The Music Connection Announces Winners of 1st Annual Summer Camp Scholarships

The Music Connection of Orland Park and Frankfort held its first summer camp scholarship competition on Sunday, April 13 at The Music Connection in Orland Park.

“Since the recession, I noticed a drop in the numbers of local students who attend summer music camps” Janet Kuester, owner and director of The Music Connection stated. “I wanted to start encouraging our students to experience the value of summer music camp: it is truly immersion. For students who are working so hard with trying to balance studies with practicing, camp is often a time where exceptional progress can be made.”

Two students, Rachel Singh and Natalie Mattson were the scholarship winners.

The students submitted an essay about why they wanted to attend camp, teacher recommendation, and performed one musical selection for the judges.

Rachel Singh of New Lenox, daughter of Rick and Chris Singh, is a student at Lincoln-Way West High School. She is the principal violist of the Lincolnway West Orchestra under the direction of Stacy Williams-Jackson. She plans to study music at Blue Lake Music Camp this summer. Rachel is a student of Heather Carlasare who teaches violin and viola.

Natalie Mattson is 12 years old and attends Hadley Middle School in Homer Glen where she is in the sixth grade.  She has been singing since she was about 2 years old.  In 2010, she started voice lessons with Gretel Mink Hansen at The Music Connection in Orland Park.  At Hadley, she is in Chorus under the direction of Diane Pullara.  She has also been a member of the Chamber Opera Chicago Children's Choir for the past two years.  In addition to voice lessons, she takes piano lessons at The Music Connection and has been doing so since 2009.  Another of her activities is dance, she studies ballet, jazz, tap, and hip hop dance styles.  During her free time, she enjoys reading and drawing.  She has a great love for music and comes from a very musical family.  One of her many dreams is to become a performer on Broadway and she is very excited to have received this scholarship so that she can pursue her dream.

The students will be recognized at the Music Connection Open House on May 10 from 12:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Music Connection, with studios in Orland Park and Frankfort, offers private and group, Suzuki and traditional music instruction in Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Guitar, Voice, Harp, Clarinet, as well as Art Classes for all ages and abilities. For further information about the Open House or Music Connection lessons and summer programs, visit the website, www.theconnection2music.com or call 708-364-7590 or 815-464-4434.