TOAST, the band sponsored by the Dave Jodka Scholarship for Future Rockers at South Shore Conservatory performs at the 2018 Mad Love Music Festival, an annual event that funds the SSC scholarship.
The South Shore Conservatory (SSC) is currently accepting applications for the Dave Jodka Scholarship for Future Rockers. Established in 2016, the scholarship offers high school music students the opportunity to participate in a high quality, coached rock band at SSC, underwritten in memory of Dave Jodka, an inspired rock aficionado. The scholarship provides an opportunity for rock students from all backgrounds to learn the art and business of contemporary and rock music, and experience the love of music that Jodka inspired in his family and in his life.
Dave Jodka, who died in 2014, loved to rock. From the moment he attended his first concert, his life was forever changed. Over the course of his life, Jodka grew in musicianship by playing guitar, bass, drums and singing. As an adult, he worked in finance for more than 20 years, but still remained faithful to his pursuits in music. A family man who resided in Scituate with his wife Kathleen and four children, Jodka passed away from cancer, inspiring friends and family to embark on a journey to keep his memory alive through the creation of the Mad Love Music Festival, which premiered at SSC in October, 2015. The annual festival features renowned local musicians and activities for music lovers of all ages. Proceeds from Mad Love fund the Dave Jodka Scholarship for Future Rockers.
The Future Rockers scholarship is open to high school student musicians (current and non-SSC students) who are interested in joining a hardworking, active, and committed rock band - Toast. The band represents SSC and Future Rockers in the community with public performances at venues such as The Middle East Up, New World Tavern, the C-Note, Innersleeve Records, and more. They have been featured on WCVB’s Five for Good, and recorded several albums and EPs that can be found on Spotify and Bandcamp. The band has recorded at Mad Oak Studios in Allston. As a recipient of the Future Rockers Scholarship, the chosen applicant will participate in weekly ensemble coaching, recording sessions, songwriting and composition practice, DIY shows with other student-bands, creating and distributing merchandise, and booking venues.
“When I first found out about the scholarship and the opportunity to join Toast, I felt extremely lucky to have been given the awesome opportunity to make music in a family of great musicians where I could express my ideas and creative interests. Being in Toast is like existing in a school of fish, where each fish looks different, has a different life, and comes from different families, yet each fish brings something cool and new to the school, and contributes to make a loving, supportive, and fun whole. We all really appreciate all the hard work and support we receive from the Jodkas and the Mad Love Music Festival. Knowing that people of all ages are making an effort to see us play, spread the word about our gigs, and buy our merch, each show is sicker than the last. I am truly grateful for the amazing experience given to me by the Jodka family who continue to inspire us to make music and support each other!” – Cici Monarch, 14, of Hingham and proud member of Toast.
Applicants should possess a good mastery of their instrument/voice (at least three years of study), a true passion for working with an ensemble and performing in public, and must be willing to commit to the band for a 12-month period from June 2019 through June 2020.
The band will perform at the fifth annual Dave Jodka Mad Love Music Festival on October 13, 2019 at SSC’s Jane Carr Amphitheater in Hingham, and perform at other venues throughout the year. Students must be available for coaching for 1.5 hours a week on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7 pm at SSC’s Duxbury campus, at 64 St. George Street, starting in June 2019. Coaching will continue through the summer (with some flexibility), culminating in a three-day intensive.
Applicants are required to complete the form at https://sscmusic.org/mad-love-scholarship/ and submit a two-minute performance video playing their instrument(s) and/or singing. All application materials are due by April 29, 2019. Applicants selected for a call back audition will be notified by email.