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”

A photograph of NYJO
Also known as the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, NYJO has grown over the years from a single jazz orchestra to an organisation with a range of activities focused on supporting and developing musicians. From programmes that focus on professional development for emerging artists, to its Learning programme for under 18s, NYJO works to make jazz and creative music-making accessible to everyone. 
 
In this month’s guest blog, Beth Ismay, NYJO’s Learning Programmes Manager and Kenyah Johnson, NYJO Assistant, lift the lid on their work developing a set of ‘Living Values’ to underpin their under 18s programme – co-created with the young people themselves. 
Photograph of Nicole Wilson holding a violin
This month Nicole Wilson, Artistic Director of Virtuoso International Music Academy, tells of the life-changing music courses she attended as a teen, and how she tries to recreate the experience for the next generation.  
 
Nicole, who is also violin professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London, a freelance leader and Chair of European String Teachers Association (UK) reflects on the value of the arts for young people. 
 
To learn more about the Virtuoso International Music Academy’s next course, visit https://www.virtuosointernationalmusicacademy.com/ 
 
Stay in touch with the Virtuoso International Music Academy on Social Media: 
 
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Photo: Adrian Pingstone, used under Creative Commons licence 
This month the Music Workshop Company’s Artistic Director, Maria Thomas, reports back from two key music events – the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Music Education and the UK Music Summer Party. Both are key for highlighting to MPs the great work of the music industry and the importance of music education. 
This month, singing specialist Olivia Sparkhall shares her top tips for helping young singers look after their voices. It’s a topic that Olivia has developed a wealth of expertise in as a choir trainer, an award-winning choral conductor and as a secondary school music teacher for over 20 years.  
 
With her new book, A Young Person’s Guide To Vocal Health, available now, Olivia reveals some key advice – and dispels some myths – to help teachers support their students to stay healthy and get the best from their voices. 
Back in 2016, the London Music Fund blogged for us about some of the opportunities the charity provides for young people in the capital to fulfil their musical potential. This month, we caught up with Georgina Skinner, the charity’s Programmes Manager, about their inspiring work helping young people access high quality music education, and the impact this work has had. 
BBC Symphony Orchestra of London rehearsing for the Last Night of the Proms. 
 
Image credit: Steve Bowbrick, used under creative commons licence
If you’ve been following the news recently, you may have heard about some proposed cuts to the BBC’s orchestral music provision – including changes that would see a number of its salaried musicians made redundant. The proposals would have seen the BBC Singers, the UK’s only full-time professional chamber choir, scrapped. Further proposals, which received less public attention, included a 20% reduction in funding for the BBC’s three England-based orchestras: the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, and the BBC Philharmonic. 
 
The announcement sent shockwaves through the UK music world, with many organisations leaping into action to campaign against the cuts. 
 
Here at the Music Workshop Company, along with others across the sector, we firmly believe the BBC Singers and the BBC’s orchestras are vital for inspiring young musicians. 
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