THE MAKING MUSIC MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE | SPRING ISSUE 2018
Soul music How making music without a score can open up creativity • PAGE 18 MUSIC FOR LIFE
Working with local music services could increase your youth engagement • PAGE 8
WHAT MUSIC MEANS TO ME
We ask readers why they love listening to and making music • PAGE 20 & 24
CONTENTS & EDITORIAL
CONTENTS NEWS
5 In brief 6 Around the UK FEATURES
8 Music for life 12 Getting connected 18 Playing by ear FROM OUR TEAM
Welcome Happy New Year! The team at Making Music look forward to another year of supporting you and celebrating your music.
MEMBERS
I’m incredibly proud of the resources we added to the website in 2017 to help you tackle the practical aspects of coming together to make music and putting on events. Everyone involved in your group can register on the website to use them!
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Our youth engagement work in 2018 will be developing ever more practical solutions to address the barriers for under-35s wanting to join a music group and to help bridge the classic drop-off points.
14 Membership and services 16 Projects 26 Making Music people Blow your trumpet Exploring music Drop the mic Readers’ page Corporate members
If you have suggestions or would like to contribute to Highnotes, please contact the Commissioning Editor, Natalie Joanes, on 020 7939 6041 or editor@makingmusic.org.uk The copy deadline for Highnotes Summer 2018 (published 1 May) is 16 February Any views or opinions expressed by external contributors may not necessarily represent those of Making Music Highnotes is the official journal of Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies, 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL 020 7939 6030 info@makingmusic.org.uk www.makingmusic.org.uk
The Exploring Music Making project concludes in the summer, and we will be sharing with you a whole new landscape of connections and cross-fertilisation that we’re discovering as a result of it. Then there’s Make Music Day on 21 June to look forward to, celebrating music making across the world. What will you be doing? See makemusicday.org/uk for inspiration. We’re also very pleased we’ve been able to hold your membership subscription at the same level for the third year running, continuing to help you - without breaking the bank.
A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 308632 Registered charity in England and Wales no. 249219 and in Scotland no. SC038849 If you need us to make any of this information more accessible, please get in touch £6 where sold, annual subscription £15 (3 issues) Designed by Cog Design Printed by Gemini Press Advertising: Contact Antoinette at Space Marketing: 01892 677740 / antoinettem@spacemarketing.co.uk
Barbara Eifler EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MAKING MUSIC Email: barbara@makingmusic.org.uk Twitter: @BarbaraEifler Cover image: Sitar Music Society workshop Photo: Kaviraj Singh
NEWS
IN BRIEF MUSIC EDUCATION
The campaign for the abolition of the Ebacc as a measurement for schools has, on the face of it, been unsuccessful: the Ebacc, which doesn’t include an arts subject in the mandatory seven GCSEs, is now being introduced, although more slowly than originally anticipated. But the reports showing the already visible negative impact of the Ebacc keep coming thick and fast: in September of last year, the Education Policy Institute blamed the Ebacc for a ten-year low in students taking arts subjects at GCSE; and in November, exam board Pearsons asked for the Ebacc to be scrapped. So the fat lady hasn’t really sung and there is still good reason to get involved – by signing the petition and writing to your MP in particular. baccforthefuture.com
Music libraries under siege
The campaign to keep music available continues 2017 has been challenging for music libraries (sheet music holdings for hire via public libraries), as local authorities gradually reinvent how they operate in the face of up to 40% cuts to their budgets. Nottingham Performing Arts Library (NPALS), the first regional hub, is going from strength to strength; and the Norfolk Music Library is working closely with a committed Friends organisation on a long-term solution. In Dorset an interim way forward has been facilitated by Making Music, though the future sustainability of their music sets service looks doubtful.
Elsewhere, we are working with Surrey County Council on a solution for what is one of the three most significant public library music holdings in England. And we are investigating Bristol’s plans to discontinue music library services altogether. Not all Making Music members use sheet music or public libraries to source it - and undoubtedly the long-term future is digital. But in the meantime, these significant resources enable leisure-time music groups to access a wide range of repertoire affordably, so we are continuing to put time and effort into maintaining them for the benefit of the sector.
