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Applications are now open for The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain 2020

 

Young musicians who are aged 13-18, play at Grade 8 distinction level or equivalent and are totally committed to music.

Musicians who are offered a seat will be attending three orchestral rehearsal residencies, tour dates, three performances throughout the year and between 5-10 days of NYO Inspire activity. Subject to confirmation – the activities take place in schools and concert halls around the UK throughout the year.

Auditions will be held in London, Manchester, and Birmingham during late September – October 2019.

Residency Dates

Saturday 28 December 2019 – Monday 6 January 2020 – NYO Winter Residency

Tuesday 7 April 2020 – Saturday 18 April 2020 – NYO Spring Residency

Monday 27 July 2020 – Saturday 8 August 2020 – NYO Summer Residency

Additional NYO Activity Dates

Saturday 15 – Sunday 23 February 2020 – NYO Inspire Ensembles

NYO welcomes musicians to be part of the NYO 2020 and break through to the next level of orchestral brilliance, perform the most challenging music with the world’s greatest conductors and inspire other teenagers through NYO Inspire. NYO additionally recruits teenage composers.

Auditions are FREE and applicants will receive feedback.

Bursaries are available to cover travel to and from the audition as well as the applicant’s place in the orchestra. Auditions are friendly, positive, and great learning experiences. NYO Tutors will share playing tips in a workshop, and all applicants will receive performance feedback.

More more information please visit the NYO Website.

 

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Online Training Courses for Primary, Secondary & Instrumental Music Teachers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music Education Solutions has recently expanded its range of online courses for primary, secondary, and instrumental music teachers. Whether you’re looking for planning inspiration, help with the national curriculum, behaviour management tips, or want to develop your understanding around the theory of musical learning, there is something for everyone!

Each course costs £99, is valid for 6 months, and comes with a certificate on completion.

To find out more, visit the Music Education Solutions website. 

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Hackney Music Service Monthly Spotlight – Finn

This month we would like to shine the spotlight on one of our Hackney Borough Youth Orchestra members, Finn. Finn has recently achieved a Grade 8 distinction, an absolutely fantastic achievement. And she is only 11 years old!

What made you decide to play your instrument?

When I was three I went to the Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre in London with my parents. We passed a group of young cellists doing a concert and I pointed them out to my mums. I told them that I “wanted to do that instrument” and they agreed, so a few months later I got my first tiny cello and started playing.

What do you love most about it?

I love how the cello can sound playful or melancholy at any time and I love the way it can blend into the background but still be easily noticeable and beautiful at the same time.

How often do practice?

I practice every day when I get home from school. Or as Sinichi Suzuki said “only on the days that I eat”

Do you play in any ensembles – orchestras, bands, in or out of school, or with HMS?

Yes, I play in the National Children’s Orchestra, Hackney Borough Youth Orchestra, Hackney Youth Orchestra my school Chamber Group, and I sing and play in my school Jazz Band.

What has been your most exciting musical experience so far? (any particular performances that you have taken part in that really stand out, or a particular music lesson that really changed things for you?)

I think my most exciting experience has been at a fundraiser for building classrooms in Kenya down at St. Paul’s West Hackney Church. I did play a solo too but the most exciting part was that I played Popper’s Requiem for three cellos and piano with my cello teacher and his daughter. I felt like that was quite a big achievement for me because my teacher is actually quite famous amongst cellists and his daughter is much older than me. Getting my Grade 8 also felt amazing.

What musician would you most like to meet or perform with?

I wouldn’t’ think twice about meeting Jacqueline du Pre. She has always been my ultimate role model and I have loved her playing, especially her rendition of the Elgar cello concerto and Faure’s Elegie.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world to listen to / learn more music or even travel back in time to a different musical era, where would you go and why?

I really have no idea! I think maybe later once I know more about what I want to do later in life I might get some ideas. I will keep that question in mind.

How does being a musician / performing music make you feel?

I always feel proud when I watch other musicians. I always think “hey, I’m one of you!” When I perform I often find myself thinking about how other cellists would play this piece, or what they would be thinking or feeling.

Any words of advice to someone just starting out on their instrument now?

I would say try to enjoy it. If you feel like it’s something that’s been forced on you, you’ve got no hope of developing. If you feel forced into it, you won’t enjoy it, so you won’t want to do it, so, try to enjoy it, and practice.

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Hackney Scholar of the Month: Shania

This month, we continue with our new feature, Hackney Scholar of the Month, shining a light on some of the amazingly talented young musicians in Hackney. This month we continue with Shania – read her feature and interview below….

Shania first came to HMS’s attention when she joined the Hackney Borough Youth Choir when she was in Year 4.  She was a fantastic singer, and was also we discovered making really good progress as a recorder player in her classroom music lessons at primary school.  She had also started to learn the violin, and by the time she reached Year 6 and was getting ready to move to secondary school, still singing, playing the recorder and also the violin, she was showing all the signs of being a really talented young musician.  She already had a really good basis for learning to play a wind instrument with all her singing and recorder experience, so she tried the oboe out and, as you will see from her interview, the rest is history!

 

(Photo of Shania featured on the front of the ABRSM’s ‘Libretto’ magazine, taken during her time as a London Music Fund scholar)

 

What made you decide to play your instrument?

When I was initially presented with the opportunity to play the oboe by Hackney Music Service, I must admit that I didn’t actually know what it was as I had quite a limited knowledge of music at the time. I had been playing the violin for a few years and although I really enjoyed it, I was excited to try something new. I had a “taster” lesson on the oboe and enjoyed it immensely which prompted me to make the decision to start learning it.

What do you love most about it?

I love the fact that the oboe is quite a rare instrument and it is fun to play. It is always a joy to meet other oboists as well.

