Music

Scholarship Policy

The following Policy statement is the guiding document for the music department’s scholarship deliberations. The fiscal base from which the scholarship awarding process operates will be updated each year to reflect the reality of the awarding/funding activity within the account.

The audition requires at least 5-6 minutes of music, presented in two contrasting pieces demonstrating your highest level of musicianship and artistry. If your selections are long pieces, we will interrupt the first to be sure we hear some of the second.

Singers should prepare two songs, one in a foreign language if possible, that have different tempos and moods.

Instrumentalists should prepare two contrasting movements of standard solo repertoire for their instrument, in different tempos and moods.  One selection may be an etude. No ensemble excerpts are allowed.  You may be asked to perform major and minor scalres from three sharps to three flats.  Instrumentalists who are jazz/commercial-oriented may perform their interpretations of standards from that repertoire, again in two contrasting styles.

Please visit our Auditions page and review the audition requirements for each of the Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Arts degrees.

  1. Complete and submit a "Bronco Scholarship Application" form found at https://csupomona.academicworks.com/.  You should use the search term MUSIC to identify our named and endowed scholarships or click here to go directly to the music section. You can also search for other scholarships for which you may be qualified. 

  1. Reward deserving students for the following:
    • Academic achievements as measured by GPA
    • “Service to the department” as evidenced by
      • Being an officer in a Cal Poly Pomona music organization
      • Serving on the Cal Poly Pomona Music Board
      • Being a member of MEISA, MENC, MUSE, AES, or other pre-professional organization at Cal Poly Pomona 
      • Other activities deemed to be supportive of the department
    • Demonstrated excellence in performance or project building as measured by artistic and technical merit (in a performance audition for the faculty) or effectiveness of a project (submitted for consideration to the faculty).
  2. Attract students
  3. Retain students
  4. Honor important donors or faculty

Cal Poly Pomona Music Department awards scholarships in the following five categories:

  1. Emphasis specific:  up to 9 scholarships will be awarded in the following options/emphasis:
    • Music Industry Studies
    • Music Education
    • Performance
  2. Ensemble specific (likely to vary each year)
    • Choral ensembles
    • Instrumental Ensembles
    • String Ensemble
    • Jazz ensembles
    • Guitar ensemble
    • Other ensembles
  3. Faculty initiative
    • Faculty concerts
    • Faculty gifts
  4. Project specific
    • Voice Studio: Lindsley Memorial
    • Voice Studio: Grant
    • Keyboard Studio:  Clarke Memorial
    • Phillip Browne Scholarship
    • Huff Family Saxophone Scholarship
    • Music Industry Studies
    • Service to the Music Department
    • Other activities
  5. Endowed Scholarships
    • Duo Concertante
    • Paul Anka
    • Varnasi Karnatic
    • Eric and Elizabeth Turkel
    • Recruitment

  1. Option/Emphasis areas:
    • One third of all ensemble regular concert net gate receipt proceeds, with the exception of any ASI/IRA funded performance, are to be placed in the Music Option/Emphasis scholarship section of the foundation scholarship account. The funds are to be equally divided among the number of scholarships to be awarded. (The other two thirds of all ensemble regular concert net gate receipt proceeds are to be placed in the Ensemble account to assist in paying for expenses of the performance class. )
  2. Ensemble specific
    • All funds specifically awarded as scholarship to an ensemble are to be used only for the ensemble that has earned the funds.
  3. Faculty initiative
    • Faculty will decide to which scholarship, if any, the net gate receipts of their endeavors shall go. The same understanding applies to any donation given by a faculty member.
  4. Project specific
    • Through grants (and the terms of those grants) or other initiatives, funds may be raised (and awarded in the name of the donor, a faculty member) and awarded in accordance with a specific area of endeavor (performance, academic, service to the department, etc.)
  5. Endowed Scholarships
    • Through donations or other initiatives, funds are secured in an endowed scholarship housed with Cal Poly Pomona University Educational Trust.  Per the guidelines of the endowment, funds may be added to the endowed scholarship.
    • NB: The music department, acknowledging the need to accurately prepare for future scholarship awarding, commits to maintaining the equivalent of 2 years of scholarship awards for the 9 (maximum) currently established “Option/Emphasis Areas” in the Foundation Music Department Scholarship account. Further, it commits to attempting to establish endowed scholarships for as many areas or categories as funds can be raised.

