For the fifth consecutive year, the Greater New Haven Community Chorus is proud to offer the GNHCC Choral Conducting Assistant Scholarship.  This program presents a remarkable opportunity for a university or college student who is interested in the art of choral conducting.

Applicants should currently be enrolled in a local college, community college, or university undergraduate or graduate music degree program and have a strong interest in choral music, conducting, and teaching. 

Recipients of the scholarship:

• receive podium time to practice the art of conducting
• benefit from the mentorship of the Artistic Director, receiving detailed guidance and coaching both on and off the podium
• are awarded a monetary scholarship in the total amount of $1500

Interested applicants should apply online at gnhcc.org.  Application deadline: Tuesday, April 15, 2014.

We encourage you to use the "Forward To A Friend" button on the right to send this to candidates that may be interested in this great opportunity!

"I wish I learned how to read music ..." If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say it ...  In truth, even those who read music cite some insecurity, and most often it's with the rhythm side of things.

In my comparatively short career as a conductor and educator I have worked with all kinds of musicians; some who are incredibly fluent in the reading of music, most who openly admit to being less-than-fluent, and then there are those who "don't read" at all.  In a majority of the latter two examples, folks primarily acknowledge a feeling of insecurity with rhythm.  Rhythm is one of the two chief elements of reading music, yet we seem to avoid confronting this insecurity head-on.  Why is that?  Is it scary?  Are we afraid that our deficiency will be exposed?  No, I believe we avoid it because it feels daunting and is not as easy to connect with as a beautiful melody - so we focus on the melodic language of music and rhythm takes the backseat.

Well, here is our opportunity to forget the daunting arithmetic (remember it from our school days?) and think about rhythm much like that beautiful melody.  Ritmica addresses rhythm as a "musical element", as something that is melodic and intuitive.  Imagine how freeing it would be to glance at a measure of black-dots and feel the rhythm and how it enhances the music, without thinking "1-and-2-and-3-and ..." or "gosh, there are ties ... abort ... abort ... abort."

Ritmica with Percussionist and Educator Chelsea Tinsler - - be there!  Seriously, it will change your musical life!!  Register today!