Home Community Announcements East End Arts seeking teen musicians for Music Mentorship Program

East End Arts seeking teen musicians for Music Mentorship Program

Bakithi Kumalo performs at Live on the Vine Photo credit: Lenny Stucker

If you are passionate about music and are between the ages of 14 and 18, don’t miss this opportunity to work with and learn from a world-famous musician right here in Riverhead.

Student applications are now open to teen vocalists and musicians, and the deadline has been extended for the 2017 Music Masters Mentorship Program, an intensive, full scholarship, six-week ensemble workshop opportunity which will be led and mentored by professional musician Bakithi Kumalo, bassist for Paul Simon.

There are no fees for participation in the Music Masters Mentorship Program. Of all applications received, a select few will be chosen to participate in the ensemble based on their performance skills. This full scholarship, tuition-free mentorship program allows select students to participate in an ensemble of talent, under the guidance of a music industry professional.

Program mentor, professional musician Bakithi Kumalo is a South African bassist, composer and vocalist who has worked with a wide variety of diverse artists including Gloria Estefan, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Harry Belafonte, Cyndi Lauper, and Paul Simon. The selected students will have the opportunity to work under the tutelage of this professional and will be given training in professional rehearsal and performance skills.

To apply, high school student musicians and vocalists must submit an online application including an audio or video performance sample. Please note that the recording quality of performance sample will not be judged.

The deadline to submit applications has been extended Sunday, December 18, 2016. Click here for the application and all program information.

The program will take place from January 3 through February 11, 2017. This rigorous workshop opportunity for those studying bass, keyboard, drums, guitar, sax, trumpet, and/or voice. Ensemble workshop rehearsals will be held evenings from 4 to 7 p.m. at the East End Arts School Carriage House in Riverhead on the following dates:

Tuesday, January 3
Monday, January 9
Tuesday, January 17
Monday, January 23
Monday, January 30
Monday, February 6

For more information about the Music Masters Mentorship Program, contact East End Arts Education Director Diane Giardi at 631-369-2171 or email her at dgiardi@eastendarts.org.

In addition to the Music Masters Mentorship program taking place during Bakithi’s residency, East End Arts will be offering a musicians’ workshop for adult musicians and a film screening of Under African Skies documentary, which chronicles Paul Simon’s return to South Africa to explore the journey of his Grammy Award-winning Graceland album, which Bakithi is featured in.

More information about these programs can be found here.

Source: Press release issued by East End Arts dated December 6, 2016.