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Financial Aid Office

Departments Only
  James Madison University

PUBLISHER:
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
MSC 3519,
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
PHONE: (540) 568-7820


FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Vivian Ferris

Privacy Statement
Last Modified: 11/6/2009

Music Scholarships

For information about selection criteria, application procedures, and deadlines for the scholarships listed below, contact the departmental representative identified in the award description. As contact information may vary within a given department, review the scholarship description carefully. Visit the departmental web site at http://www.jmu.edu/music/admissions/#scholar

Margaret & Jesse Cook Memorial-Suzanne C. Elmore Endowed Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$580.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

Yes

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

Band Office, Director

   Phone:

568-6656

Scholarship History:

Established by Suzanne Cook Elmore '68, and her husband, George, in memory of Suzanne's parents, Margaret and Jesse Cook.  Suzanne graduated from Madison College with a B.S. in elementary education.  She currently works in an elementary school.  She and her husband were members of the Parents Council.  Their daughters, Sallie and Susanne, are both graduates of JMU.

 

 

 

Mary Jo Sweeney Scholarship

 

Average Award:

Not yet available

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

N/A

   Phone:

 

Scholarship History:

Established by Mary Jo Sweeney '53, '60M.

 

 

 

Natural Bridge of Virginia Scholarship

 

Average Award:

Not yet available

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

Brass Ensemble, Madison Singers

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established by Natural Bridge of Virginia for music students.

 

 

 

Miriam Denise Gresham Endowed Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$2000.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

Business

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established by Denise's family in her memory.  Denise worked in the music department at JMU. Denise loved and appreciated music, especially the piano.  It was never a problem to listen to her practice because she didn't hit a lot of wrong notes!  Her playing was often described as 'smooth and soothing,' yet she could be heard moving into jazz and the Saint Louis blues anytime she was uptight about something. Denise was in the final stages of earning a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in early 1989.  Aware that she was dying, she requested that a portion of her life insurance be used to establish a scholarship fund for music industry students here.  Denise died January 25, 1990.

 

 

 

Jack B. Moore Flute Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$550.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

Flute

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established by Jack Moore Flutes, Inc., of Three Rivers, Michigan.

 

 

 

Ruth B. Spitzer Music Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$1300.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

Keyboard, Clarinet

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established by Mary Spitzer Etter '34 in memory of Ruth B. Spitzer, a JMU alumna, to award scholarships to keyboard majors.

 

 

 

Edna T. Shaeffer Memorial Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$550.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

Madison Singers, Chorale, Glee Club legacies pref.

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established in memory of Edna T. Schaeffer.

 

 

 

Agnes Fagstad McDuffie Piano Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$650.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

Piano

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established by Dr. Helen McDuffie Poindexter '59 in memory of her mother in 1978.  Agnes McDuffie was a graduate of and faculty member at the Peabody Conservatory.  She taught piano.  Dr. Poindexter earned her M.A. in Education from Madison College and was a member of the English faculty here.  She was named Faculty Emerita upon her retirement.

 

 

 

J. Edgar Anderson Endowed String Music Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$500.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

String

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established in memory of Mr. J. Edgar Anderson, Professor Emeritus of Music at JMU.  Restricted to a JMU music student majoring in string music.

 

 

 

Ben Wright Music Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$700.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

String, Oboe

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established by the family and friends of Dr. Ben E. Wright in November 1988 following his death in May 1987.  Dr. Wright received his B.A. from Arkansas Tech, his master's from LSU, and his doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado. His teaching career began in the public schools of Morrilton, Arkansas, and continued in Derby, Kansas. He served at JMU for 16 years as the director of the chamber orchestra, which he founded, and the symphony orchestra. He also was a teacher of woodwind methods and a professor of oboe. He was the founder of the 'Spring String Thing' held each May, which ran on two separate weekends for junior and senior high string players. He was a successful and tireless recruiter of students for the music program and the orchestras and oboe studio. He was the oboist for the JMU Faculty Woodwind Quintet. In addition, he served as conductor of the Rockbridge Symphony in Lexington. He was much in demand as an adjudicator, guest conductor and clinician for high school groups throughout the east coast area conducting both regional and all-state orchestras.

