Frances Blasidell Convention Scholarship

The National Flute Association, Inc.
Guidelines for the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship
Revised (August 2011)

Mission

The mission of the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship is as follows:

  1. To honor Frances Blaisdell for her achievements as a pioneer female flutist and for her lifelong generosity in assisting young flutists;
  2. To provide financial assistance to a flutist who is a U.S. citizen (or legal resident) under age 25 and a full-time student in grades 9-12 or an undergraduate at an accredited college, university, or conservatory, to attend the National Flute Association ("NFA") Convention, and in addition to waive fees and membership dues for the convention; and
  3. To provide an opportunity for the scholarship flutist to participate in a post- convention interview for possible inclusion in a Flutist Quarterly issue regarding his/her experiences at the NFA Convention and how the experience impacted his or her musical life.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship, the applicant must:

  1. Be a citizen or legal resident of the United States.
  2. Be under the age of 25 years by the start date of the convention.
  3. Be enrolled as a full-time student in a secondary school or high school (grades 9 through 12) or as an undergraduate student at an accredited college, university, or conservatory in the United States.
  4. Demonstrate personal economic need, defined as the financial inability to afford to attend the NFA Convention without financial assistance.
  5. Not be a previous winner of the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship, or related to any member of the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship Committee.

Application Requirements

To apply for the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship, the applicant must submit the following completed materials to the address specified below by the specified deadline:

  1. The Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship Application Form as published by the NFA, including all information requested on such form.
  2. A written statement in English not exceeding 300 words describing in the applicant's own words: (a) why attending the NFA convention will benefit the applicant's musical development; (b) how the applicant will utilize the experience of attending the NFA convention to further the development of flute music in the applicant's community; and (c) the applicant's financial need for the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship to be able to travel to and attend the NFA Convention.
  3. A video or CD audio recording of the applicant performing one or more selections of flute music for eight (8) to ten (10) minutes, recorded not more than 6 months before submission of the recording. The music should be unaccompanied work(s) or etudes of the applicant's choice. Please contact the scholarship coordinator with specific questions about repertoire.
  4. Two letters of recommendation: one from an NFA member, and one from a music teacher (i.e. band director, orchestra conductor, or private teacher), both of whom must be familiar with the applicant's flute musicianship and financial need. Letters of recommendation should address the following: (a) the applicant's present and potential level of flute musicianship; (b) the contributions that the applicant has made to the local music community; and (c) the financial need of the applicant in relation to travel to and attendance at the NFA Convention.

Application Delivery and Deadline

Send two (2) copies of the materials described above to:

NFA Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship
c/o Dr. Marie G. Jureit-Beamish, Charles Steward Harding Mott Distinguished Professor of Music
Principia College Music Department
1 Maybeck Place
Elsah, IL 62028
618-374-5006
Marie.Jureit@prin.edu

The deadline for receipt of all application material is June 1 for applicants wishing to attend the 2011 NFA Convention. Applications not received in complete form by the deadline will not be considered. Note: Applicants are reminded that postal delivery times vary and are often unreliable and so extra time for delivery should be allowed; risk of delayed delivery (or non-delivery) is on the applicant, and the NFA assumes no responsibility for delivery of any application materials.

Evaluation Criteria

Assuming that the applicant meets the threshold criteria specified in "Eligibility Requirements" above, applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  1. The applicant's musical ability on the flute (50% of total evaluation); and
  2. The potential for future positive impacts on the development of flute music in the applicant's community as a result of the applicant's attendance at and participation in the NFA convention (50% of total evaluation).

Selection Process

  1. The NFA Board of Directors will appoint a Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship Chair who will appoint additional members to "The Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship Committee" ("the Committee"). The Committee will choose a suitable recipient of the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship; the recipient is referred to the "Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist."
  2. The Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist will receive an official invitation in the form of a letter from the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship Committee chair. A copy will be forwarded to the Chair of the Board of Directors and to the Executive Director.

Requirements for Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist

By submitting an application for the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship, the applicant agrees that if the applicant is selected as the Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist:

  1. The Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist will attend at least three (3) full days of the NFA Convention in the year of the scholarship.
  2. Within thirty (30) days after the close of the NFA Convention, the Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist will participate in a post-convention interview by a writer for The Flutist Quarterly. The subject matter of the interview will be the Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist's experiences at the NFA Convention and how such experiences have influenced and will influence his or her musical life.
  3. The Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist consents to the use of his or her name, photograph, and personal information stated in the Application and/or disclosed in the interview, in publications of the NFA, including but not limited to the NFA Convention program, The Flutist Quarterly, and the NFA website.

Scholarship Maximum and Payment

The maximum amount of the scholarship will be $400.00 U.S., to be paid by the NFA for reimbursement of travel, lodging, and meal expenses of the Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist as needed to attend the 2011 NFA Convention. Additionally (and not as part of the $400.00 maximum amount), the Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist is provided a complimentary convention pass and a one-year NFA membership.

To receive the scholarship funds, the Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist must submit original receipts for all travel, lodging, and other expenses related to attendance at the NFA Convention to:

Ms. Madeline Neumann
NFA Convention Director
26951 Ruether Ave.
Suite H
Santa Clarita, CA 91351

Such receipts must be received within forty-five (45) days after the close of the NFA Convention. If such original receipts are timely received, NFA will send a check for the total of such documented expenses, not to exceed $400.00, to the Blaisdell Scholarship Flutist. If such original receipts are not timely received, no scholarship funds will be disbursed.

Funding of Scholarship

The Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship is funded solely by the Frances Blaisdell Memorial subfund and is not eligible for independent fundraising except as approved by the NFA Board of Directors.