Music Masters Fellowship Program Full Scholarship, Nine-Week SOUL & R&B Vocal Ensemble Workshop

East End Arts is accepting student applications for the 2015 Music Masters Fellowship Program, a nine-week, full scholarship, intensive vocal ensemble workshop opportunity which will be led and mentored by professional soul and R&B vocalist Anastasia René, with piano accompanist Mark Mancini. The program will take place from September 28 through December 1. To apply, high school student vocalists must submit an online application including a recorded performance sample.

The deadline to submit applications is Friday, July 17. Application and all program information is available online.

Long Island high school student vocalists (ages 14 through 18) with a passion for music are encouraged to apply for this rigorous workshop opportunity for all vocal ranges. Workshop rehearsals will be held on Monday evenings between September 28 and November 30 at the East End Arts School Carriage House in Riverhead, with a final performance on Tuesday, December 1 at a Riverhead-area location to be announced.

There are no fees for participation in the Music Masters Fellowship Program. Of the applicants, a select few will be chosen to participate in the vocal ensemble based upon their performance skills.

Program mentor, professional vocalist Anastasia René is an active musician, performing across the globe with many talented and popular musicians. The selected students will have the incredible opportunity to work under the tutelage of this professional, and will be given training in professional rehearsal and performance skills.

This full scholarship, tuition-free fellowship program allows select students to participate in an ensemble of talent, under the guidance of a music industry professional.

Application submissions are now being accepted by the East End Arts School, and must be received by July 17 to be considered for this program. Recording quality of performance sample will not be judged. For application and complete details, visit the event website.

About the mentor:

Anastasia René began singing at age 12 when she began training with vocal coach, Jerry Bragin (coach to Steve & Edie and Dionne Warwick). After graduating from NYC’s prestigious Talent Unlimited High School program, she continued on in various choruses through college while earning a Bachelor’s degree in African and African American Music Performance.

After college she quickly secured her own weekly gig at the Village Gate, and was brought on to sing backing vocals for Buzzy Linhart while keeping busy working in myriad genres, recording and performing with local and regional rock, folk, R&B, reggae, jam and funk bands.

Her past and current credits as lead and backing vocalist include Vince Welnick (the Tubes, Grateful Dead), Charles Neville (Neville Brothers), New Orleans piano phenomenon Henry Butler, and Scott Sharrard (Gregg Allman Band). All the while, she has kept her jazz chops honed with her own quartet which has toured Israel, Moscow and Siberia, and Scandinavia and which continues to perform internationally. In 2012 she joined Italian Blues sensation Roberto Morbioli and Roomful of Blues onstage at the Luxembourg Blues Festival.

Her most recent recorded work includes Gwen Wahman’s Certitude (Bahai’i texts set to music) on Mike Longo’s CAP record label, reggae artist Bigga Haitian’s Sak Pase, rock band El Camino’s Autobiotics, and Smooth Jazz artist Matt Marshak’s This Time Around, amongst others.

She cites such musical influences as Nina Simone, Chaka Khan, and Cassandra Wilson. For more information about the mentor, click here.

More about the Music Masters Fellowship Program:

The Music Masters Fellowship Program was created with the goal of providing local students with one-on-one learning opportunities with masters in the music field, and to encourage student pursuit of post-graduate education. By creating this exciting and enriching program for the students, East End Arts is the catalyst for an expanded sense of opportunity and possibility throughout the academic year.

The fellowship program is mentored by a master performer and composer in rock music, jazz, world music or classical music, who works with a small group of talented high school students. Participating students are selected based on auditions. The pilot program, which took place during the spring of 2011, was mentored by Corky Laing, drummer and songwriter from “Mountain,” and “West, Bruce & Laing”; the second program, held during Spring 2012 was mentored by singer/songwriter Lauren Kinhan of New York Voices and JaLaLa; the 2013 program was a string ensemble led by professional cellist and conductor Nico Olarte-Hayes; and the most recent program, held during Fall 2014, was a jazz ensemble led by Professional Guitarist Steve Salerno.

For more information about the Music Masters Fellowship Program, contact East End Arts Education Director Diane Giardi at 631-369-2171 or by email.

Source: East End Arts press release dated July 6, 2015.