in detail to reassure parents and students that they are not particularly onerous, as keen musicians normally get involved in more than one group at the College as a matter of course. Nor should the administrative aspects be very demanding, as there are at least twelve scholarship holders in the school at any one time.)

Year 9 Foundation Music Scholarship Application Form