Scholarships & Grants

The Dalcroze Society of America Memorial Scholarship provides funding for study at an accredited teacher training program. Find application instructions and requirements here.

Updated August 21, 2024

Each year, in honor of beloved Dalcroze educators Fran Aronoff, Arthur Becknell, John Colman, Brunhilde Dorsch, Elsa Findlay, and Henrietta Rosenstrauch, the Dalcroze Society of America awards a limited number of Memorial Scholarships to help future Dalcroze teachers study at accredited Dalcroze teacher training programs in the United States or abroad.

Consistent with the DSA’s mission, the purpose of this program is to sustain, advance, and grow the practice of Dalcroze Education in the USA by providing financial aid to students living in the USA who plan to attend an accredited Dalcroze teacher training program and pursue Dalcroze certification. If this description applies to you, we encourage you to apply.

Dalcroze call on us to use expressive gestures to give shape to music.

Special Features of our Application Process

Awards are made to both new and continuing students.

  • A new teacher trainee is someone who has never enrolled in a Dalcroze teacher training program
    A continuing teacher trainee is someone who has previously enrolled in a Dalcroze teacher training program.
  • In addition to standard contact, program information, and a resume, the application consists of only five short-answer responses
  • Supporting financial documents are no longer required (or accepted). If you would like to share details of your financial situation, you may do so in the application
  • Applicants no longer complete a separate Self-Assessment
  • We will invite each of your three references to submit five short-answer responses
  • Our scholarship review committee will take your own responses and your references' responses into account to select recipients
  • There is no application fee, but applicants must be current DSA members. (Student memberships are $25/year.)
  • Applicants must live within the United States when applying. (They do not need to be a citizen, but should demonstrate an intention to practice in the US.)
  • Training programs must be accredited by the DSA and attended in-person

Submit the following information via our website. Responses are confidential and will not be shared outside of the review committee.

Applicant Information

  1. First name
  2. Last name
  3. Email address
  4. Address
  5. Please specify which DSA scholarship you would like to be considered for.
    • New teacher trainee (someone who has never enrolled in a Dalcroze teacher training program)
    • Continuing teacher trainee (someone who has previously enrolled in a Dalcroze teacher training program)
  6. Dalcroze Training Certifications (if any)

Program Information

  1. Name/Location of Program
  2. Dates of Program
  3. Estimated Tuition

Application Questions

[1000 character maximum for each question]

  1. Describe your career goals. How do you intend to use your Dalcroze training to teach in the United States in the future?
  2. What features of Dalcroze education lead you to want to study it more in depth?
  3. Teacher training in Dalcroze education requires persistence. Briefly discuss ways you've shown persistence in your life and work. 
  4. Describe your background, training, and experience with Dalcroze Eurhythmics, solfège, and/or improvisation (if any).
  5. Is there anything else you would like the committee to know? (Additional creative activities, financial need, etc.)

Reference Information

  1. Reference #1 Name and Email
  2. Reference #2 Name and Email
  3. Reference #3 Name and Email
Preview the Application Questions

References will be invited to fill out a Google Form in support of your application. Responses are confidential and will not be shared outside of the review committee.

  1. Email address
  2. First name
  3. Last name
  4. Applicant First Name
  5. Applicant Last Name
  6. How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?

All questions are optional. If you cannot (or wish not to) comment on a specific area, you can leave it blank. [1000 character maximum for each question]

  1. How would you describe this student’s motivation/persistence?
  2. How would you describe this student’s overall musical skills/ability?
  3. How would you describe this student’s long term goals?
  4. [Optional] How would you describe this student’s progress in Dalcroze eurhythmics, solfège, and/or improvisation?
  5. Is there anything else you would like the review committee to know? (Additional creative activities, financial need, etc.)
Preview the Reference Form

Eligibility, Rules, & Procedures

  1. Applicants must be current DSA members. (Student memberships are $25/year.)
  2. Applicants must live within the United States when applying.
  3. Awards may be used for summer institutes or for one-semester courses within the academic year (June to May of the following year).
  4. In order to serve a number of applicants, all scholarships are for partial tuition. Awards may not exceed the cost of the program.
  5. Awards may not be transferred to other institutions or used for virtual study.
  6. Awards may not be deferred to future years.
  7. Awards are sent directly to the institution. Scholarship recipients do not receive the funding directly. 
  8. Applications are evaluated by a Scholarships Task Force. If an adjudicator has a conflict of interest in evaluating a student, they will recuse themselves from evaluating that application.
  9. Awards are made primarily on the basis of demonstrated merit and/or potential for success. However, the following factors are also considered:
    • The applicant’s commitment to pursuing Dalcroze certification and practicing Dalcroze education in the United States
    • The applicant's described financial need
    • Whether or not the applicant has previously been awarded a DSA scholarship.
    • Whether or not the applicant, as a previous awardee, provided a follow-up report on the training the scholarship helped to fund.
Eligibility, Rules, & Procedures

After reviewing the above information, submit your application below.

