Michael Hill Scholarship
Michael Vance Hill Scholarship Guidelines
This scholarship is established to encourage organ study by students in grades 6-12. The amount of award will vary from year to year, depending on the amount of money available, and on the number of recipients chosen. Whatever the amount of the award, half will be allocated initially; bestowal of the second half will be dependent on the student's progress.
The audition shall be held annually in May. Students will be expected to have experience at the keyboard and to play one piece for the committee. No previous organ study is required. If a student has had previous organ training, s/he may elect to audition on the organ and/or piano.
The application deadline shall be two weeks ahead of the audition date. The AGO chapter members will be alerted about the upcoming audition in the January newsletter, by email in February, and reminded of the deadline again by email in April. All notices will include the amount of the award.
The application will include a Letter of Introduction from the student's music teacher(s), with a brief history of the student's musical background and any other pertinent information.
Once an award has been received, lessons may begin as of June 1 and no later than September 15. The first semester's lessons must be completed by December 31, the second by May 31.
Scholarship recipients will be encouraged to perform on the Piedmont NC Summer Series.
Previous winners may reapply for the scholarship.
The teacher must be a member of the Piedmont NC Chapter of the AGO, and the student must live in the chapter area. The teacher must have a degree in organ performance. AGO membership will be provided for that year to each scholarship winner.
The audition shall be held annually in May. Students will be expected to have experience at the keyboard and to play one piece for the committee. No previous organ study is required. If a student has had previous organ training, s/he may elect to audition on the organ and/or piano.
The application deadline shall be two weeks ahead of the audition date. The AGO chapter members will be alerted about the upcoming audition in the January newsletter, by email in February, and reminded of the deadline again by email in April. All notices will include the amount of the award.
The application will include a Letter of Introduction from the student's music teacher(s), with a brief history of the student's musical background and any other pertinent information.
Once an award has been received, lessons may begin as of June 1 and no later than September 15. The first semester's lessons must be completed by December 31, the second by May 31.
Scholarship recipients will be encouraged to perform on the Piedmont NC Summer Series.
Previous winners may reapply for the scholarship.
The teacher must be a member of the Piedmont NC Chapter of the AGO, and the student must live in the chapter area. The teacher must have a degree in organ performance. AGO membership will be provided for that year to each scholarship winner.
Scholarship Background
On September 14, 2005, our friend and colleague, Michael Vance Hill, died, leaving a void in the organ community. He was born and reared in Greensboro and was an organ performance major under the tutelage of Dr. Harold Andrews at Greensboro College where he received his Bachelor of Music degree.
Even as a small child, Mike knew that he wanted to learn to play the organ. After watching and listening to the organist play the organ in church each Sunday, he would go home with his family and pretend to play the organ on his mother's drop-front dressing table, even using his feet! Even though he later became involved in the business world, he never lost his love of classical and ecclesiastical music and continued to serve as a church musician in the area.
He first served at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Greensboro as organist and choirmaster in the early 1970's. Next he was called to Thomasville to serve as organist and choirmaster at Heidelberg United Church of Christ. In 1981, he was called as organist to First Baptist Church in High Point, serving for almost twenty years. Mike continued to serve as a substitute organist in the Triad area even after he became ill. His last church service was played at First Presbyterian in High Point in June of 2005.
For several years, Mike was the owner and head floral designer at Lowdermilk Florist on Wendover Avenue in Greensboro. In this capacity, he was a member of the Piedmont Triad Florist Association and the N.C. State Florist Association, and he served on the Board of Directors of the Southern Retail Association for many years. Mike had many talents which he displayed with taste and aplomb. After the sale of Lowdermilk Florist, Mike enjoyed a fairly brief stint as the owner/operator of a gift shop in Adams Farm, after which he joined Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc. of Colfax as head music engraver, where he worked as long as he was physically able to do so.