Contemporary Music Festival for All is coming near you From Gateshead to Totnes and Orkney to Belfast, this year’s festival is spreading to many more cities. Organiser, Contemporary Music for All (CoMA), is warmly inviting all leisure-time musicians to join ‘come and play’ opportunities, workshops, rehearsals and performances. CoMA publishes affordable open scores and part songs by well-known contemporary composers. Find out more at makingmusic.org.uk/news/ save-date-contemporary-music-all-festival
UPDATE ON THE NATIONAL MUSICIANS’ CHURCH
Did you know? You can sign up online for our Youth Health Check Service and get feedback on your group from our young volunteers: surveymonkey. co.uk/r/ youthhealthcheck
St. Sepulchre’s in the City of London, known as the National Musicians’ Church, has now closed its doors to musical hirings, despite protests ranging from a flashmob to articles and letters in the national press. The campaign may not have succeeded, but it has highlighted the crucial role church buildings play in community music across the land. To facilitate groups’ access to churches the Rt Rev Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden and Acting Bishop of London, Dr Andrew Earis, Director of Music at St Martin–in-the-Fields, and others have collaborated to launch a new website – musicianschurch.org – intended to let musicians know about church spaces available for hire in the City of London. A model for elsewhere?
Spring 2018
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NEWS
AROUND THE UK ABERDEEN
DEVON
Adapt and thrive Bideford Music Club celebrates 60 years This year, Bideford Music Club is celebrating 60 years of bringing artists to the port town. As one of a handful of organisations promoting professional chamber concerts in north Devon, the club has become a cherished institution and a key part of the cultural life of the town and surrounding area. In the early days of the club, Chairperson Jean Lethbridge overcame the challenge of attracting professional artists to come out to the rural location by inviting them to stay with her and entertaining them – as well as taking them to see the local badgers that lived in the nearby quarry! To this day, committee members carry on the tradition of welcoming artists in their own homes, offering them accommodation, food and transport to and from the station, and building lasting relationships with them. Despite some challenging moments over the years – usually connected to membership, finance 6
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and access to a piano – like many promoters, the club has been highly adaptable throughout the decades, creating strong links with local schools and churches, and sharing their instruments and resources. The club is popular with all ages. Sunday afternoon concerts in the darker winter months have proved very successful with an elderly audience and a growing number of families. In a drive to support young people in their music making, each year the club provides free workshops for primary and secondary schools in the area, through funding from local town councils and a Bideford charitable trust. This season both new and returning artists are coming to Bideford to help celebrate the club’s 60th milestone. Visit bidefordmusicclub.org.uk or facebook.com/Bideford-MusicClub-1233082253468041
Above: Aberdeen Chamber Orchestra Photo: Colin Hunter
On 17 February 2018, in the open spaces of Midstocket Church, Making Music members Aberdeen Chamber Orchestra (ACO) and Con Anima chamber choir will be collaborating with leading local actors to put on a semi-staged performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s complete incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Under the direction of former ACO flautist, Claire Bleasdale (herself an experienced actor), the actors will use the space around and in the orchestra, choir and audience, creating an immersive experience for spectators and performers alike. Although both ACO and Con Anima function separately, working together has enabled them to explore exciting and new repertoire with fellow, like-minded musicians. In 2019, a small group from the orchestra is looking forward to collaborating with Con Anima on a period performance of Handel’s Messiah under the direction of ACO’s resident conductor, Gareth John. aberdeenchamberorchestra.co.uk BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Did you know? Thursday 11 January is the deadline to enter your group for an Epic Award, which celebrates creativity, skill and innovation: voluntaryarts.org /epicawardsenter
The Wooburn Singers worked with Adopt a Composer mentor Colin Riley to put on one of three performances of his composition Roads Shining like River up Hill after Rain. The project, supported by the Hinrichsen Foundation, involved Colin setting the piece to musical fragments of poetry by Edward Thomas, which were found in Thomas’s uniform breast pocket after he died in action in WWI: colinriley.co.uk/projects/#/roadsshining The work was written for choir, solo voices and cello. Listen at soundcloud.com/squeaky-kate and request the sheet music via our music bank makingmusic.org.uk/ resources/music-bank
NEWS
Member announcements New appointments, anniversaries, awards and projects Waveney Sinfonia is celebrating 40 years of making music. Under the baton of conductor Adrian Brown, the group will be performing a concert programme of Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture from Der Freisschutz, Pytor Illyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major and Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt (including narration) at Trinity Methodist Church, Lowestoft, Suffolk on 13 January 2018 and are pleased to welcome guest soloist Jamie Foreman. waveneysinfonia.org.uk
The Glasgow School of Art Choir is raising funds through its Buy a Bar of Music campaign to commission a brand new choral work by Scottish composer Jay Capperauld with lyrics from Edwin Morgan’s poem The Unspoken. The work will be premièred in Glasgow in May 2018. Funds will allow them to pay for the associated artistic costs and licenses for the work. For more information or to support the campaign visit kickstarter. com/projects/gsachoir/theunspoken-buy-a-bar-of-musiccampaign
Collaboration is in the air, as Sale Choral Society and members of Urmston Choral Society (UCS) worked together to perform, Reflections, a commission by UCS’ accompanist Gareth Curtis. The joint project came about when chair of Sale Choir, Joan Ball, happened to meet Gareth at a Making Music networking event. Sale Choral look forward to singing this year with another member, The Lindow Singers, and members of the UCS at the Royal Northern College of Music. urmstonchoral.org.uk sites.google.com/site/ salechoralsoc lindowsingers.org.uk
