<p>The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts conducts a highly regarded scholarship competition every year, and recognizes those they deem to be in the top 2% of all high school arts students. I was a finalist this year, and I have to say that ARTS week was one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences I have ever had. It is an all expense paid trip and there is also scholarship money involved! I have made some friends from there and we've been in touch ever since. There's no excuse to not apply and at least try!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nfaa.org%5B/url%5D">http://www.nfaa.org</a></p>
<p>Good luck, and let me know if anyone has questions. They are taking applications now, so what better time to get ready!</p>
<p>Congrats on being a finalist! That is a big honor, and the experience must have been wonderful.</p>
<p>I noticed that registration for 2007 is available now. Is there any reason to register now as opposed to after the summer? What is the positive side to registering before the early deadline?</p>
<p>It's good to get your stuff in and settled. ALSO there is a discount on the registration fee!</p>
<p>Matt, while I congratulated you privately before you posted the news here, I want to do so here as well because it is a significant accomplishment and just entirely awesome. You are very talented. (to others: I've seen/heard Matt sing...so I can REALLY say this is true!)</p>
<p>Hello Everyone!</p>
<p>Our website is up and we are now accepting registrations for ARTS 2007! <a href="http://www.NFAA.ARTSawards.org%5B/url%5D">www.NFAA.ARTSawards.org</a> Please encourage any high school seniors or 17 and 18 year-old artists that you know to register before the June 1st early deadline - this gives them a discounted fee and the only opportunity to have their fee completely waived if need be. After June 1st the fee goes up $10 and only fee reductions are available, no complete fee waivers. Final registration deadline is October 2, 2006. Audition/Portfolio materials are not due until a postmark deadline of November 1, 2006</p>
<p>GENERAL INFO ON ARTS:</p>
<p>Arts Recognition and Talent Search (ARTS) is a cash award program for high school seniors in 9 different artistic disciplines - Dance, Film & Video, Jazz, Music, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice and Writing. Students send in Audition/Portfolio Materials specific for their discipline and are judged by a panel of experts. We then give out cash awards as follows:</p>
<p>$100 Merit Award
$250 Honorable Mention Award</p>
<p>160 students are chosen as finalists and brought, all-expenses-paid, to Miami for ARTS Week - a week of activities, interviews, showcases and auditions that will determine their award:</p>
<p>$10,000 Gold Award
$5,000 Silver Award
$3,000 Level I
$1,500 Level II
$1,000 Level III
$500 Level IV</p>
<p>We are also the exclusive nominating body for the Presidential Scholars in the Arts program. 20 of our Finalists are chosen by a Presidential Commission and named Presidential Scholars in the Arts. They are showcased in Washington DC and honored by the President.</p>
<p>That is an overview of what we do! Our website has all of the specifics and please feel free to call me if you need clarification on anything.</p>
<p>-Rachel</p>
<p>Are they looking just for classical voice or is it also for musical theatre-ish voice as well? In my (limited) experience with voice competitions musical theatre songs and singers are looked at as below classical people. So what is NFAA looking for?</p>
<p>Danimal, there are several different categories you can enter. You should visit their website. Musical Theater is only one category. There is also vocal performance (classical) and there is popular voice and even jazz. There are categories for dance, instrumentalists, writers, theater, art. If entering for musical theater, you need to sing a MT song and do a monologue. If you wish to sing classical voice, then enter the competition for vocal performance. You can enter more than one category by auditioning for more than one.</p>