Highlights from the Imagine If Festival: Celebrating Creativity in Education

Posted on 30th March 2021 at 13:30

On March 1-4, 2021, the Imagine If Festival celebrated the life and legacy of Sir Kenneth Robinson who passed away in August 2020.

Sir Ken was a hugely influential author, speaker and advisor on education. He led national and international projects on creative and cultural education. His 2006 TED talk, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” has been viewed over 60 million times and seen by an estimated 380 million people in 160 countries. He was knighted in 2003 for services to the arts.

Generation Interrupted

Posted on 17th March 2021 at 15:25

Why Children Need Arts Subjects More than Ever, and Why Teachers Need Support to Provide Them.

As children get back into the swing of school after successive UK lockdowns, one of the main concerns is that they should ‘catch up’ with their education. After a year with little connection with peers, and little structured learning, some of the most vulnerable children have suffered the most. At the same time, areas of the curriculum normally aimed at supporting those children have been hugely depleted.

How to Play a Simple Rhythm on the Spoons

Posted on 26th February 2021 at 10:55

Beginner Spoon Playing with Percussionist Jo May: Lesson 2

In this series of five mini-videos, Jo May teaches us how to play the spoons. As a professional percussionist, Jo has access to all sorts of different instruments. But she still enjoys making music with a simple pair of spoons. In fact, she’s even had special pairs of spoons made for her to play.

The Legacy of Dr. Ruth Gipps

Posted on 14th February 2021 at 11:15

20th February 2021 marks the centenary of the birth of composer, conductor, teacher, oboist and pianist, Dr. Ruth Gipps MBE.

Sadly, Gipps’ music is not very well known today, and this may be due to the challenges she faced as a female musician. It seems fitting that, on her centenary, we should take the opportunity to explore her music, and to celebrate her work.

More Resources for Home Learning

Posted on 30th January 2021 at 17:00

There are some great new resources available online to support teachers and parents with learning both in the classroom and at home.

These are some of the MWC team's top tips for free resources.

Do share your top tips for online resources with us on Twitter - @musicworkshopco

A Musical instrument in your Kitchen - Playing the Spoons

Posted on 19th January 2021 at 11:12

A Musical instrument in your kitchen? A Beginners' Guide to Playing the Spoons

Is there an instrument you can play at home, without buying special equipment? Can you make music from items already in your house? The answers are yes, and yes. You can make sounds and rhythms with a percussion instrument that you'll find in your kitchen.