  1. Option/Emphasis areas:
    • Currently enrolled as a music major (includes double majors)
    • Minimum 3.0 overall GPA as of the quarter prior to application.
    • Demonstrated ability for high quality performance or project creation
    • Completed university scholarship application
  2. Ensemble specific
    • Currently enrolled Cal Poly Pomona student or entering freshman/transfer student
    • Minimum Overall GPA as of the quarter prior to application: 2.2
    • Demonstrated service to or ability to serve the ensemble
    • Demonstrated ability for high quality performance
    • Completed university scholarship application
  3. Faculty initiative
    • Currently enrolled Cal Poly Pomona student or entering freshman/transfer student
    • Minimum Overall GPA as of the quarter prior to application: 2.2.
    • Demonstrated service or demonstrated excellence in performance or project creation
    • Completed university scholarship application
  4. Project specific
    • Currently enrolled student, entering freshman/transfer student or a student committed to enrolling in, and attending classes at, Cal Poly Pomona.
    • No minimum GPA, except by requirement of the project.
    • Demonstrated service or demonstrated excellence in performance or project creation.
    • Completed university scholarship application
  5. Endowed Scholarship
    • Each of the endowed scholarships carries specific and unique criteria.  This is in accordance with the University Educational Trust Endowment Agreement.  Please check with the music department for details of a specific scholarship

  1. Applications for scholarships may vary year to year. To encourage more opportunity during this time of remote communication, the deadline for applying for scholarships has been extended until May 31, 2020.
  2. Annual scholarship performance auditions are to take place during the spring term (third Thursday at noon).
  3. Annual scholarship project presentations are to be uploaded to the university application by the application deadline.  Alternatively, they may be submitted to the chair of the music department by noon of the third Thursday of the spring term.
  4. Performances may not exceed 5 minutes. Music need not be memorized.
  5. Projects must be presented in completed form. Where applicable, they must be typed. Where applicable, they should be presented as a portfolio. There should be a minimum 2 page typed statement of the contents and summary of the project, with the project attached. (Provide documentation of sources used. )
    • Projects may include the following: composition, sequence, computer program, computer generated presentation, curriculum for home based teaching studio, curriculum for a level-specified class, research paper, final projects completed for courses previously taken, among others.
  6. Music Industry Studies scholarships will be awarded only on the basis of a project. Music Education scholarships will be awarded on the basis of either a project presentation or performance audition. Music Performance scholarships will be awarded only on the basis of a performance audition.

The music department is dedicated to the recruitment of qualified freshman and transfer students.  Ensemble specific, faculty initiative, project specific and specific endowed scholarships are open to entering students. Entering students must apply online and adhere to the deadlines of the application process.

Scholarship audition requirements for incoming freshman and transfer applicants take place during our early Spring “Applicant” Auditions held in late January or early February. Students are emailed links to sign up for audition times Scholarship eligibility, as well as entrance qualification, will be assessed. Online video-posting is an option for those unable to be there in person.

  1. Option/Emphasis areas:
    • maintain status as Music major in the particular option/emphasis, maintain a minimum of 12 units of curricular course work for each quarter of the next academic year .
  2. Ensemble specific
    • enrollment in the specified ensemble for each quarter of the next academic year.
  3. Faculty initiative
    • continue with 12 units of course work for each quarter of the next academic year, or complete action in compliance with the terms of the award.
  4. Project specific
    • continue with 12 units of course work for each quarter of the next academic year, or complete action in compliance with the terms of the award.
  5. Endowed Scholarship
    • continue with 12 units of course work for each quarter of the next academic year, or complete action in compliance with the terms of the award.

Payment of the scholarship will be made upon the successfully completed (and documented) enrollment in classes at Cal Poly Pomona. For scholarships awarded for the entire academic year, the payment of the scholarship will be pro-rated.