Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship (VAPA)
The Visual and Performing Arts have a prestigious home at Cal Lutheran. Whether staging a play in our Black Box Studio Theatre, touring the world with our CLU Choir, or pushing the boundaries of conventional art, our students pursue artistic expression without limits.
Incoming first-year and transfer applicants with superior talent in the areas of Music, Music Production, Theatre Arts, or Visual Art can apply and audition for a VAPA Scholarship prior to enrolling at Cal Lutheran. Music, Music Production, and Theatre Arts scholarships can be up to full tuition and are renewable for subsequent years.
To apply for the VAPA Scholarship you must complete the application form and audition requirements.
Please reach out to vapa@callutheran.edu if you have any questions.
VAPA Application Requirements
All students must first submit an application for admission to California Lutheran University, prior to submitting an application for VAPA.
Music scholarships are offered to students who exhibit great musical promise. Scholarship recipients are expected to show leadership in music department ensembles, productions, and maintain a record of academic excellence.
For this scholarship, students must audition in person or submit a video audition. In some cases, the music department may request a follow-up interview via Zoom.
Scholarship Requirements
VAPA scholarships are offered individually, and requirements for maintaining the scholarship will vary among recipients. All requirements will be outlined in the scholarship offer letter.
- VAPA scholarships in Music are available to all Cal Lutheran students, regardless of major. For the largest scholarships, students will be required to major in Music.
- Perform in at least one major ensemble related to your audition area. Current music ensembles include CLU Choir, Cielo (treble choir), String Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Mariachi Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble.
- Some scholarships require enrolling in a 1-credit music private lesson each semester.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- Although students are encouraged to apply in one audtion area only, it is possible to apply in multiple areas as long as the student is planning to participate in multiple music ensembles. Students must submit application materials for each audition area.
Auditions
Students are required to audition in person, or upload videos in place of a live audition. Those wishing to be considered for the largest scholarships are strongly encouraged to audition in person, especially if they live within a 100 mile radius of Cal Lutheran. We encourage all students to attend our Winter Audition Day on the Thousand Oaks campus. Accompanists will be provided as needed. Recorded backing tracks for music auditions are not allowed, with the exception of Mariachi auditions.
1. Winds & Percussion
- Play the chromatic scale (wind and keyboard percussion students only) and a major scale of your choice in at least two octaves ascending and descending.
- Play a solo or etude that demonstrates your lyrical and technical performance level. Any work suitable for solo and ensemble festivals would be appropriate. If you are auditioning in person, please bring music for the accompanist that will be provided for you.
2. Strings (Violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar)
- Prepare two (2) contrasting works of any length. Please note that the chosen repertoire should best reflect your musicianship and technical ability.
3. Vocal
- Sing two memorized contrasting pieces from the classical repertoire that represent your best vocal ability. Contrasting styles include mood, tempo and languages (Latin, Italian, French, German and English).
- While it is preferable that the audition demonstrates your ability to sing in a classical style (art songs and arias), you may include one piece from the Musical Theater repertoire.
4. Piano and Organ
- Play the chromatic scale and a major scale of your choice in at least two octaves ascending and descending (two hands).
- A solo work from the standard classical repertoire that demonstrates your technical and lyrical ability.
5. Composition
- Submit two written scores of original pieces. Recordings of these scores are encouraged (midi ok) but not required.
6. Mariachi
- Mariachi VAPA applicants should perform 2 songs of contrasting style and tempo from any of the Mariachi genres, including the son jalisciense, ranchera, huapango, bolero, and polka, etc.
- If applicants play more than one instrument, or sing and play an instrument, please submit 2 songs total, performing one song on each instrument/voice.
- Students may perform solo or with a recording or backing ensemble. Please make sure you can be clearly seen and heard individually if submitting video auditions.
For any questions, please contact the Music Department at music@CalLutheran.edu
Music Production scholarships are offered to students who show a record of outstanding work and exhibit great promise. These scholarships are competitive, so it is important that all requirements for the creative supplement are followed carefully.
Scholarship Requirements
Music Production VAPA recipients must major or double major in Music Production.
Portfolios
- Submit 3 audio examples of original production work. These can be in the form of a song with vocals or an instrumental. No videos will be accepted. Please do not submit more than 3 examples.
- For each submitted audio example, describe your role in the recording or production process. Please list any other musicians or music producers involved in the project, describing their role in detail.
