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Guidelines for the Myrna Brown International Scholarship (REVISED June 2010)

Mission

The mission of the Myrna Brown International Scholarship is as follows:

1. To honor Myrna Brown for her dedication and devotion to the National Flute Association ("NFA");
2. To provide financial assistance to a flutist from a country approved by the NFA Board and posted below and to provide an opportunity for the scholarship flutist to perform and/or lecture on music from his or her country, participate in a panel discussion or adjudicate at an NFA Convention;
3. To provide an opportunity for the scholarship flutist to write an article for The Flutist Quarterly relating his or her experiences at the NFA Convention and how the experience impacted his/her musical life; and
4. To spread the word about the NFA to the flutists of the world, by asking the scholarship flutist to share with his or her country's flute community information regarding the activities and services of the NFA.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the Myrna Brown International Scholarship, the applicant must:

1. Be a citizen of, and actually residing in, a country that is: (a) approved by the NFA Board and posted on the NFA website; and (b) not under trade sanctions or restrictions with the United States, based on the list published on the U.S. Department of Treasury website.
2. Not be a previous winner of the Myrna Brown International Scholarship, or related to any member of the Myrna Brown International Scholarship Committee.

Application Requirements

To apply for the Myrna Brown International Scholarship, the applicant must submit the following materials to the address specified below by the specified deadline:

1. A biography or résumé of the applicant in English not exceeding 2 pages, including the applicant's full legal name, date and place of birth, current residence address, and residence addresses during the past five (5) years, contact information including E-mail address, citizenship, education, and (if applicable) professional or occupational information.
2. A written statement in English not exceeding 300 words describing: (a) why attending the NFA convention will benefit the applicant's musical development, and (b) how the applicant will utilize the experience of attending the NFA convention to further the development of flute music in the applicant's home country.
3. A written proposal in English not exceeding 750 words outlining the 30 to 45 minute presentation that the applicant proposes to make to the NFA convention. The presentation must consist of or strongly relate to flute music. Examples of possible presentations include: a program of flute music from the applicant's country; a presentation on a specific composer or several composers performing examples of their works; a presentation on innovative teaching ideas or methods; or a presentation on a significant historical perspective of music from the applicant's country.
4. A video and audio recording of the applicant performing one or more selections of flute music for a minimum of 15 minutes, recorded not more than 90 days before submission of the recording. Note: The recording technology used is not required to be of professional or high quality; a typical home camcorder tape or disc is acceptable. No additional weight, points, or other consideration is given for recording production values. Accordingly, applicants are not expected or encouraged to spend any significant sum in creating the audio-video recording. If the proposed presentation includes one or more performances of flute music, each part of the repertoire to be performed must be included. If the proposed presentation does not include any performance of flute music, the recording must include a flute performance by the applicant of two or more pieces from the standard solo repertoire.  

Application Delivery and Deadline

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

NFA Myrna Brown International Scholarship
c/o Dr. Angeleita Floyd
3743 Beaver Ridge Circle Cedar Falls, IA 50613 USA

The deadline for receipt of all application material is November 1 of the year before the convention at which the winner will perform. For the 2011 NFA Convention, the deadline is November 1, 2010. Applications not received in complete form by the deadline will not be considered. Applicants are encouraged to submit application materials by September 1 to receive verification that all required materials have been submitted. 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 potential for future positive impacts on the development of flute music in the applicant's home country as a result of the applicant's attendance at and participation in the NFA convention (50% of total evaluation); and
2. The applicant's ability to present in lecture or performance format at the NFA convention or to serve as a competition judge, as applicable (50% of total evaluation).

Selection Process

1. The Myrna Brown International Liaison and the Myrna Brown Society Chair will appoint a committee ("The Myrna Brown International Scholarship Committee" or "the Committee"). The Committee will choose a suitable recipient of the Myrna Brown International Scholarship; the recipient is referred to the "Brown Scholarship Flutist."
2. The Program Chair will decide how best to utilize the Brown Scholarship Flutist's skills at the convention in consultation with the Brown Scholarship Flutist and the Committee.
3. The Brown Scholarship Flutist will receive an official invitation in the form of a co-signed letter from the Myrna Brown Scholarship Committee chair and the Program Chair. A copy will be forwarded to the President and to the Executive Director.

Requirements for Brown Scholarship Flutist

By submitting an application for the Myrna Brown International Scholarship, the applicant agrees that if the applicant is selected as the Brown Scholarship Flutist:

1. The Brown Scholarship Flutist will attend at least three (3) full days of the NFA Convention in the year of the scholarship.
2. The Brown Scholarship Flutist will make a 30-45 minute presentation to the NFA Convention which must include the elements described in the proposal submitted pursuant to Paragraph 3 of the Application Requirements.
3. Within two (2) weeks after the close of the NFA Convention, the Brown Scholarship Flutist will participate in a post-convention interview by a writer for Flutist Quarterly. The subject matter of the interview will be the Brown Scholarship Flutist's experiences at the NFA Convention, how such experiences have influenced and will influence his or her musical life, and how the Brown Scholarship Flutist will share information with his or her country's flute community regarding the activities and services of the NFA.
4. The Brown Scholarship Flutist consents to the use of his or her name, photograph, and personal information stated in the application materials (except financial information) 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.

Timeframe

The Myrna Brown International Scholarship is on a two-year scholarship cycle and will be awarded in even years for attendance at NFA conventions in odd years.

Scholarship Maximum

The NFA will take a charge against the official convention hotel master account of up to $1,500.00 U.S. in lodging expenses (food/lodging/taxes; no incidentals) for the Brown Scholarship Flutist to attend the NFA Convention. If these expenses are less than $1,500, the scholarship flutist submits an official airline receipt after the convention, and the NFA will reimburse the scholarship recipient in U.S. dollars on a U.S. check for the difference between their hotel master bill expenses (food/lodging/taxes; no incidentals) and the $1,500 total scholarship amount. Additionally (and not as part of the $1,500 maximum amount), the Brown Scholarship Flutist is provided a complimentary convention pass and a one-year NFAmembership.

Funding of Scholarship

The Myrna Brown International Scholarship is funded solely by the Myrna Brown Memorial subfund and is not eligible for independent fundraising outside of the NFA executive office channels, such as the annual President's Appeal.

Eligibility

You must be a citizen one of one the following countries in order to be eligible for this scholarship.