Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship (VAPA)

Music scholarships are offered to students who exhibit great promise as musicians and composers. Scholarship recipients are expected to show leadership in music department ensembles, productions, and maintain a record of academic excellence.

Scholarship Requirements

VAPA scholarships are awarded 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.
• Perform in at least one major ensemble related to your audition area. Instrumental recipients must participate in the Mariachi Ensemble, the String Symphony or the Wind Ensemble. Vocal recipients must participate in a choral ensemble.
• Enroll in private lessons at Cal Lutheran each semester.
• Regularly attend the Music Department's Performance Forum each month.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Although students are encouraged to apply in one audition area only, the music department may allow an audition in two areas (ex. voice and viola, or flute and piano) if the student is planning to participate in multiple ensembles related to their audition areas. Please contact the music department (musicscholarships@callutheran.edu) for more information.

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. Winds, Brass & Percussion

• Play the chromatic scale (wind and 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. Due to the restrictions placed on applicants with COVID-19, concertos and works with piano can be played with or without piano accompaniment. 

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. Music Production

• Submit 3 examples of original music. For each example, write a paragraph describing how the music was produced and indicate which software and audio hardware tools were utilized.
• Students will be required to upload the materials to their application portal.
• All students receiving a VAPA award in music production are required to major, or double-major in music production.

7. 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.

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.

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. Musical Theatre

• 1 monologue (Either comic or serious)
• A resume of theatre experience (Headshot suggested but not required)
• 16 bars of an up-tempo song from musical theatre (Sheet music required)
• 16 bars of a ballad from musical theatre (Sheet music required)
• The total audition length should be under 4 minutes
• Letters of recommendation are suggested but not required

3. 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

3. Theatre Design

• Video audtion 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
• Design/Technical applicants may upload a slide show to their application portal or post a website on which their work is posted. 

4. Dance

• Video Austion 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