Music Matters Inclusive Choir Newsletter February 2013

Musical Director: Grinne OGrady www.facebook.com/inclusivechoir e: inclusivechoir@gmail.com www.twitter.com/InclusiveChoir M: 087-9803020 www.musicmatterschoir.blogspot.ie W: www.musicmatters.ie www.meetup.com/Music-Matters-Inclusive-Choir-Dublin

Rehearsal Venue: NLBI, 21 Hill St, Dublin 1 (Wednesday evenings, 7-9 PM) Childrens and Youth Choirs starting in Dublin City Centre and Lucan/Chapelizod soon! Grinne also teaches music, piano and singing lessons at a number of different locations, including Kinsealy, Swords, Ballymun, Lucan, Celbridge, Leixlip, Dundrum, Rathfarnham and Terenure. She is also starting Developmental Music classes for parents and babies/toddlers from 9 months up to 4 years, in Dublin City Centre, Swords/Kinsealy and Ballymun soon January was a very busy and interesting month for Music Matters Inclusive Choir! We learned 5 new songs - South African spiritual songs; Siyahamba/ We Are Marching and Bambelela/ Never Give Up, Perry Comos Catch a Falling Star which featured in several films including The Princess Diaries and Love Actually, and 2 Disney classics; I Wanna be Like You from The Jungle Book and Can You Feel the Love Tonight? from The Lion King On Wednesday 30th January, everyone was delighted that Annie, a member of Kellie and the Scruffs, who performed at our concert, last November, could join us at rehearsal. She played the piano so brilliantly!

New Years Raffle On Wednesday 30 January the raffle took place at the end of rehearsal
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The winners are: Ettie Reddy Corina Hegarty Stephen Hennessy Jessamyne Fairfield Mark McPhillips

Jennifer Sullivan Jacob Enget Mary ODonohoe Matt Mooney Michael Talbot

Brenda Murphy Lena Hosford Anne Mackey Jacinta Halpin Denise Towell

Eileen Cahill Jacob Enget Lucas ONeill Paul Kirwin Richenda Talbot

Congratulations to you all! Thank you to EVERYONE who bought tickets and for generously donating to our choir and the National League of the Blind of Ireland. We really value your support! Carols for Commuters Latest News Last December, at our Carol Singing events in Connolly and Heuston Train Stations, we raised a grand total of 1, 269.05 which will be split between our choir and St Michaels House. St Michaels House will start up music programmes. Grinne has ordered new microphones, an amp and a guitar for our choir. We have also had the piano tuned. Thank you to EVERYONE who sang at these events and those who donated so generously!

Training Opportunities in the Arts for People with Disabilities and Mental Health Conditions Grinne has been working very closely with Emma Connors, from the Axis Theatre in Ballymun, to set up unique training opportunities for anyone with a disability or mental health condition who wants to work or study in the performing arts (singing, playing instruments, dancing, theatre etc.) The Axis Theatre is awarding a few Residencies, and anyone who is awarded a Residency will get free access to the recording studio, dance studio and professional coaching Rehab also has funding for people with disabilities and mental health conditions who wish to study or work in the performing arts. The Visual and Performing Arts Fund is open to people interested in a wide range of visual and performing arts from painting, sculpture and graphic art to film and drama, music and dance. The closing date for the first year of the Rehab Visual and Performing Arts Fund is Thursday, February 28th 2013. If you wish to apply, see this website: http://www.rehab.ie/about/VisualAndPerformingArtsFund.aspx Music Matters at Lift Youth Arts Festival Music Matters is delighted to announce that we are running an exciting series of vocal workshops and an integrated choir for young people, with and without disabilities, who are aged 16-26, over the next few weeks! Rehearsals will take place every Friday in the Axis Theatre, Ballymun from 5-7PM, approx - starting within the next couple of weeks (more details to follow) This youth choir will perform at the LiFT Youth Arts Festival which will take place in Ballymun from the 20th-27th March 2013. The LiFT Youth Arts Festival is the highlight of Ballymuns Cultural Calendar Music will include positive pop from artists such as Lady Gaga and Rihanna. For one full week, the streets and venues of Ballymun will be hopping as young people showcase and experience the very best of youth arts! Members of the adult choir will also learn the same songs on Wednesday evenings at the NLBI. We hope that both choirs can combine and put on a choral showcase in the Axis Theatre in March Volunteer Opportunities at Music Matters Music Matters believes that it cannot achieve its mission without the active involvement of volunteers. We have been delighted to welcome 3 new volunteers, Andrea, Jayde and Lee to our rehearsals in the NLBI over the past 3 weeks. There are a number of interesting volunteer and internship roles available Music Matters is hoping to train 2 or 3 people in this area. It would be fantastic if we can train up one of our singers to take on this role. After all, Music Matters is a member-led organisation, so we would love the members themselves to take on more managerial roles! This is the ideal opportunity for anyone who wishes to gain great experience in the performing arts, Human Resources and Volunteer Management. If you wish to apply for the position of Volunteer Manager, you must commit to the 4 Training Modules, which are available at a choice of 2 locations. If you are interested, talk to Grinne. Remember that volunteers give the best gift of all THEMSELVES!

Very Exciting Announcement!

At our next rehearsal on Wednesday 13th February, we will have a very Special Guest! Kathleen Lynch, Minister for Disability, Older People, Equality and Mental Health, will hear us sing some of our best songs. We are all delighted and honoured that she can take time from her busy job to join us and learn what our choir is about!