Media releases

• Brock Department of Music to add string orchestra

  Friday, March 17, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 17 March 2017  – R00057

  A new string orchestra coming this fall will help attract new students and community musicians to Brock University’s Department of Music.

  For the first time in its 47-year history, the Department of Music will offer String Orchestra as part of its ensemble bank starting in September. The addition will make the Department’s programs more appealing to potential students, as it brings a much stronger string presence to its activities.

  “We have been trying to attract quality string students to the Department, and our lack of in-house orchestra has definitely been a detriment,” says Department of Music Chair Karin Di Bella.

  The string group will be added to the existing ensemble roster of the Brock University Choirs, and the Brock University Wind Ensemble.

  The String Orchestra has been developed to serve two key needs: filling a need in the Department’s curriculum; and providing a place for community string players to share their talents.

  “We have appreciated a partnership with the Niagara Symphony Youth Orchestra and the community-based Mercredi Musique in the past, but incoming students really want their ensemble experience to be housed at the University,” says Di Bella.

  Based on the successful model of the Wind Ensemble, the String Orchestra will work as a partnership between the Department and the community, welcoming community members to the group to fill out the numbers needed for the ensemble to be viable.

  Mercredi Musique is a key partner in the development of this new ensemble. Following the loss of their long-time music director Paul Van Dongen, the group ceased activity at the end of the 2015-16 season.

  “We are enthusiastic in our support of this endeavour. It’s an ideal direction for both the community and the University,” says Chris Thorne, former concertmaster of Mercredi Musique.

  Community string players are welcome to audition for the new Brock University String Orchestra. Auditions will be held this summer, with information posted on the Department website in the coming months. Auditions for an ensemble conductor will also be held. Any string specialists interested in applying for the conductor position should check Brock’s Human Resources listings, and let the Department know of their interest.

  The String Orchestra will rehearse during the academic year from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays in Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
   
  * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

  Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock student overcomes injury to win national grant

  Thursday, March 16, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 16 March 2017 – R00055

  Alex Finlayson knows what it’s like to get knocked down — and to fight to get back up again.
   
  The third-year Brock Concurrent Education student began a long road to recovery after suffering a serious concussion during a hockey game in late 2015. Through the headaches, memory loss and difficulty concentrating, Finlayson pushed forward and continued to work toward her goal of becoming a French-language educator.
   
  As a result, the 20-year-old Etobicoke native was recently recognized with a coveted national grant given to only three people annually across the country.
   
  Finlayson was chosen for the 2016-17 Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Endowment Fund for Study in a Second Official Language, a $7,000 national bursary to support her continued education.
   
  “To apply and be chosen while working through the concussion is something I’m really proud of accomplishing,” Finlayson said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get my application in on time because of the headaches I was experiencing and other symptoms.”
   
  The application process required several writing components outlining Finlayson’s background, love of teaching and involvement of French in her future career. The concussion caused her to struggle, but her drive to succeed pushed her past the obstacles the injury left in her way.
   
  Finlayson has never been one to shy away from a challenge. As a child, she decided to pursue French immersion schooling later than most, despite having no background in the language.
   
  “I was in third grade,” she said with a laugh. “I thought it was so cool to be able to speak another language. It was something no one in my family could do, so I wanted to.”
   
  Finlayson hopes to someday pass her passion for French along to her students.
   
  “I want to help kids see what’s so great about French and what the benefits are of studying another language,” she said.
   
  The grant money will support her tuition costs, with a portion also set aside to aid in future travel to France.
   
  “I’m planning to do a teaching placement there so I can simultaneously work and develop my French language further,” she said.
   
  Finlayson was able to rejoin Brock’s hockey team in November after an extended period off the ice. She credits the support of her teammates, coaches, family and friends for helping to make her comeback — in the rink and in the classroom — a reality.
   
  “It was a long process,” she said. “I’m grateful to have been able to make such a strong recovery.”
   
   
   
  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:
   
  * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970
   
  Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.
   
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  Categories: Media releases