A local graduate is planning to continue her musical education this fall, with the help of a vocal scholarship.

Kristine Volz, 17, the daughter of Scott and Lori, will attend Augsburg College this fall. The family lives on a farm near Frost, and Kristine attended Blue Earth Area Schools.

Kristine has been studying with Albert Lean Sharon Astrupp-Scott since she was in fifth grade. She first started with viola lessons and then in seventh grade started with private vocal lessons as well.

“She’s taught me a lot,” Kristine said.

Recently, Kristine gave a 40-minute concert featuring both vocal songs and pieces played on her viola. Her next performance will be Wednesday at the rotunda in Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea. Kristine will perform with Astrupp-Scott, her mother, Lori, and another student of Astrupp-Scott’s. The performance will be at 12:30 p.m. Kristine said she’s no longer as nervous when performing as she used to be.

“Every time I perform I get a little more comfortable,” Kristine said.

Her teacher also engrained in her the importance of knowing her audience. Kristine said it’s important to her to remember to think about her audience and what they’d prefer to hear.

In high school Kristine was a member of the orchestra and choir, and another choir group, the Madrigals, who performed during the Christmas season. Being a student of Astrupp-Scott’s, she’s also performed recitals and at luncheons or other community events. She’s excited for school to start so she can be surrounded by more musicians and learn from other instructors.

She auditioned in February both vocally and playing her viola. She had to pick between the two and decide one focus. She said after a lot of thought she chose to continue with vocal studies, but she’ll still plan to be in the orchestra.

“I cried after my last high school choir concert,” Kristine said. “I said ‘Mom, I can’t be done.’”

With the vocal scholarship, of $3,000 a year for four years, and an academic scholarship she got for having a GPA of more than 4.0 and an ACT score of 30, much of her college tuition will be covered. She said that while she’ll still work on her family’s farm in the summers, she’ll be glad not to have to work during the school year because her studies and extra vocal lessons will be intense. She plans to double major in chemistry and music.

“I don’t know what I want to do I just know the two things I’m interested in,” Kristine said.

She said she knows chemistry is a more practical major, but the more she learns about music and the more she performs she’s starting thinking about music as a profession. Her mom, Lori, director of finance and operations for the Albert Lea School District, said she’s not worried about Kristine because she’s always excelled in things she’s tried.

“She’s worked so hard for so many years,” Lori said.

Kristine said she first got interested in music because of her older brother, Dan, who also went to Augsburg College and double majored in chemistry and music. She and her mother would attend concerts and operas with him, and she enjoyed seeing professional musicians perform.

“He and my mom exposed me to music,” Kristine said.

Music wasn’t her only passion in high school — she played a lot of sports too. Kristine played volleyball, basketball and ran cross country.