- For each audio example, discuss the technical aspects of how you produced the music. Describe the process in terms of software used, plugins, production techniques, or anything else relevant to the creation of the work. Briefly reflect on the artistic side of the project - what were your goals when creating the projects? What are your musical aspirations?
For any questions, please contact the Music Department at music@CalLutheran.edu
Students applying for a scholarship in Visual Arts (Arts or Multimedia) will be required to submit a portfolio along with their VAPA application.
Scholarship Requirements
Requirements for maintaining the scholarship varies from taking classes in the department to majoring in Art or Multimedia depending on the amount awarded.
Portfolios
All students must submit their portfolios to their application portal by the deadline outlined above.
1. Art
- A 10-Slide portfolio (PDF format)
- Portfolio should be added to application portal (instructions will be sent after VAPA application is submitted).
2. Multimedia
Multimedia students create works over a wide variety of mediums: print, interactive web design, digital cinema, photography, motion graphics, animation and game design.
Please submit 5-10 examples of your best work in any of these areas to your application portal:
- For print work, logo design, posters or brochures please submit PDF files or link to your portfolio site.
- For web, UX, UI work please submit a link to websites or interfaces that you have designed.
- For photography work please submit PDF files or link to your portfolio site.
- For digital cinema, motion graphics or animation work please upload these files to YouTube or Vimeo to your application portal or you may also upload the work directly to your application portal.
- For game design prototypes please contact vapa@CalLutheran.edu for instructions on how to submit them.
Auditionees should have considerable theatrical experience either in performance or in design/technical theatre or dance. Past auditionees often played lead roles, were student directors, stage managers, designed productions or had significant technical experience.
For this scholarship, students must either submit a video audition and complete a Zoom interview or complete an in-person audition.
Scholarship Requirements
For the scholarships to be renewed annually, awardees must:
- Students receiving $30,000 or more in a VAPA scholarship must be a Theatre Arts major.
- Attend mandatory department meetings and work days throughout the year
- Audition each semester, if a performer
- Serve on a running crew each semester or enroll in a 1 credit theatre lab each semester.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress by maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA
Auditions
Students are required to either submit a video audition and complete a Zoom interview or complete an in person audition. Video submissions are required by the outlined deadline above.
1. Acting
- A resume of theatre experience (headshot suggested but not required)
- Letters of recommendation are suggested but not required
- Two contrasting audition selections (1 comic, 1 serious)
- If you have the experience, it is recommended that one of the monologues be a Shakespeare monologue.
- The total audition length should be under 4 minutes
2. Theatre Design
- Costumes, Scenery, Lighting, Sound, Stage Management
- A resume of theatre experience (Headshot suggested but not required)
- Letters of recommendation are suggested but not required
- A portfolio of design or technical work. Please include as many of the following as
possible:
Sketches
Renderings
Production photographs
Paperwork
Pictures of set models
Sound Designers: audio files
Stage Managers: prompt books - Design/Technical applicants may upload a slide show to their application portal or post a website on which their work is posted.
3. Dance
-
Video audition submission and virtual interview required
-
A resume of dance experience (headshot suggested but not required)
-
Letters of recommendation
-
30 seconds to one minute of a dance applicant is most skilled/comfortable with
-
30 seconds to one minute of another contrasting style of dance or movement skill (tumbling, martial arts, etc.)
-
Optional—30 seconds to one minute of dance that is created by the applicant
Policies
- Students may apply for scholarships within the Multimedia, Music, Music Production, Theatre Arts, and Visual Art categories; however, if offered multiple VAPA scholarships, the student can only accept a scholarship from one department and must decline all other offers.
- Students cannot receive an admission scholarship (or Presidential Scholarship), the Public Price Promise Scholarship, and a full-tuition VAPA Scholarship at the same time.
- If a student is offered an admission scholarship (or Presidential Scholarship), or Public Price Promise Scholarship prior to being determined eligible for a full-tuition VAPA Scholarship, they will be given the option to choose one of the three scholarships they would like to use while attending Cal Lutheran.
- The student must retain the scholarship they choose at that time (Admission/Presidential/Public Price Promise or full-tuition VAPA Scholarship) and may not change their scholarship decision after they begin attending Cal Lutheran.
- Students must meet annual eligibility requirements to maintain the VAPA scholarship.
Questions?
For more information about the VAPA Scholarship, please e-mail: vapa@CalLutheran.edu