12 MUSIC STUDENTS GET MEN OF SONG BURSARIES

BRACEBRIDGE — A dozen talented young Muskoka musicians serious about studying are getting financial help from the Men of Song.

The Bracebridge-based vocal ensemble announced their 2020 bursary awards on the group’s 36th anniversary.

The male choristers provide choral music in Muskoka and the Sean Kelly Memorial Bursary Program, named after late founding member Sean Kelly, was created in 1990, says a release this week from Ken Veitch, chair of the Men of Song’s Sean Kelly Bursary committee.

The 2020 student winners represent a wide variety of musicianship in voice, violin, piano, trumpet, flute, and drums.

Some of the students will be performing at future concerts of The Muskoka Men of Song at the Rene M. Caisse Memorial Theatre and other venues in the district.

  • Alex Cull of Huntsville (violin with Suzuki School of Music) and Gabby White of Utterson (various instruments with instructor Kim Barlow) are graduating students from our program and our members wish them well as they move on to universities and college.
  • Family members Tessa, Margot, Simon and Bridget Johnson, of Bracebridge, excel at violin and piano and are also students of Suzuki School of Music and Mary Ruth Roadhouse and Jeanette Martin.
  • Cam Galloway, of Bracebridge, is a stand-up performer in voice and guitar and is a student of Leanne Edwards and Billy Bridger of Kingston.
  • Beniah Good (piano) and Javan Good (piano and flute), are both from Bracebridge and are students of Woodhouse in piano and Melissa Meystadt in flute.
  • Ethan Pinto, of Bracebridge (piano), also studies with Roadhouse.
  • Odette Giese and Alexander Giese, of Port Sydney (piano), are students of Suzuki School of Music.

All the students have proven their efficiency in their chosen musical studies and will be welcome additions to The Muskoka Men of Song concert presentations, says Veitch.

The Sean Kelly Bursaries were started in 1990 and have been a musical education staple for 30 years now helping dozens of young musicians in all fields pursue advanced musical studies.