How often do you practice?

My practise times vary as I am usually very busy, but on average, I practise about 4-5 hours a week.

Do you play in any ensembles – orchestras, bands, in or out of school, or with HMS?

Yes, I play with the Hackney Borough Youth Orchestra and I am in the senior school band at my school.

What has been your most exciting musical experience so far? (any particular performances that you have taken part in that really stand out, or a particular music lesson that really changed things for you)

My most exciting musical experience so far has been the London Symphony Orchestra concert at Trafalgar Square last year. It was a lot of fun to meet other musicians (and oboists) it was also very exciting to play the music with the composer (Kate Whitley) so nearby and invested in the deliverance of the piece. However, I think that my first performance at the Hackney Music Service Gala at the Hackney Empire is what really encouraged me to invest my time in studying music.

What musician would you most like to meet or perform with?

I would love to meet John Clayton.

If you could travel anywhere in the world to listen to / learn more music or even travel back in time to a different musical era, where would you go and why? 

I would travel to New Orleans between 1920-1950’s when Jazz was most popular. Personally, I think that Jazz represents cultural diversity and hope. Despite the stigma surrounding people of colour and the problems happening in the rest of the south during this time period, Jazz continued to develop and change the expectations of what music “has” to be like and who can play it.

How does being a musician / performing music make you feel?

Whenever I finish learning a new piece or whenever I play something well, I feel a sense of accomplishment. With music, you can hear that all of your practice and extra hours are paying off.  When I think back to when I had first started my instrument, and think of the progress that I have made, I feel like I have really achieved something. Music is one of the most liberating forms of expression and it is always interesting to learn about the way that music ties in with the historical context that we are taught at school.

Any words of advice to someone just starting out on their instrument now?

I would advise the person just starting out on their instrument to get involved with as many ensembles and group performances as possible. It is a great opportunity to meet likeminded people, make lasting friendships and learn more about other instruments. I would definitely encourage the individual to continue with their instrument for as long as possible. Music opens so many doorways and it is never boring because there are so many styles, genres and interpretations. Music is freedom, and although it takes a while to master your instrument, it is most definitely worth it.

 

More about Shania’s story...

After making a cracking start with her oboe playing Shania was originally awarded a scholarship from the Mayor of London (now known as the London Music Fund).  She was also given the chance to put her singing to good use during her time as a Mayor’s Scholar as she was invited to Southwark Cathedral to sing a solo for the Mayor’s Carol Service, which she did absolutely beautifully.  Once graduated from the Mayor of London’s award, it was clear that Shania was fast becoming quite a serious player and was about to start her Music GCSE course.  She received further support, this time from the Mayor of Hackney, to continue with her lessons.  Now in the middle of her Music A Level course at a sixth form in a Hackney school, Shania is receiving some assistance from both the National Youth Arts Trust and also from the fantastic singer and songwriter Kwabs HMS is lucky to have a very special relationship with this extraordinarily talented, generous and resilient young man. Shania is one of a number of Hackney young musicians Kwabs has supported over the last few years.  As a result of this generosity from both Kwabs and the NYAT, Shania now has an oboe of her own and continued support with her oboe tuition this year.

 

 

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LSO On Track: Music in the Classroom Programme

LSO On Track 10th Anniversary 05072018
Photo Copyright: Doug Peters
Photographer – Doug Peters
doug@dougpetersphoto.com
m.07778 358182

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LSO On Track brings you – Music in the Classroom is a year-long hands-on programme for Primary teachers and pupils in East London, regardless of musical or teaching experience. Primary school teachers and their pupils will have the opportunity to explore classical music in engaging new ways, develop musical skills, learn hands-on games and warm-ups, work collaboratively, and create and perform group compositions.

Music in the Classroom is open to Primary schools in East London (in the boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest) and is targeted at Key Stage 2 teachers and students. We are unable to offer places to independent schools.

Led by Rachel Leach, LSO Animateur, Julie Sharpe, Teacher trainer, London Symphony Orchestra musicians

For more information please contact Beth Kershaw, LSO On Track Projects Manager, on beth.kershaw@lso.co.uk or 020 7382 2538 or visit the LSO website here.

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Opera in Schools – Laika the Space Dog

Laika The Space Dog – English Touring Opera
Music: Russell Hepplewhite
Design: Jude Munden
Cast includes Abigail Kelly, Emma Watkinson, David de Wynter and Maciek O’Shea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The English Touring Opera (ETO) – Autumn Opera in Schools – Laika the Space Dog

ETO is reviving its award-winning opera for children Laika the Space Dog, which tells the story of the Russian dog that was sent to space as part of the Soviet space programme.

 The opera’s thrilling story is told in many diverse ways by nine professional performers – and also includes archive film, filmed animation (created with children) and puppetry. The characters include the idealistic young student Mikhael, the great scientist Korolev, the dog-hating Valentina, and of course the little dog herself. The piece features also a specially made theremin (the original electronic instrument), along with percussion, clarinet, cello and bassoon.

The action takes us from an apartment in Moscow to Gorky Park, to the Kremlin (where we meet President Khrushchev), and finally to the Cosmodrome in Baikonur, brought to life with stunning design, and from where we launch the famous Sputnik rockets. The piece is highly interactive and includes songs for everyone. A comprehensive teachers’ pack and CD support the project

Location: Each performance will take place in the school who books the show

Cost per production: Cost 290+VAT

Dates: Bookings date depending on the school and ETO availability.

For more information and to book please email: Daniel.coelho@englishtouringopera.org.uk

For more information about ETO visit: http://englishtouringopera.org.uk/

Photo Credit: Robert Workman 

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