Golden Wave Band Scholarships

A limited number of scholarships are available for members of the Baylor Golden Wave Band. Awards are based on several factors, including instrumentation needs of the ensemble, musical ability, leadership potential, and student financial need. Most scholarship funds are classified as need-based, which means students are strongly encouraged to complete the FAFSA to be eligible for the widest range of aid. No matter your financial background, submitting the FAFSA gives Baylor’s Financial Aid Office more flexibility when awarding scholarships

Eligibility

To be considered for a scholarship, you must:

Be enrolled in MUEN 1102 – Marching Band for Fall 2025
Complete the Golden Wave Band Scholarship Application Form (link below)
Submit all required materials by the deadline that applies to you (June 1 for returning members, July 1 for incoming members)

Note for Instrumental Music Education Majors: Most Music Ed majors already receive marching band scholarship funds through the School of Music. Contact the Golden Wave Band with questions concerning your scholarship eligibility. Other music majors, such as Performance, Composition, etc, are encouraged to apply.

Note for MCC Students: MCC students are not eligible for Baylor scholarships. Please contact Dr. Odajima to discuss options.

We encourage all incoming students to complete the Online Contact Form if you haven't already.

Application Deadlines

Returning Members: All materials due by June 1, 2025
Incoming Members: All materials due by July 1, 2025

Application Instructions

All applicants will complete the Golden Wave Band Scholarship Application. Returning members will complete Parts 1 and 2 of the application. If you’re a incoming member, you’ll also complete Part 3 (scholarship video).

Part 1 – Basic Information (Name, Instrument, Year, etc.)

Part 2 – Formal Essay

Write a 2–3 page essay that tells us more about you and your contributions to the band. Please include:

Your past band leadership experiences
Any music honors or awards
Other accomplishments relevant to this scholarship
How you plan to contribute to the Golden Wave Band

We recommend writing your essay in a text document (Word, Pages, etc.), then pasting it into the application form so you have a saved copy. The use of generative A.I. (ChatGpt) is not allowed.

Part 3 – Scholarship Video (Incoming Members Only)

Returning members do not need to submit a video.
Golden Girls: No video is required. Please complete Parts 1 and 2 only.

Incoming Woodwind and Brass Members:

Submit a single video that includes:

Two musical excerpts (3–5 minutes total) in contrasting styles: one technical and one lyrical. Choose music that best showcases your skills and artistry.
A full-range chromatic scale, using a triplet rhythm. Tongue the notes ascending, slur the notes descending.
The completed scholarship video should be uploaded to YouTube (unlisted) or Google Drive, and the link should be pasted into the designated field on the scholarship application form. Make certain the link works without the use of a password or extra permissions.

Incoming Drumline and Color Guard Members:

You must submit a separate personalized scholarship video (3–5 minutes total). This is different from your required audition video for membership. Prepare something of your choosing that showcases your strengths as a player/guard member. Your audition form and materials must be submitted before you submit this scholarship application.

Drumline-This can be an exercise you know, something you’ve written yourself, a chunk of old high school/indoor drumline music, a DCI/WGI Transcription, or a solo you or your teacher have picked out.
Color Guard- Provide a choreographed routine highlighting your biggest skill sets and tricks featuring an experimental 45 toss. This routine should be different than your audition video.
As a reminder, you should have already completed the audition agreement form specific to your section (Drumline or Color Guard). The audition for membership video is separate from the scholarship video. If you have not completed the audition agreement form, click here for Drumline, click for Color Guard.

For All Who Submit a Video:

The completed scholarship video should be uploaded to YouTube (unlisted) or other cloud-based location Google.
Make certain the link provided for the uploaded video works without the use of a password or extra permissions. This is critically important.
The link to view your video should be pasted into the designated field on the scholarship application form.

Optional – Letters of Recommendation

You may have up to three people (including your high school band director) write letters on your behalf. These will only be considered if Parts 1 and 2 of your application are complete

Letters should be emailed to: goldenwaveband@baylor.edu
Subject line: “Letter of Recommendation – [Your Full Name]”
Letters may be typed in the body of the email or attached as a PDF

Final Notes

All materials are due JUNE 1ST for returning members and JULY 1ST for incoming members. Please contact Dr. Odajima for any special considerations.

Awards are available and distributed based on ensemble needs.
All correspondence regarding scholarships must be made to/from the student.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applicants will receive notification of scholarship awards via email around mid-July.
For questions, please email the Golden Wave Band .