The Application Process – words of wisdom from Program Director, Emily Meyer

Honeywell Arts Academy is rooted in the technical fundamentals of classically trained musicians, but aims to stretch and expand on this foundation which begins with our innovative application process.

Honeywell Arts Academy’s acceptance rate at 6% is right up there with top music schools Juilliard School and Curtis Institute of Music, according to successfulstudent.org. With approximately nine fellowship scholars accepted to each of our three programs, the 3 to 1 student to faculty ratio is on par as well with these quality institutions. Our full scholarship programs ensure that talent and artistry be the only deciding factor for acceptance.

The Academy focuses on creating an inspiring well-rounded citizen through music and getting a sense of an applicant's authenticity in the application process is integral.

For the classically trained musician applying to traditional summer or collegiate music programs, there is often a set of a standard repertoire for each particular instrument that is requested of all applicants to play. This often includes a movement from a standard Sonata or Concerto accompanied by particularly exposed or challenging orchestral excerpts for each instrument, but this is not the case when applying to Honeywell Arts Academy.

The application window for the Academy runs from November through February and applicants are asked a series of common questions about their background and inspiration. However, there is a bit of an elusive gray area on the musical side of our application and this is intentional.

Academy applicants are asked to provide 2-3 contrasting pieces of their best material. We receive many inquiries on what “best materials” means specifically, scouring our website for a list of selected music. The Faculty Mentors want to see the creativity and individuality making “best materials” an opportunity to get creative and shine. This could be any genre but what the Faculty Mentors are looking for is the X factor that makes someone unique and how they weave that into their music making.

While Honeywell Arts Academy shares statistics with world-class, high-caliber collegiate organizations; we are unique. The Academy strives to propel artists with this same technical excellence, but focus on the individual - and the audition material should reflect their fresh individuality. The compelling candidates that ultimately are selected to attend the Academy require support from generous patrons who also become intertwined in this engaging community. In addition to this support from Academy Advocates, the guidance from faculty mentors sharing their real-world knowledge comes full circle to the selection process. Ultimately, these fellowship scholars bring this musicianship and approach to communicating back to their communities spanning the globe which multiplies the impact.

Finally, candidates are asked to provide a description as to how participating in the Honeywell Arts Academy will benefit their career. There is a great deal of nuance, technique, phrasing, and beauty in music and music training but it is imperative for an entrepreneurial musician to be able to engage without their instruments. To engage with the audience and engage with the community are huge components of the success of a musical career or any individual for that matter. With 95% of Academy alumni successfully pursuing careers in music in your communities, we are confident in this out-of-the-box application process.

After the application deadline closes in February, the Faculty Mentors take time to review all of the provided materials and make the first-round selections. In addition to being evaluated individually, how each person will contribute to the group is also taken into consideration. On occasion, a selected fellowship scholar is unable to attend so an alternate pool is also selected. All applicants are notified by mid-March and the preparations begin!

If you are interested in learning more specifically about how the application process works, please visit us here. The full scholarship model allows for exceptional talent to be the only qualifier.

https://www.honeywellartsacademy.org/support