Making music can be a universal experience, but some barriers exist for those who want to participate in groups with a higher level of skill. The Faribault Rotary club recognizes this challenge, which is why the organization provides scholarships to local music students to attend state and regional honors ensembles. The idea for this scholarship came about when FPS choir accompanist and Rotary liaison Martha Brown approached FMS music teacher Josie Lynn to ask how the Rotary Club could support music students.
Lynn quickly identified many choir, band and orchestra students couldn’t afford the fees ranging from $32 to $135 to participate in the annual honors ensembles. The Rotary Youth Services board then provided a $6,000 gift to fund scholarships for students. Lynn said that more students are participating this year due to the assistance they receive. For honors choir, there is a $16 fee just to audition, which Lynn said had discouraged students from even trying out in the past.
“Regardless of if the kid is the ‘best of the best’ and the most deserving of that opportunity, financials have gotten in the way. … This scholarship gives them the weight off of their shoulders, because no kids should have to worry about money,” she said. “If they get in on the choir side, the registration is $135. In total, that is just such an insurmountable amount for so many kids. It just turns them off to the opportunity. Even if they’re so capable, they don’t even want to try. So now, I had more kids audition this year than ever because they felt like they could.”
For students to work in a larger group with more advanced musicians, Lynn said, it helps them grow and brings new skills back to the middle school. “They’re around students who are also the top tier in their school,” she said. “Everyone is highly motivated to be there. Everyone is fully prepared, fully working on it. And so the musicianship just increases. I know I’ve had some choir students who have been in it for the past two years or so, and they’re always the leaders in class. They’re seeing greatness in others, and bringing it back to Faribault Middle School.”
The middle school has 26 students planning to participate in honors ensembles, with band and orchestra students traveling to Austin to play with others and choir students traveling to Saint Michael-Albertville in the spring.
Eighth-grade orchestra student Luke Drewitz participated last year and found the experience to be “pretty cool.” He enjoyed working with advanced musicians and watching them play.
“There are different styles of playing that everyone has with slight variations,” he said. Seventh-grade choir student Richard Cheley will be going to the honors choir this year with the Rotary Scholarship. He wanted to be a part of the ensemble to improve his skills.
“I’ve been told that I have a good singing voice, and I wanted to do something better with it,” he said. “I just wanted to see what I could do outside of class.”
Cheley and sixth-grade tuba player Grace Anderson are excited for the honor ensemble to meet new kids who are interested in music like they are.
Nada Abdi is a seventh grader who will be participating in the honors band. She said that playing music has helped her to improve her confidence.
