Scholarship Opportunities
Music City Drum Corps, supported by Music City Youth in the Arts, Inc. (MCYA), strives to provide as many opportunities as possible for youth to participate in the drum corps activity year after year. The ability to offer and award scholarship funds helps make this transformational experience a reality for those in financial need. Both the total scholarship budget and individual awards are directly reliant on funds donated by individual and corporate donors.
MCYA has two scholarships: Star Scholarship and the Finis Sparkman Memorial Scholarship. These scholarships are funded entirely by private donations.
Scholarship awards are made at the discretion of the MCYA Governance Committee based upon available funds, the applicant's demonstrated financial need and additional responses provided within the application. The scholarship amount awarded will be applied directly to the applicant’s membership dues balance at the time of the award announcement.
Award Duration:
Scholarships are awarded for a single season. Recipient(s) meeting the "Qualifying Criteria" in place at the time of subsequent application cycle may apply again in future year(s) and is not guaranteed to receive a scholarship.
The Star Scholarship
With the rising cost of the drum corps activity Music City Youth in the Arts has developed a Scholarship Fund to directly support our incredible members. It is our goal to help those in need pursue their dreams. Every dollar collected for the fund will be awarded to current members of the drum corps. Every contracted member is eligible to apply for scholarship support.
Qualifying Criteria:
Applicants must be first-time or returning Music City Drum Corps members who have successfully auditioned and signed / returned a membership contract for the 2023 season.
Applicants must demonstrate financial need.
Finis Sparkman Memorial Scholarship
Finis Sparkman was a snare line member from Antioch, TN who passed away during his rookie season with the Music City Drum Corps in 2017. A scholarship fund was created to honor his love of music, his passion for the activity, the value he placed in education, and the enduring impact he made within the DCI community.
The scholarship will pay all or part of the recipients’ corps membership fees. One or more full and/or partial scholarships will be awarded annually at the discretion of the Selection Committee based upon available funds and applicants’ demonstrated financial need. The scholarship is funded by donations from the public.
New and returning corps members who reside in Middle Tennessee are eligible to apply.
Qualifying Criteria:
Applicants may be first-time or returning members who have successfully auditioned and been offered a membership contract for the season for which the scholarship will apply.
Applicants must reside within the state of Tennessee.
Applicants must demonstrate financial need.
Applicants must demonstrate a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale from their most current high school or college.
Applicants, while a member of Music City Drum Corps, must reflect attributes similar to those exemplified by Finis Sparkman: demonstrate outstanding musicianship, epitomize dedication, be a team player, and make a positive impact.
Music City Youth in the Arts, Inc. is a Section 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Your gift may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes.