The Houston Saengerbund, founded in 1883, is the oldest musical association in the
city. As a 501(c)3 organization our mission includes the cultivation and furtherance of
German song and music, as well as the preservation of the German language.
To further these ends, the Houston Saengerbund announces a new German Language
Scholarship Competition to provide scholarship funding for eligible Texas high school
students enrolled in 2 nd or 3 rd year German classes.
Applicants must be all of the following:
- US Citizen or permanent legal resident
- Non-native German speaker
- Resident of Texas
- Currently enrolled in 2 nd or 3 rd year of German language class
- Students who have had two years of German and are between the ages of 15 and
17 for the duration of the program
- In the application process for summer German language study in Germany with
AATG High School Summer Study Program
Applicant completes and submits electronically by January 5, 2023 the recording
and all other required items in one email to
scholarship@houstonsaengerbund.org
- Entries will be screened by selection committees and the highest ranked
applicants will be notified and invited to be virtually interviewed by a panel of
judges on January 22, 2023 to discuss a topic chosen by the Houston
Saengerbund. Judges are looking for clarity of German diction, content quality and
grammatical correctness
- The Houston Saengerbund will submit the names of the scholarship winners to
AATG on February 1, 2023
The competition is virtual.
Applicants must:
- Provide proof of current enrollment in a 2 nd or 3 rd year German language course by
the application deadline (January 5, 2023) in the form of an official school
transcript displaying courses completed and grades
- Provide proof of application to the German Language Summer Study Program
organized by AATG
- Provide a written introductory paragraph in German not to exceed 150 words,
regarding your personal interest in the German language and/or why the summer
study program is your goal
- Provide a letter of recommendation from your German teacher
- Submit this completed model release and hand sign it (no electronic signature)
- Upload a recording of your memorized introductory paragraph to YouTube no
later than 11:59 pm on the application deadline date of January 5, 2023
- Fully complete and submit electronically your application (including all the above
mentioned required documentation) in one email to:
scholarship@houstonsaengerbund.org by the application deadline
All scholarship winners will submit a follow-up video of themselves explaining in
German (in 150-200 words) how the summer study in Germany has been of benefit
to them. The deadline to submit the video is three weeks after the conclusion of
the AATG Summer Study trip.
Dress appropriately as though for a live interview (ie. no jeans or excessive
jewelry).
- Use a fixed point of view for the camera. Shoot straight on, not moving the
camera.
- Be sure the image is clear so the panel can see the applicant’s face.
- Ensure recording equipment has the ability to capture good sound quality.
- Make a test recording of the first few phrases, then watch and listen to it on
playback. Check the following important things:
- Sound: Be sure the acoustics in the room are suitable for a recording.
- Lighting: Be sure the space is well lit, but not too bright, so that judges can
see the applicant’s face clearly. (Too little light and the judges cannot see
well. Too much light overexposes so that the judges cannot see facial
expressions.)
- Framing: The camera should be placed at a distance that correctly frames
the applicant’s face and body.