 

 

 

G. F. "Pat" Rooney Memorial Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$1270.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

3.00

   Class Year:

Freshman

   Other:

Trumpet

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established by Dr. John P. "Pat" Rooney and his wife, Glenda, in January 1995 in honor of Dr. Rooney's father, G. F. "Pat" Rooney.  Pat Rooney was born in Marceline, Missouri and had a first career as a professional trumpet player touring throughout the United States.  In the 1930's, he went to LSU and received a degree in music education and then began a second career of directing award-winning high school bands in Mississippi.  Students of Pat Sr. include Pat Jr., Director of Bands at JMU, and Senator Trent Lott.  Dr. Rooney is on the JMU music faculty and director of the Marching Royal Dukes.  His wife, Glenda, is the associate vice president for university relations and is this year's recipient of the James Madison Distinguished Service Award.  They have worked at JMU for 20 years.

 

 

 

Vespers Scholarship Endowment

 

Average Award:

$1200.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

Voice

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

 

 

 

 

Presser Foundation Music Scholarship

 

Average Award:

Not Available

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

Senior

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established through an annual grant from the Presser Foundation. This is an annual scholarship.  Please check with the department on availability.

 

 

 

Linda Betts Frazier Soprano Scholarship

 

Average Award:

Not Available

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Funded by Linda Betts Frazier '82 for first sopranos or colorotura sopranos. This is an annual scholarship.  Please check with the department on availability.

 

 

 

Lucille Y. Marshall Music Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$670.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Lucille Marshall was a teacher and supervisor of instrumental music in the city public schools for seventeen years.  Her husband, Clifford, taught in the Music Department at Madison College.  During the entire period, her remarkable energies and talents were constantly directed toward creating and fostering an appreciation of music.  She started the band at Harrisonburg High School.  It became enormously popular, winning many awards and attracting many, many students.  She was a well-known, respected and loved figure in the community.  When she died in 1962, it was the members of the community who got together and established the fund that today is the Marshall Scholarship.

 

 

 

Vera Melone Music Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$900.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

Yes

   Minimum GPA:

2.00

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established on January 5, 1989 by Mr. George Conrad, in honor of his wife, Vera Melone, who taught organ and piano at JMU from 1933 to 1937.

 

 

 

James R. Riley Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$2000.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

No

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

School of Music, Director

   Phone:

568-6714

Scholarship History:

Established in memory of Dr. James R. Riley, a member of the faculty of the School of Music.  He died in March 1987.

 

 

 

Ted and Sandra Ballowe Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$650.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

3.20

   Class Year:

Sophomore, Junior, Senior

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

Financial Aid

   Phone:

568-7820

Scholarship History:

The Ted and Sandra Ballowe Scholarship was established by Ted '76 and Sandra Ballowe '77 in December 1999.  Ted and Sandra both graduated magna cum laude with degrees in biology.

 

 

 

Elizabeth Swallow Scholarship for Double Reed Music Majors

 

Average Award:

$4000.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

2.5

   Class Year:

No

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

Music, Dept. Head

   Phone:

568-6197

Scholarship History:

Dr. Elizabeth Swallow, a physician and pianist, established an annual scholarship for students at James Madison University majoring in the oboe and bassoon. The Donor’s intention is to provide scholarship support for undergraduate students whose chosen field of study and performance is the oboe and bassoon, which are major disciplines with the School of Music at James Madison University.

 

 

 

Garney L. Darrin Music Scholarship

 

Average Award:

$4000.00

Criteria:

 

   Need:

No

   Minimum GPA:

2.5

   Class Year:

Freshman

   Other:

No

Contact:

 

   Department:

Music, Dept Head

   Phone:

568-6197

Scholarship History:

Established in honor of Garney L. Darrin this is an annual award for tenors with Music as a major.