Music Scholarships
Yearly scholarships for private lessons and summer camps
Students Awarded Scholarships
Dollars Awarded to Young Area Musicians
Scholarships for Young Decatur, IL Musicians
For more than 40 years, SOGD has supported young area musicians with scholarships for private music lessons and summer music camps. More than 670 students have won scholarships worth more than $340,000. After Spring auditions, scholarship winners choose to receive private lessons through Millikin University’s Preparatory Department or to attend a summer music camp.
Scholarship winners have gone on to graduate and receive music scholarships from prestigious music conservatories and universities, including:
Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA)
Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY)
University of Chicago
University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign and Springfield)
University of Missouri
Indiana State University
McKendree University
Millikin University
Southern Illinois University
Vanderbilt University
The Guild has supported students who have become professional musicians, music educators, school administrators, attorneys, physicians, nurses, members of the US armed forces, patrons of the arts across the country, even parents of another generation of scholarship winners. In addition, the MDSO regularly includes 5-8 former scholarship winners on stage each performance.
Scholarship Types Awarded by the Symphony Guild of Decatur
Instrumental Private Lessons
The Symphony Orchestra Guild of Decatur offers up to 10 instrumental private lesson scholarships from a Millikin School of Music instructor. These scholarships include 13 one-hour lessons valued up to $800.
Private Piano Lessons
The Symphony Orchestra Guild of Decatur offers a minimum of 2 private piano lesson scholarships from a Millikin School of Music instructor. These scholarships include 13 one-hour lessons valued up to $800.
Summer Music Camp Scholarships
The Symphony Orchestra Guild of Decatur offers a minimum of 4 summer music camp scholarships. The value of each scholarship is up to $800, made payable to the camper upon receipt of an acceptance letter in the Spring.
Instrumental Private Lesson Scholarships
Scholarship applications due February 1st, Lesson winners begin in September
Guidelines
✓ Students in grades 6-11
✓ Students must meet one of the following criteria: participate in the school band or orchestra, be home-schooled in Macon County, IL, or be a member of the Decatur Youth Symphony.
✓ Resident of Macon County, Illinois
✓ Must complete an audition with an accompanist
Auditions & Winners
✓ Perform one solo piece, not to exceed 7 minutes, which highlights your technical ability and musicality
✓ Provide judges with two copies of the music
✓ Must use a self-provided accompanist – Millikin piano students are available at no cost if desired – be sure to mark your application appropriately
✓ Judges require a photo and information about you as they make final decisions.
✓ Feel free to use the back of your form for biographical information and additional musical activities. The photo may be used for publicity purposes when winners are announced, so send a picture you would want to see in a newspaper or program.
✓ Students are placed for instruction based on playing ability as determined by the Education Committee and Millikin staff
✓ Winners can lose their scholarships if multiple lessons are missed or not set up by the end of September; an alternate winner will be contacted at this time
✓ Former scholarship winners who receive the recommendation of their Millikin private teachers are welcome to continue private lessons without audition
Private Piano Lesson Scholarships
Scholarship applications due February 1st, Lesson winners begin in September
Guidelines
✓ Students in grades 7-11
✓ Students must be a Macon County student who studies privately
✓ Must complete an audition
Auditions & Winners
✓ Perform two selections showing two different styles of playing – fast and slow – from two different time periods
✓ Provide judges with original music with the measures numbered
✓ Selections must not exceed 10 minutes of playing time
✓ Judges appreciate a photo and information about you as they make final decisions.
✓ Feel free to use the back of your form for biographical information and additional musical activities. The photo may be used for publicity purposes when winners are announced, so send a picture you would want to see in a newspaper or program.
✓ Students are placed for instruction based on playing ability as determined by the Education Committee and Millikin staff
✓ Winners can lose their scholarships if multiple lessons are missed or not set up by the end of September; an alternate winner will be contacted at this time
✓ Former scholarship winners who receive the recommendation of their Millikin private teachers are welcome to continue private lessons without audition
Summer Music Camp Scholarships
Camp acceptance letter must be submitted by May 3 to keep your summer music camp scholarship
Camps attended by past students:
Belmont University Summer Music Camp (TN)
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (MI)
Bowdoin Music Festival (ME)
Eastern Illinois University Summer Music Camp
Illinois Summer Youth Music (IL)
Illinois State University Summer Music Camp
Illinois Wesleyan Summer Music Camp
Indiana University Summer Music Academy
Interlochen Summer Arts Camp (MI)
McKendree College
Oberlin Summer Music Camp (OH)
University of Michigan Summer Music Camp
University of North Texas Percussion Camp
Western Michigan University
Guidelines
✓ Students in grades 6-11
✓ Students must meet one of the following criteria: participate in the school band or orchestra, be home-schooled in Macon County, IL, or be a member of the Decatur Youth Symphony.
✓ Resident of Macon County, Illinois
✓ Band and string applicants may win both a private lesson scholarship and a summer music camp scholarship; however, preference will be given to those who have not previously won a scholarship
✓ Must perform an audition with an accompanist
Auditions & Winners
✓ Audition spots are limited and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis
✓ Applications who arrive after auditions have been filled will be added to a waiting list in the order received
✓ Perform 1 solo piece, not to exceed 7 minutes, highlighting technical ability and musicality
✓ Provide judges with two copies of music with the measures numbered
✓ Must use a self-provided accompanist – Millikin piano students are available at no cost if desired – be sure to mark your application appropriately
✓ Judges require a photo and information about you as they make final decisions.
✓ Feel free to use the back of your form for biographical information and additional musical activities. The photo may be used for publicity purposes when winners are announced, so send a picture you would want to see in a newspaper or program.
✓ Students are responsible for submitting the camp acceptance letter to Dee Keller, a representative of the SOGD by May 3
✓ Failure to submit the camp acceptance letter by May 3 will result in the loss of the scholarship
✓ Alternate winners will be contacted to recieve any forfeited scholarships
Looking to support the Guild?
A donation to the Symphony Orchestra Guild of Decatur puts instruments in the hands of children, makes live symphonic music accessible to all Illinoisans, and makes it possible for world-class musicians to call Illinois home.
Every dollar counts, and each donation helps ensure a sustainable, thriving future for the Guild.
