Two Carroll County juniors, one a student at J.Z. George and the other a student at Winona High School, now have the opportunity to continue their education at the Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven.
Jessica Luke of Carrollton and Natalie Rosamond of Vaiden both applied for MSA during their sophomore year. Luke auditioned for the vocal music discipline and Rosamond auditioned for the dance discipline.
Luke and Rosamond both said a recruiter from the Mississippi School of Arts stopped by J.Z. George High School and Winona High School and set up a table during their sophomore year. They said after hearing the presentation, they each decided to go through with the admissions process into MSA. The process to attend MSA is a lengthy one.
In order for a student to be considered for the school, the student has to apply Feb. 1 of their sophomore year, have 12 credits upon completion of the 10th grade year, Demonstrate artistic achievement in the visual, performing, or literary arts, Submit a completed online application with supporting documents, Complete an on-site interview (by invitation only), Audition and/or present a portfolio for review on site (by invitation only), Have an overall high school grade point average of 2.5 (Schools must include all visual and performing arts course grades in calculating overall GPA) and Provide results from the ACT (no minimum score required).
“There’s a lot of paperwork involved, a lot of paperwork,” Luke said. She said she began the process in December and didn’t hear anything back until April.
Rosamond said she applied for vocal, theatre and dance. “I applied in the winter of last year, and I didn’t hear anything back until the Spring,” Rosamond said. “I had to decide which one I wanted to do. I figured I was already good in vocal and theatre, I went for dance because I want to improve my dance so that I can be well-rounded for musical theatre.”
Rosamond said for vocal, potential students had to have a song prepared, perform the song, and be able to read music.
“I sang the ‘Star Spangled Banner,’” she said. For theatre, students had to prepare a monologue and one of the judges, who was also a teacher at the school, would put his own spin on it. Rosamond said for her monologue she said to argue with her parents.
She added that she doesn’t argue with her parents, but she had to get into character. Students also had to be able to sight read and movement across the stage.
“You had to be able to be mad, happy and upset,” Rosamond said.
For dance, which Rosamond said was the longest audition, she had to do a solo ballet. Students have to express movement across the stage for two hours.
“We had to wait another month for auditions,” Luke said. Rosamond said she was accepted for all three after going through the audition process.
Luke said it was nerve-wrecking for me but after she completed the interview and audition process, where she had to sing, it then was the waiting period.
During the summer, Luke said she was invited to a summer camp to see who her teachers would be and if she would like the environment.
“When I got on campus, I loved it,” she said. “It was kind of like an experiment.” For Luke, MSA is her dream school and she’s living out of her dream.
Rosamond didn’t know about summer camp, so her first day on MSA was when she attended her first class.
Both said being at MSA is extremely different from being at J.Z. George and Winona High Schools and it’s a taste of college life.
“I’m surrounded by people who want to be there because you have to go through so much to get in school,” Luke said. “As opposed to being in school with some people who are there because the state makes them.”
MSA is a residential school and for some, it’s hard to adjust to living on campus. But, for Luke, she said because she’s moved around, it wasn’t hard for her to adjust. For Rosamond, it took some getting used to being away from home and living with a roommate.
“My mom works out of town so I’m used to it. I miss her, it’s not like everyday life when I used to seeing her,” Luke said. “When I stepped on campus, it’s like I’ve been here all my life. The people are really nice.”
“It was rough at first, I’ve never been away from home and my parents, Becky and Ken Rosamond, are very close. My mom helps me to keep my head screwed on straight. Now, I have to do everything on my own here. You miss that emotional support but it’s gotten a lot easier.”
Rosamond said there’s a floor mom that students can go to if they’re ever feeling homesick or just need someone to talk to.
Both girls said it takes some getting used to living with someone that you don’t know.
“You have to get use to each other,” she said. Luke said for her, sharing a room has been a little more difficult.
“It depends,” Rosamond said. “I was blessed to be with someone that I like. It’s okay, you have to get used to their living habits and how they shower.”
MSA is in the heart of Brookhaven, just up the road from Brookhaven High School. They said for their core classes that are not taught at MSA, they takes them at the high school.
“It’s different,” she said. “It’s like they (the students) don’t really talk to the MSA students. They’re all about sports.”
She said she likes living in Brookhaven and its clear that the residents of Brookhaven takes care of their town. “You don’t see a whole lot of litter on the ground,” she said. “It’s a nice place.”
“It’s really fun,” Rosamond said. “I’ve having a nice time. We get to take Walmart trips and late night food funs that’s really fun.”
After MSA, Luke said she wants to continue her vocal education at Boston University.
“This summer, I’m attending a camp summer camp at the Tanglewood Institute at Boston University,” she said. “I did the application in November. If I like, then I’ll attend there.”
Rosamond said she wants to major in dance or musical theatre and has dreams of one day being on Broadway.
“It’s wherever life pulls me,” she said. “You never know with me, I’m always doing last minute stuff. Whatever it is, it’s going to be in the arts. I love the arts. I want to thank my art teacher Vanessa Miller for encouraging me and pushed me to apply and Shirley Hamilton who always gives me advice and my parents who have supported me from the very beginning.”
