The last few weeks before half term were busy for the Music Department, with students taking part in a wide variety of performances and workshops. Keep reading to find out about their workshops on Gamelan, endangered instruments, and growing confidence through music.
On Tuesday 1st October, all LC1 students got to experience the sights and sounds of Indonesian Gamelan in workshops led by external specialist, Jonathan Roberts.
The walls of the Princess Hall were filled with sparkling Balinese sounds, with pupils learning about the context and cultural settings of the style as well as recording a performance of a piece to then analyse together in class.
Their energy and enthusiasm were both excellent, and their curiosity about the style really made an impression on Jonathan.
Mr Keir, Head of Academic Music
As part of our Friday Enrichment Programme, on 4th October all the LC1s had a demonstration of the Instruments of the Orchestra in the Woodwind and Brass faculty and the double bass. The event named ‘Endangered Species’ mainly focused on the instruments fewer children are currently taking up - bassoon, oboe, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba and double bass.
In addition to our visiting music teachers giving live demonstrations on their main instrument, many of our advanced College student musicians also presented, performed and helped with instrumental trials.
The LC1s had an opportunity to try out each of the instruments and chat to the older students about their experiences performing in College. Our older CLC students helped to create a real buzz of excitement around the event this year, with 16 LC1s expressing an interest to further their curiosity through individual trial lessons.
Learning these instruments offers girls tremendous performing opportunities as there are not the same number of girls to compete for places in orchestras, jazz band or wind band. Playing with a group of like-minded, dedicated musicians is a lot of fun and has significant benefits for wellbeing and confidence. Additionally, learning a musical instrument helps teach girls discipline, teamwork, leadership, creativity, patience and dedication.
Many thanks to all the students who helped out this year, I am immensely proud to have seen these students develop as instrumentalists over the past few years, but also importantly their confidence as speakers and performers. I am certain their experience as instrumentalists, combined with their support of each other, has helped feed into this growth of confidence.
Mrs Bungard, Head of Woodwind, Brass and Percussion
We took some of our most advanced CLC French horn and double reed players to two separate events at Wells Cathedral School during October to work on their ensemble playing, meet like-minded young musicians and experience coaching from some of the country’s leading professional music teachers and performers.
On Sunday 6th October, 48 young French horn players gathered for a day of ensemble playing. The day was held in conjunction with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. It was fantastic to see and hear a superb and inspiring all-female French horn quartet.
Our own musicians, Zadie and Obasorekunmi, had the opportunity to sit in rehearsals next to these performers who are studying performance full time and on the cusp of launching their own professional careers.
Due to one of the tutors being ill on the day, our own wonderful French horn teacher Laura Morris was also invited to perform principal horn in the tutors’ performance! The collective sound of all students and tutors joining forces to perform the finale in the concert was truly awesome.
On Saturday 12th October, we took five of our advanced double reed players to Wells Cathedral School. Two of our CLC musicians, Mary (bassoon) and Audrey (oboe) performed confidently in open masterclass sessions; all students took part in chamber music rehearsals and had the opportunity to experiment making their own reeds. The day culminated with a performance of over 80 other oboists and bassoonists in a brilliant educational composition Duck to Diva, aimed at complete beginners to diploma level musicians performing together in one exciting piece.
Mrs Bungard, Head of Woodwind, Brass and Percussion
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