Southwestern Michigan College’s new Lyons Cup is a competitive vocal and instrumental scholarship program designed to attract and retain quality talent from regional high school music programs.
It provides an opportunity for young musicians to receive constructive comments in a safe manner, as well as in an exciting atmosphere for friendly competition.
And, as the name implies, there will be a trophy, though high school seniors with an SMC letter of intent or those enrolled in applied music and ensembles will be eligible to win SMC talent scholarships of $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second and $500 for third.
Three students in grades 9-11 receive full-tuition scholarships to the SMC Summer Institute Music Camp.
The instrumental competition takes place Feb. 26, with vocalists competing March 5. The days are organized by Director of Choral Activities David Carew and Director of Bands Mark Hollandsworth and feature a vocal guest artist, operatic soprano Deborah Mayer, who has taught voice at the University of Notre Dame since 2006.
“She grew up in Sturgis, sang at the Met (Metropolitan Opera, New York City), taught here one semester, worked at Central (Michigan University)” and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University in Bloomington, Carew said.
She can be heard singing excerpts from “Cavalleria Rusticana” in the 2016 film “Through the Looking Glass,” available on Netflix. Her students have appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and in national tours of “The Lion King,” “Beautiful — The Carole King Musical” and “In the Heights.”
“I’ve thought about this for years,” Carew said. A luncheon meeting with President Dr. Joe Odenwald at Lindy’s last summer helped set plans in motion. Carew was familiar with the Machtel competition because his brother participated at Lansing Community College. Odenwald remembered music students competing at Louisiana State University.
“I like this because it gives kids time between district solo and ensemble (which SMC hosted) and state, whether they win money or not, to get four or five professionals to give them comments. They’re getting a clinic on top of the performance experience,” Carew said. “It’s a real performance opportunity rather than sitting in a room with their parents and one judge. They dress up and there’s an audience. The prestige of an annual event will draw more awareness to our program. It was a great thing when I observed it in Lansing. Teachers seem excited. We’re going to be on the radar as a place where the craft of music is taken seriously.”
“Whatever turnout we get this year, we can build on next year,” Hollandsworth added.
“Our college students are going to help run that day,” Carew said, “so they will get to mingle. Our students are our best recruiters.”
At 10 a.m. in the theatre of the Dale A. Lyons Building on SMC’s Dowagiac campus, the first 10 contestants perform, followed by the second 10 contestants after lunch, with eight finalists announced at 4 p.m. From 4 to 5, finalists rehearse with SMC’s collaborating pianist.
A concert at 7:30 features an SMC student ensemble, SMC faculty, the guest artist and the finalists, with winners announced at 8:30. The concerts are free and open to the public.
Vocalists memorize two contrasting songs of the “classical” vocal idiom — art songs, arias and English or traditional folk songs. Instrumentalists prepare a solo lasting at least five minutes in a repertoire typical of the classical or jazz idiom.
There is a fee to enter. Interested students can sign up at: https://www.swmich.edu/events/event-details/the-lyons-cup-a-vocal-and-instrumental-scholarship-competition.php
Photo: Mark Hollandsworth’s Symphonic Band tuned up for its Feb. 25 concert by playing at SMC’s second “Clinic Day” Feb. 11 with five high school bands from Berrien Springs, Eau Claire, Lake Michigan Catholic, New Buffalo and Niles.
