The Music Workshop Company Blog 

Each month the Music Workshop Company publishes two blogs. One blog, written by the MWC team addresses a key issue in Music Education or gives information about a particular genre or period of music. The other blog is written by a guest writer, highlighting good practice or key events in Music Education. We hope you enjoy reading the blogs. 
 
We embed multimedia content in many of our blog posts, if you have rejected cookies for this website, you may have white spaces where the multimedia content should be. This is due to a recent change of policy by YouTube, Spotify and other platforms. We are in the process of updating all our posts. If you come across white spaces in a blog post, you can open the link in another browser or private browser and approve cookies to access all the content. We are sorry for any inconvenience this causes. 
 
To contribute as a guest writer please email Maria@music-workshop.co.uk 
This month we welcome back award-winning music teacher, Nat Dye MBE.  
 
Nat's very personal exploration of what music can bring to us, especially in the face of a terminal diagnosis, is an important reminder of music's ability to be a vehicle for self-expression as well as a way of connecting with one another. 
 
He discusses some the amazing experiences he has had since his diagnosis including running the London Marathon playing his trombone and being made an MBE in the New Years Honours List. 
Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns is considered the national poet of Scotland and he is celebrated every year on the anniversary of his birthday – 25th January – in annual “Burns Night” festivities. His most famous song “Auld Lang Syne” is now sung all over the world to herald the new year.  
 
His song “Ae Fond Kiss” is in the Model Music Curriculum as an example of Scottish traditional song. 
 
We examine how Burns’ life influenced his approach to his poetry and song-writing. 
 
 
 
Image: Robert Burns 
Here at the Music Workshop Company, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to make music, regardless of their age or background. But too often, for many, those opportunities can be hard to find - which is why programmes that open up music to wider audiences are so important. 
 
NYJO (also known as the National Youth Jazz Orchestra) exists to do just this, and we were delighted to hear about their successful 2024 King's Cross Summer Project for 14-18-year-olds. This month Beth Ismay, NYJO's Learning Programmes Manager, returns to the blog to tell us about the project and the impact it made for the young people involved. 
Maria Thomas
In past blogs we have explored many of the benefits of music education and participation in music: brain development, self-expression, motor skills, collaboration skills, self-discipline as well as improving wellbeing. 
 
This month, our Artistic Director, Maria Thomas, explores an element that isn’t often highlighted as a benefit of music participation – friendships. 
 
She argues that participation in music - whether through playing music with others, or sharing an appreciation of music - can be an important way for us to form vital connections with other people. 
 
Image: David Amann 
Giacomo Puccini is widely regarded as one of the greatest opera composers of all time, and second only to Verdi in terms of the great Italian opera writers. 
 
Puccini was one of the young school of composers who were active in Italy as Verdi’s long career was coming to an end. Many of his works were written in the ‘verismo’ style – placing everyday people at the heart of the action, with subject matter that often focused on romance and passion. 
 
Several of his operas are now considered staples of the genre, such as ‘La bohème’, ‘Madama Butterfly’ and ‘Tosca’ (a favourite of our Artistic Director, Maria Thomas). 
 
Puccini died on 29th Nov 1924, and as the 100th anniversary of his death approaches, we take a closer look at his career. 
A woman sings into a microphone
Photo: Richie Luego, Unsplash 
Singing is an activity enjoyed by people around the world, and here at the Music Workshop Company we see every day the different ways that it can benefit people. But one little-known benefit occurs for people who stammer – with many people affected finding that singing can help to reduce their stammer. 
 
We take a look at some of the people with a stammer who have made their names as singers, and explore the potential reasons singing can have such a dramatic impact for people who stammer. 

Archives

Designed and created by it'seeze