JOY! Expands With Two New Programs at Jorgensen

Jorgensen Director Rodney Rock has announced that two new initiatives have been added the Jorgensen Outreach for Youth (JOY!) program for the 2010-2011 academic year that will greatly expand the program's outreach. Now in its tenth year, the program has been offering economically challenged children and young adults a variety of cultural experiences that capture their imagination, talent and dreams and enrich their lives.

First, a full music scholarship will be awarded to twelve talented and highly motivated young musicians who will be entering the eighth through twelfth grades in the fall. Scholarship recipients will commit to weekly private lessons with a teacher of their choice, online theory and small, face-to-face group instruction, free attendance at Jorgensen concerts throughout the academic year, master classes with UConn instructors, and student performances. Application information for the scholarships is available on the Jorgensen website at www.jorgensen.uconn.edu/education. The deadline for scholarship applications is May 31, 2010.

The second exciting innovation is the JOY! Chorale, a concert choir for high school and adult voices. The Chorale will provide students in grades 9-12, their parents, and members of the community at large with the opportunity to sing great music together! All levels of music reading ability are welcome. Rehearsals will be held weekly on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. until noon at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on the UConn campus in Storrs starting in September. There is no fee to enroll in the JOY! Chorale, and sheet music will be provided free of charge. The season will culminate in a December holiday concert open to the public.

In its initial year, the Chorale will be directed by Dr. Linda Page Neelly, Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Connecticut and an active clinician and lecturer throughout the U.S. on early childhood music and vocal pedagogy. Dr. Neelly has also served as a primary content advisor for the Sesame Street Music Works initiative and a consultant for the Children's Television Network, the Metropolitan Opera, the Washington National Opera, and school districts and cultural organizations. Her work has been highlighted on national radio and television tours as well as publications including the New York Times, Parents Magazine, and the New Orleans Times Picayune.

As solo performer, she has been featured in symphony, chamber, opera, and Theater Productions including the Atlanta Symphony, Memphis Opera, Rochester Opera, and Eastman Musica Nova.

For further information on the Joy! Chorale, please visit the Jorgensen website at www.jorgensen.edu/education or e-mail Dr. Neelly at Linda.neelly@uconn.edu.