Congratulations to the winnners and to all who participated in the 16th annual VOICES Music Composition Contest for Children!

Since 1987, the VOICES Music Composition Contest for Children has provided over 350 young composers with the impetus to write music. The composition program also provides song-writing workshops led by Lynne Ransom and other VOICES members for local children, and opportunities for classroom and piano teachers to make music theory concrete and to stimulate creative thinking. All children who enjoy music are encouraged to attend and participate.

Our FREE Music Composition Workshops for children give children ages 5 through 12 a great opportunity to develop their musical talent and get feedback from a professional composer. Four workshops were held in Trenton, Princeton and Yardley in the spring of 2005. Children improvise tunes about favorite topics, food, pets, vehicles, etc. and learn how to create rhythmic accompaniment. They create their own rhythm, and experiment with rhythm in a musical form such as a rondo. When the rhythm is put with a melody and text, an original composition is created!

Children ages 5-12 are invited to compose a piece of music with a vocal element for VOICES' annual music composition contest. Children may write it down in any kind of notation (formal or invented) and make a cassette recording. Submit the recording and three written copies; include the child's name and age, assisting adult's name, phone number, address and child's background in music with a $5.00 processing fee to: VOICES Music Composition Contest, P.O. Box 404, Pennington, NJ 08534. Established composers review all entries and children will receive feedback on their submission.

To sign up or for further information, email info@voiceschorale.org or call 609-637-9383.