As part of his involvement in the church music community, Mike worked tirelessly for the American Guild of Organists, Greater Greensboro Chapter, serving as Treasurer, Sub-Dean, and subsequently as Dean. During his tenure as Dean, he was the instigator and organizer of ten annual AGO concerts designed to raise funds for Hospice chapters in the Triad area. These concerts usually involved other area instrumentalists, which served to expand the community interest in the concerts. After his term as Dean, Mike continued to serve on the GGAGO Board as Newsletter Editor/Publisher for several years.
Mike was the quintessential church musician, never wishing to gain glory for himself, only for God and the music. As a friend, no one could have asked for a most loyal and true friend as he - never judgmental, but always there in his quiet way with incredibly wry sense of humor, ever supportive and understanding. For those who loved and admired him, his early loss has left us bereft but with cherished memories.
It pleased Mike very much that the GGAGO Board voted to name our scholarship in his honor. The perpetuation of the organ as a viable instrument of the church was fo high importance to him, and we remember Mike each summer with our Michael V. Hill Memorial Summer Series Concerts. It is our hope that you will honor the life-force that was Mike by contributing to the Michael V. Hill Memorial Scholarship, which will foster future talented organists like Mike Hill.
This scholarship has been a dream of many in our chapter and the Board is pleased and excited to finally make these funds available to talented, area youth. If you know of any potential organ students or have questions about the scholarship, please contact our Piedmont NC Dean, Bill Allred.
Even as a small child, Mike knew that he wanted to learn to play the organ. After watching and listening to the organist play the organ in church each Sunday, he would go home with his family and pretend to play the organ on his mother's drop-front dressing table, even using his feet! Even though he later became involved in the business world, he never lost his love of classical and ecclesiastical music and continued to serve as a church musician in the area.
He first served at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Greensboro as organist and choirmaster in the early 1970's. Next he was called to Thomasville to serve as organist and choirmaster at Heidelberg United Church of Christ. In 1981, he was called as organist to First Baptist Church in High Point, serving for almost twenty years. Mike continued to serve as a substitute organist in the Triad area even after he became ill. His last church service was played at First Presbyterian in High Point in June of 2005.
For several years, Mike was the owner and head floral designer at Lowdermilk Florist on Wendover Avenue in Greensboro. In this capacity, he was a member of the Piedmont Triad Florist Association and the N.C. State Florist Association, and he served on the Board of Directors of the Southern Retail Association for many years. Mike had many talents which he displayed with taste and aplomb. After the sale of Lowdermilk Florist, Mike enjoyed a fairly brief stint as the owner/operator of a gift shop in Adams Farm, after which he joined Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc. of Colfax as head music engraver, where he worked as long as he was physically able to do so.
As part of his involvement in the church music community, Mike worked tirelessly for the American Guild of Organists, Greater Greensboro Chapter, serving as Treasurer, Sub-Dean, and subsequently as Dean. During his tenure as Dean, he was the instigator and organizer of ten annual AGO concerts designed to raise funds for Hospice chapters in the Triad area. These concerts usually involved other area instrumentalists, which served to expand the community interest in the concerts. After his term as Dean, Mike continued to serve on the GGAGO Board as Newsletter Editor/Publisher for several years.
Mike was the quintessential church musician, never wishing to gain glory for himself, only for God and the music. As a friend, no one could have asked for a most loyal and true friend as he - never judgmental, but always there in his quiet way with incredibly wry sense of humor, ever supportive and understanding. For those who loved and admired him, his early loss has left us bereft but with cherished memories.
It pleased Mike very much that the GGAGO Board voted to name our scholarship in his honor. The perpetuation of the organ as a viable instrument of the church was fo high importance to him, and we remember Mike each summer with our Michael V. Hill Memorial Summer Series Concerts. It is our hope that you will honor the life-force that was Mike by contributing to the Michael V. Hill Memorial Scholarship, which will foster future talented organists like Mike Hill.
This scholarship has been a dream of many in our chapter and the Board is pleased and excited to finally make these funds available to talented, area youth. If you know of any potential organ students or have questions about the scholarship, please contact our Piedmont NC Dean, Bill Allred.
