I made a promise to one of my 7 year old beginner students that I could 100% guarantee that she would enjoy herself at her first Bath Strings Academy workshop.  I was totally confident.  She was not convinced.

Her mother, with boundless and dogged enthusiasm, found a way to get her there, albeit under duress.  For the first half hour, F barely let go of her mum, but in spite of herself, quietly joined in all the activities with her usual musical flare.  Within an hour, she was marching, singing, dancing and playing with confidence, and went home having made new friends and had a thoroughly good time.  The following day her mum wrote to say that F "declared that the best bit was the bean bags, was humming the pony ride tune at tea and even ventured to say (totally unprompted) that next time could she stay for the whole day."  Bingo.

The afternoon session too saw a shy young cellist arrive feeling unsure about joining us.  Taking part in any new group or activity is nerve-wracking for most people, but it can be acutely stressful for some.   This is why we plan our workshops carefully to build social bonds as well as the musical ones from the outset.  Tasks are built sequentially to ensure that even whilst there is challenge, each participant feels comfortable.  Our cellist found that after watching a video of the brilliant National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain Inspire Orchestra playing Uptown Funk (see it here), we were setting to on a fun group activity, learning the complex rhythms for Coldplay's Viva la Vida.  Seeing that he was not going to be thrown in at the deep end and expected to sight-read something difficult, he soon lost his nerves and threw himself into the game.  He searched out the "haaaaaaaiiiiiir swiiiiiiiiiiish" and other similarly silly rhythm patterns with his new team-mates, together shouting "bingo!" when they'd found them all.  The rest of the afternoon was a breeze.

​The first session was aimed at players who may have had only a few lessons, and was designed to give them a taste of what playing in a group feels like, right from the start.  They took to it like the proverbial ducks to water, and after three hours were able to perform two pieces, singing and playing their instruments whilst also marching and remembering to end with a flourish!  The focus, teamwork and joy in music of these young musicians were truly inspiring.

​Later in the afternoon, a new group of players joined us for a taste of folk music.  Here, we were able to take apart two Irish tunes, to explore chord sequences, bowing articulations and ornamentation, using speech patterns and physical gestures to help.  What impressed us was how each section of the group enthusiastically helped the others to learn their parts, supporting one another to make a great collective performance, full of life and energy.  

​This sense of shared endeavour, supportiveness and nurturing of our fellow musicians is exactly what we aim to promote at Bath Strings Academy.  Learning an instrument can too often become just another activity for the CV, where youngsters strive to pass the next exam as an end in itself.  At best, however, a musical education should encourage a love of playing and performing for its own sake, where we connect with others in a different way, to share our skills, ideas and emotions. 

Our more experienced players who took on the role of Leaders and Mentors showed exactly how valuable this connection with others can be.  They performed their roles with skill, generosity and great good humour.  They were a great asset to the group and set a fantastic example to those less experienced than themselves.

​The final session of the day, where our more advanced players studied a Haydn String Quartet, showed us again how music can bring people of different ages together (from ten to forty something) to share their passion and have fun.  By the end of the evening, we performed two movements of the quartet to each other, seated as three quartets.  At the beginning of the session we played as individuals; by the end, we were listening to one another, breathing together and becoming one unit.  This is the joy of chamber music.

​Throughout the day, my mind was drawn back to something that one of our eight year old beginner players had said in the morning session. 

When asked which parts of our bodies we use when playing, we had all the expected answers: hands, fingers, eyes, ears, feet to be grounded and so on.  We were delighted to get a mention for the brain, and suggestions that our whole bodies should be involved – YES!  Then, an unprompted answer from one of our newest and least experienced musicians took our breath away:

“Your HEART, because that’s what makes it mean something and if you don’t care, then what’s the point?”
​
In all our musical endeavours, if we remember nothing else, THIS is what music is for.

After a very busy summer, we're all set for some great music-making this autumn.  Keep in touch via Facebook and Twitter to see what we're up to.

Autumn Workshops Booking Now!
Introducing our 'Tasty Bites' series...

We are now taking bookings for our next workshops, which will be on Sunday 12th November at Widcombe Junior School in Bath and Sunday 26th November at Wiltshire Rural Music School in Trowbridge. 

Places will be limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

These workshops take the form of four taster sessions, each aimed at providing a ‘tasty bite’ of something different to each group from brand new beginners to advanced players. Come along and try:

• A Tasty Bite of First String Group
• A Tasty Bite of Folk Music
• A Tasty Bite of Chamber Music
• A Tasty Bite of Pop for Strings

Find out more and Book

Many thanks to those who joined us for a highly successful workshop during which we explored ‘The Musical Jigsaw’. 

In the morning we worked primarily by ear, and used one of the simplest forms of multi-voiced music, the round, to look at how melodic and rhythmic patterns fit together.  When we are exploring a particular aspect of playing, be it physical technique, music theory or ensemble skills, we deliberately keep the music studied very simple, to enable players to really focus on the particular area we are addressing. This is how the best players work.  Professionals might spend hours every day practising open strings and scales, in order to free their brain to work on the smallest details of their playing. 

Our rhythm workshop included learning new syllables for counting rhythms, practising instant pattern recognition and developing the skills to read ahead in music, which was equally challenging for staff and students alike!  Small groups then took a variety of written rhythmic motifs and fitted them together to compose their own pieces, some spontaneously adding body percussion to fantastic effect (see one group in action here).  Later in the morning, we worked on maintaining focus and unity within a group of players.  The ‘Dastardly Distractors’ tried all sorts of methods to put players off, but they were just too focused!  Needless to say, there was a lot of laughter along the way. 

After an active lunch break, we took time to re-focus our minds and re-connect with our bodies during a yoga session, listening to a piece of music called ‘Dismantle’ by Peter Sandberg.  The music showed us how a very simple repeated musical idea (the ground bass) can be developed, as additional pieces of the jigsaw are added, to create something which can really stir our emotions.  When asked afterwards what the music made them think of, the students shared some incredibly insightful and moving reactions.  Some connected to deep emotions, whilst others pictured detailed landscapes and some of our younger players imagined the movement of particular animals.

One of our favourite sections of String Fun Days is the Solo Spot, where anyone who wants to play a solo can do so in front of their peers.  Performers are encouraged to consider aspects of good performance: how to walk on stage, to greet applause, and how best to position themselves for maximum impact.  There are ground rules for the audience too; as well as sitting quietly and listening attentively, each audience member is asked to think of one positive thing to say about the performance.  These wonderfully perceptive comments are then fed back to the performer with great enthusiasm at the end.  This time, audience members were fascinated by others’ technique, tone quality and movement to the music as well as noticing interesting bow articulation, such as bouncing bows (spiccato) and using the wood of the bow (col legno).  It’s wonderful to see the performers beam when given this positive feedback.

​In the later part of the afternoon, we took apart another musical jigsaw, the South African song ‘Throw Catch’.  After learning the vocal melody, we worked on an instrumental arrangement, layering complex rhythms together to vibrant effect.  Using speech patterns and bowing exercises on our arms, the technical challenges of translating these complex patterns and challenging bowing techniques onto our instruments became easy.  Not only could all the players play their part confidently, but most importantly, they could play them together, so that each piece of the jigsaw fitted perfectly in its place.

It was a pleasure to work with such enthusiastic and engaged musicians, and we look forward to welcoming them back to another String Fun Day in the autumn.  Watch this space for next year’s dates.