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.

To contribute as a guest writer please email Maria@music-workshop.co.uk

Posts tagged “MUSIC EDUCATION”

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Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival: broadening our education and outreach

Posted on 31st October 2022 at 15:22

Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival (HHCMF) is held annually in October with internationally renowned musicians performing in the historic setting of Hatfield House under the expert artistic direction of professional cellist, Guy Johnston. It incorporates an Education and Outreach Programme aiming to musically engage, inspire and enable children and young people in Hertfordshire through concerts, workshops and other opportunities. From Dowland, who was in residence at Hatfield House during Elizabeth I’s reign, to folk-inspired improvisation, familiar favourites, new commissions and artists collaborating from around the world, there was definitely something for everyone at this year’s Festival of ‘A World of Music’.

Jill Knight, the Education and Outreach Manager at the Festival describes some of the events that took place.

Ralph Vaughan Williams at 150: a champion of music education

Posted on 14th October 2022 at 12:35

Even if you are not familiar with classical music, you will undoubtedly have heard the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams. The Lark Ascending and Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis consistently appear in the top 10 of Classic FM’s listener polls, and he is considered one of the quintessential composers of British history.

Yet his music still divides opinion, and for many years, much of his output was neglected. Alongside these most famous pieces, Vaughan Williams wrote a huge variety of works including operas, ballets, chamber music, vocal pieces and orchestral compositions, with nine symphonies to his name. This month, we mark the 150th anniversary of his birth with a look back at his musical life.

The Opus Pocus Live: 1001 Arabian Nights – music education by stealth!

Posted on 28th September 2022 at 15:55

This month we have invited Matt Parry, creator of The Opus Pocus, to tell us how he’s turning his successful audio-book into a live theatre performance with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

The upcoming production, 1001 Arabian Nights, promises a magical experience for children and a stealthy way of introducing youngsters to orchestral music. Here, he pulls back the curtain to give us a sneak preview of what audiences can expect.

What we’ve learned from 20 years of delivering music workshops

Posted on 16th September 2022 at 17:33

This month The Music Workshop Company celebrates 20 years in Music Education. Having started as a vague idea for a service that helped schools and musicians work together, MWC has worked with schools, community groups and businesses from Anglesey to East Anglia, Shetland to Southampton, working with hundreds of thousands of participants.

MWC’s Artistic Director and Founder, Maria Thomas, reflects on lessons learnt over the last 20 years and gives her top tips for creating a successful workshop.

Image by Ann H, Pexels

New Plan for Music Education

Posted on 30th August 2022 at 17:54

Image: Caleb George, Unsplash

This summer, the Government published its National Plan for Music Education, known in Music Education circles as the NPME. Its full, bold title is ‘The power of music to change lives: a National Plan for Music Education’ – but can it live up to this ambition?

As schools head back after the summer holidays, how might the NPME for England influence their thinking and their planning? And crucially, do they have the resources to put it into action?

Maria Thomas, MWC’s Artistic Director, gives her view.

The National Plan for Music Education in Wales

Posted on 30th August 2022 at 16:48

As schools return in Wales, they will begin implementing the new Music in Schools programme, part of the National Plan for Music Education that was announced in May. A key element of the plan is the establishment of a National Music Service.

MWC’s Artistic Director, Maria Thomas, gives her opinion on the plan.