Singers Forum Scholarship Program Offers Vocal Scholarships in NYC

The Singers Forum Scholarship Program, in cooperation with Actors' Equity, will launch the 2013 session of its program to provide substantially underwritten private voice lessons exclusively to Equity Members.

Singers Forum is a Manhattan-based non-profit organization dedicated to the vocal arts that will provide scholarships to Equity Members for private 45-minute voice lessons, including a pianist, for a $55 per lesson fee - a significant reduction from market rates. Lessons will begin in March 2013 and participants in the program will be chosen by audition. Those who are accepted into the program may continue studying on an ongoing basis.

Auditions will be by appointment only: Thursday, February 21st from 11:00 AM to 5:00 pm, and Friday, February 22nd from 12:00 to 6:00 pm. Callbacks, if necessary, will be held on Friday, March 1st from 12 pm to 5 pm.
Auditions will be held at Singers Forum, 49 W. 24th Street (bet B'way & 6th Ave), 4th floor.
To request an appointment please e-mail aeaprogram@singersforum.org beginning Thursday, February 14th at 10AM.

Appointments will be held at 10-minute intervals. Prepare two brief contrasting Broadway and/or pop songs of your choice, not to exceed 3 minutes total. Bring music in your key as well as a picture & resume, stapled together. Experienced singers as well as non-singers serious about learning to sing are welcome. Performers of all ages and ethnicities are encouraged to attend.

The first phases of this program in 2010 were made possible with the generous cooperation of Actors' Equity and an anonymous grant. This program is designed to provide Equity Members with privately-subsidized assistance from Singers Forum's roster of musical theater professionals for the purpose of training, maintaining or rehabilitating a healthy vocal instrument. The program relies heavily on student feedback to maximize the effectiveness of this training program and Singers Forum is committed to pursuing additional funding for a greatly expanded program in the future. The program currently supports 75 scholarship positions.

The roster of teachers has included: Eric Michael Gillett is Program Director of the AEA Scholarship at Singers Forum and an award-winning cabaret vocalist as well as director of cabaret and concerts. He has been seen in Broadway's KISS ME KATE, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and THE FROGS as well as many off-Broadway musicals; Bradley Dean, seen on Broadway in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, SPAMALOT, COMPANY and MAN OF LA MANCHA; Michael DeVries spent a season at Santa Fe Opera, has performed on numerous National Tours and regional theatres, and has played principal roles on Broadway in GRAND HOTEL, SECRET GARDEN, CATS, HELLO, DOLLY and WICKED ; Teri Ralston, whose Broadway work includes creating roles in the original casts of COMPANY, THE BAKER'S WIFE, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and has been seen as Mama Rose in GYPSY, Yvonne in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, as well as in PUTTING IT TOGETHER and a new Sondheim revue MOVING ON; and Melanie Vaughan who has been a member of the original Broadway cast of 10 shows including RING OF FIRE, PARADE and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.

Singers Forum, founded in 1978, is located in Manhattan with its studios located at 49 West 24th Street.