The perfect pitch

Ben Duinker won a $17,500 SSHRC grant. (Abriel photo)

Department of Music graduate  Benjamin Duinker has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarship. He is planning to study percussion performance followed by music theory at the master's level at McGill University in Montreal.

The Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) program was established in 2003 as a partnership of the three federal granting agencies. The program seeks to develop research skills and assist in the training of highly-qualified personnel by supporting students in the social sciences and humanities who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies. The scholarship value is $17,500 for 12 months at a Canadian university. Mr. DuinkerÕs application was one of 19 proposals sent forward from Dalhousie University from a pool of 40 applicants. 

The application procedure for the award required a great deal of detailed information, but was well worth it. ÒI'm very grateful that this opportunity came my way and encourage others in the music department to apply to SSHRC as well,” he says.

Mr. Duinker, who was awarded the University Medial in Music at Convocation, is considering many future paths such as combining performance and teaching, or perhaps pursuing his doctorate.