You will need to have a valid membership to access the form.

Applications are due March 1.

Submit Application

Questions? Contact scholarships@dalcrozeusa.org

Scholarship awards are announced in April.

Professional Teacher Outreach Support Grants

The purpose of Professional Teacher Outreach Support (PTOS) grants is two-fold: to support members by making the financial burden of conference presentations more accessible, and to develop awareness of and interest in the Dalcroze Society of America for conference attendees.

Towards this end, the DSA is seeking to support applicants presenting at conferences focused on classroom music teaching, private teaching, early childhood education, and related music fields, such as music therapy. We also seek to support teachers presenting at Conferences in “Dalcroze Deserts” (specifically, in geographic locations devoid of active Dalcroze clinicians or in untapped communities).

Applications are accepted throughout the fiscal year (July 1–June 30) and will be awarded on a rolling basis. We encourage applicants to apply as early as possible. The DSA will allocate $1500 toward three awards per fiscal year. Each awardee can claim reimbursement up to $500. Please note that the DSA will reimburse only expenses not already covered by the organization for which you are presenting.

Eligible expenses include:

  • Travel costs
  • Room and board
  • Conference fees, if applicable

Presenters should provide receipts within two weeks of the event and can expect reimbursement within 30 days after receipt.

In exchange for funding for your presentation, awardees agree to

  1. Include DSA membership information on any handouts and indicate “xxx is a member of the Dalcroze Society of America”
  2. Provide a QR code presentation attendees can use for discounted DSA membership; the code will require a brief survey about the evaluation.
  3. Provide printed materials about the DSA to attendees. (Materials will be provided to the presenter.)
  4. Write a short (2-3 paragraph) report about the presentation for DSA Board members. (Include the # of attendees, any feedback, other observations that might help grow the DSA or how the DSA might piggyback on future events to help increase interest and membership)

Submit the following information via our website. Responses are confidential and will not be shared outside of the review committee.

Applicant Information

  1. Name:
  2. Dalcroze Credential:
  3. CV/Resume (Note: CV should include current or recent teaching experience and conference presentation experience). Upload here.
  4. Please name and provide contact information for two DSA members with Dalcroze teaching credentials to endorse your work.

Conference and Presentation Information

  1. Name, date, and location of conference:
  2. Title and brief description of your presentation.
  3. Intended audience of your presentation (preschool teachers, music ed, instrumental teachers, teachers in other disciplines, etc.):
  4. Please provide a short (150-200 word) description of how your presentation will benefit the DSA and serve the local music practitioner community.
  5. Has your conference proposal already been accepted?
  6. If not, what is the anticipated notification date?

Compensation and Anticipated Expenses

  1. Are you being compensated for your presentation by the host organization?
    1. Yes ___. No ___
    2. If so, complete the following to indicate your total compensation:
    3. $50-100 ______
    4. 100-250 ______
    5. $250-500 ______
    6. $500+ ______
  2. Your estimated budget:
  3. Housing/board
  4. Travel (mileage, to be paid at current IRS rate, rental car fee, airfare)
  5. Conference Registration (if applicable)
  6. Please list any expenses that will be paid by the hosting organization or other sources of funding.
Preview the Application Questions
Submit PTOS Grant Application

Robert M. Abramson Fellowship

Supported by the Robert M. Abramson Foundation, this award serves to advance and sustain Dalcroze Education in the USA by helping to provide financial support for American Dalcroze teachers to actively pursue the Diplôme Supérieur at the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland.

In order to be eligible for this award, every applicant for the Robert M. Abramson Fellowship must meet the following criteria:

  1. Has earned the Dalcroze License in studies with a Dalcroze teacher-training program run by a teacher authorized by the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze to confer Dalcroze credentials (a Diplômée, who holds the Diplôme Supérieur).
  2. Has passed the entrance exam for the Diplôme program at the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze.
  3. Has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to teaching and promoting Dalcroze Education in the USA.
  4. Agrees to identify themselves as a Robert M. Abramson Fellow in all published materials relating to their Dalcroze teaching and presenting, including their bio.
  5. Provides proof of ongoing progress toward completion of the Diplôme Supérieur.

For more information and to apply, contact Arnold Reiter, Trustee, Robert M. Abramson Foundation, at areiter@reiterlawfirm.com.

Donate

Support DSA Memorial Scholarships by making a contribution directly to the fund.

Donate Now

2024 Scholarship Awards

New and continuing teacher trainees will receive grants of $500 each.

2023 Scholarship Recipients

KuanTing Chang
Qin Ling
Danica Schofer
Cuishan (Tracey) Shi
Joy Son
Yin Zhu

Scholarship Reflections

• Developing as a Dalcroze Teacher

• Reflections of a DSA Scholarship Recipient

• Reflections of a DSA Scholarship Recipient

• Diving into Dalcroze at the Longy Dalcroze Institute

Further Reading

• Teacher Training

• Training Programs

• Dalcroze Credentials