Got a teenager who’s interested in applying for music programs in college? PRIZM Ensemble, a local organization dedicated to bringing quality music programs into our city, is here to help with their second ever College Audition Preparation Workshop on January 4th.
Through this workshop, high school students will learn the ins and outs of auditioning and applying for music programs, from how to select repertoire and learning performance and interviewing skills to controlling anxiety. Additionally, college administrators will guide students through the application process by talking about the application process, teaching them how to search for scholarships, and discussing how to keep up with deadlines.
Rod Vester, executive director of PRIZM Ensemble, brought the first workshop to existence when a few students began inquiring about how to apply for college.
“We had about two or three students who were getting ready to prepare for college admissions, but they had no idea what to prepare, beyond vague instructions they saw on the website of the college or university they were searching,” says Rod Vester, executive director of PRIZM Ensemble.
Vester began searching for audition preparation programs nearby, but to his dismay, there was nothing nearby.
“The closest one that I found was actually from musical theater, and that was in New York City,” he says. “And, and the cost was New York City cost.”
So, Vester pulled together worthy advocates within PRIZM Ensemble’s circle and got to work on their own college audition prep program for students in and around Memphis. The first workshop in January went without a hitch, and now, almost a year later, they’re onto it again.
At this workshop, students will not only learn about the audition and application program, but they’ll also be able to network with expert panelists from University of Memphis, Rhodes College, the University of Mississippi, and LeMoyne Owen College. Students will also get to speak with former PRIZM students who have moved on to college.
“Students have direct contact with them and be able to follow up and ask questions,” says Vester. “So it’s good for networking.”
Vester says that, not only is this good for networking, but also for gaining insight to college life in general.
“It creates a lot of conversation, because sometimes students just want to know about college life and beyond classes and whether they’d like to live in a dorm and things like that,” says Vester.
Vester says that he hopes this workshop will serve as a stepping stone into the adult world.
“We want students to be ready for the workforce,” says Vester. “So, we try to help with college readiness, so students can eventually be prepared for work readiness.”