LuisFLaya
May 27, 2017
Graduate / Fulbright Application - It's been a hard day's night... Application for Music Composition Studies [3]
Hey guys! Here are my Fulbright application Essays. I'm wondering if some of you could give a look of it, and give me some feedback. It would be necessary a huge amount of hours/days to write this, so try to be nice please ;-)
Write a clear and detailed description of your study/research objectives, and give your reasons for wanting to pursue them. Be specific about your major field and your specialized interests within this field. Describe the kind of program you expect to undertake, and explain how your study plan fits in with your previous training and your future objectives. This statement is an essential part of your application and is required. Do not mention specific U.S. universities at which you would like to study.
With a population of more than 787,000 children and young people 75% of them living below poverty levels, it is difficult to doubt that the Simón Bolívar Music Foundation (better known as "El Sistema") has had a huge Impact on musical education and social rescue of Venezuelan children and young people. The "Latin American Cathedra of Composition" is an educational space created by Maestro Blas Atehortúa within "El Sistema" at the request of Maestro José Antonio Abreu on 2000. Since I joined it on 2005, I have been part of a movement In which I obtained responsibilities as coordinator and teacher by 2010, a year in which we managed to increase enrollment by approximately 500% thanks to academic restructuring and new recruitment strategies. I obtained my Bachelor of Music Composition later in 2014 after having created an academic center of the Latin American Cathedra in the city of Mérida and have won several national awards in music composition. Also, I made the original score for the film "Luisa", released on 2016 and official selection of Shanghai Film Festival. With this work experience and academic trajectory, continuing my studies in the USA with a Fulbright Scholarship seems a logical step in the growth of my career as a composer and as a teacher committed to the development of musical composition in my country.
Therefore, I intend to obtain a Master's Degree in Music Composition with a Composition for the Scene and Film Scoring Minor. Taking courses related to technology applied to composition, music production and collaboration with other arts such as Dance and Theater, will allow me to make substantial contributions in specialties of music composition underdeveloped in my country at my return. In addition, there are other specific interests that I would like to explore such as Opera and Ballet writing, Interactive Music Technologies, Multimedia and Performance Technologies. Furthermore to my personal creative interest in the aforementioned topics, and the enormous impact that mastering them could have on my career progress, the great growth that some of them have been experiencing in today's international music environment, suggests that it is a good time to begin to develop them in the context of Venezuelan musical education.
In this sense, I would like to be part of a program in which I can update and develop in greater depth aspects such as orchestration, modern composition techniques and choral symphonic writing. And, at the same time, give me the freedom to take courses related to others of my specific interests within my concentration camp. Allowing me to integrate a flexible curricular design in terms of academic load, and perhaps avoiding general courses like Harmony, counterpoint and history of music, which can be passed through an exam if are required. Finally, if my host institution contemplates the requirement of a large-scale work as a final experience, I would like to develop a multimedia work for choirs, soloists and orchestra called "Requiem to the Fear; The Rise of Love" about abandoning violence and enhancing the spiritual values of humanity. The realization of a work like this would allow me to put into practice technical resources learned during the mastership.
In another order of ideas, using my experience in "El Sistema" could make contributions in my host institution's extension activities, in areas such as: musical training of youth and children, programs for the cultural development of the community and development of creative music projects. Also, I could contribute with my knowledge about the rich musical culture of my country sharing materials on Venezuelan music with colleagues and teachers. Thanks to my stay there, a natural link between the host institution in USA and "El Sistema" would be created, opening the possibilities to make cooperation agreements in specific areas of mutual interest. On the other hand, I plan to use all the resources, contacts and knowledge gained during my studies in the US as tools to develop a solid career in both concert composition and composition for the scene and Film Scoring.
To conclude, obtaining a Masters in Music Composition in the United States would certainly serve as a catalyst in the future development of my international career, allowing me to continue contributing to the formation of new generations of composers in Venezuela, through the realization of activities looking forward in the creation of better job opportunities and creative growth in an environment updated to international aesthetic and technological standards, always maintaining the highest level of quality and commitment to the humanistic values of art.
Hey guys! Here are my Fulbright application Essays. I'm wondering if some of you could give a look of it, and give me some feedback. It would be necessary a huge amount of hours/days to write this, so try to be nice please ;-)
STUDY/RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:
Write a clear and detailed description of your study/research objectives, and give your reasons for wanting to pursue them. Be specific about your major field and your specialized interests within this field. Describe the kind of program you expect to undertake, and explain how your study plan fits in with your previous training and your future objectives. This statement is an essential part of your application and is required. Do not mention specific U.S. universities at which you would like to study.
With a population of more than 787,000 children and young people 75% of them living below poverty levels, it is difficult to doubt that the Simón Bolívar Music Foundation (better known as "El Sistema") has had a huge Impact on musical education and social rescue of Venezuelan children and young people. The "Latin American Cathedra of Composition" is an educational space created by Maestro Blas Atehortúa within "El Sistema" at the request of Maestro José Antonio Abreu on 2000. Since I joined it on 2005, I have been part of a movement In which I obtained responsibilities as coordinator and teacher by 2010, a year in which we managed to increase enrollment by approximately 500% thanks to academic restructuring and new recruitment strategies. I obtained my Bachelor of Music Composition later in 2014 after having created an academic center of the Latin American Cathedra in the city of Mérida and have won several national awards in music composition. Also, I made the original score for the film "Luisa", released on 2016 and official selection of Shanghai Film Festival. With this work experience and academic trajectory, continuing my studies in the USA with a Fulbright Scholarship seems a logical step in the growth of my career as a composer and as a teacher committed to the development of musical composition in my country.
Therefore, I intend to obtain a Master's Degree in Music Composition with a Composition for the Scene and Film Scoring Minor. Taking courses related to technology applied to composition, music production and collaboration with other arts such as Dance and Theater, will allow me to make substantial contributions in specialties of music composition underdeveloped in my country at my return. In addition, there are other specific interests that I would like to explore such as Opera and Ballet writing, Interactive Music Technologies, Multimedia and Performance Technologies. Furthermore to my personal creative interest in the aforementioned topics, and the enormous impact that mastering them could have on my career progress, the great growth that some of them have been experiencing in today's international music environment, suggests that it is a good time to begin to develop them in the context of Venezuelan musical education.
In this sense, I would like to be part of a program in which I can update and develop in greater depth aspects such as orchestration, modern composition techniques and choral symphonic writing. And, at the same time, give me the freedom to take courses related to others of my specific interests within my concentration camp. Allowing me to integrate a flexible curricular design in terms of academic load, and perhaps avoiding general courses like Harmony, counterpoint and history of music, which can be passed through an exam if are required. Finally, if my host institution contemplates the requirement of a large-scale work as a final experience, I would like to develop a multimedia work for choirs, soloists and orchestra called "Requiem to the Fear; The Rise of Love" about abandoning violence and enhancing the spiritual values of humanity. The realization of a work like this would allow me to put into practice technical resources learned during the mastership.
In another order of ideas, using my experience in "El Sistema" could make contributions in my host institution's extension activities, in areas such as: musical training of youth and children, programs for the cultural development of the community and development of creative music projects. Also, I could contribute with my knowledge about the rich musical culture of my country sharing materials on Venezuelan music with colleagues and teachers. Thanks to my stay there, a natural link between the host institution in USA and "El Sistema" would be created, opening the possibilities to make cooperation agreements in specific areas of mutual interest. On the other hand, I plan to use all the resources, contacts and knowledge gained during my studies in the US as tools to develop a solid career in both concert composition and composition for the scene and Film Scoring.
To conclude, obtaining a Masters in Music Composition in the United States would certainly serve as a catalyst in the future development of my international career, allowing me to continue contributing to the formation of new generations of composers in Venezuela, through the realization of activities looking forward in the creation of better job opportunities and creative growth in an environment updated to international aesthetic and technological standards, always maintaining the highest level of quality and commitment to the humanistic values of art.