60-second interview Would your group like to feature in a 60 second interview? Email editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Falkirk Tryst Orchestra celebrated its 15th anniversary this year with a performance of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 while bidding farewell to orchestra founder and musical director Bob Tait, who also set up the Falkirk Festival Chorus and music club, Classic Music Live Falkirk among many other activities. falkirktrystorchestra.org.uk
Let us know if your group has some news to share, by emailing editor@makingmusic.org.uk
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Left: The Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service Concert Band
Describe The Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service Concert Band in three words. Welcoming, fun, growing. When and how was the group first formed? The Concert Band was formed in 1994. Many of the original members were serving and retired personnel of the Fire & Rescue Service and their families. The band now has 35 members aged between about 16 and 80 from the wider communities of Devon and Somerset who – although not serving members of the Fire Service – are proud to represent them at events. Which musical styles do you play? The group plays a wide variety of musical genres including military marches, classical pieces, big band classics, pop numbers and medleys from films and musicals, as well as some contemporary music. Recent highlights have included Vaughan Williams’ English Folksong Suite, Sibelius’ Finlandia, and Ted Huggens’ New Baroque Suite; and in contrast, On the Quarter Deck, Liberty Bell, and medleys from Cats, James Bond films, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Blues Brothers and Coldplay. What do the band members do by day? Players include teachers, administrators, an accountant, NHS
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staff, a paramedic and social care workers with others working for the Met Office, in engineering and construction firms and the Royal Navy Careers Office. The youngest participant is a school student and some others are retired, but all are busy people! What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead? A joint concert with the Fire Service’s Corps of Drums and another with East Devon Rock Choirs.
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FEATURE
Music for life As young people finish their eduction, music often falls by the wayside. Continuing to make music into adulthood can benefit us all, says Xenia Davis. It’s no secret that music education has been shunted to the sidelines of the school curriculum for the last few years. In 2012 Arts Council England established music education hubs with a mandate to ‘ensure that clear progression routes are available and affordable to all young people’. There are now around 123 music education hubs in England and each hub consists of local organisations that collaborate in providing musical opportunities for children up to the age of 18, including local authorities, music services, schools, community groups and arts organisations. Music services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are largely run by local authorities. But what about young adults? Making Music’s 2016 research uncovered a significant lack of 18 to 35-yearolds engaging in community music. Even if young people want to continue making music, after the age of 18 they usually no longer qualify to sing or play with their youth orchestras and choirs. According to our research, they’re not always sure where to look for a new group to join and are often unaware of the existence of adult leisure-time music groups in their own communities. What can you do? Whether your nearest resource is a a local authority-run music service or a music education hub (England only),
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Making Music members can build partnerships with these organisations to forge the missing musical link and tap into this age group. We know that many of our members struggle to recruit younger players and singers, and aren’t always sure where to find them. A stronger relationship with your local music hub or service may lead to them referring these young people to you once they reach the age of 18. Even if the young person is planning to move away to university, they will at least know about you (and groups like you) and if they move back home when they graduate, they may join your group at a later stage. And even before reaching 18, what happens if a young person is very talented at a particular instrument, but the provider doesn’t have an advanced group that caters for that instrument? Or a young person really wants to play in a brass band, but the music hub or service doesn’t have one? It’s to their advantage, rather than having to directly provide opportunities, to be able to recommend young people to local music groups that cater to particular specialisms. Creating a musical community Music making doesn’t just need to focus on younger people. While children may be learning music through school or other organisations, the music hub
FEATURE
or service can also recommend member groups to parents looking to get into music making locally. This kind of a relationship could bridge the generational age gap and reach people at yet another level. Having more than one generation playing music in a household can lead to a richer musical community and ultimately – as has been well documented – the mental and physical benefits that music making can bring. A two-way relationship Making Music and the music education hub Bromley Youth Music Trust (BYMT) have been working closely to explore how hubs and music groups can develop practical partnerships. BYMT recently hosted a partnership meeting for local Making Music members that led to the development of a new local network, through which the groups and BYMT share details of their rehearsals and upcoming concerts, and promote each other. When individuals who attend BYMT have progressed beyond Grade 8, BYMT promotes opportunities to them with local advanced groups so that they can take their musicianship to the next level. BYMT is collaborating with local choral societies on ‘come and sing’ events and seeking to enrich the range of opportunities available to both students and parents. The hub has also invited local groups to exhibit at the BYMT alumni concert - a great way to paint a picture of the range and diversity of musical activities available in the borough for young people wanting to carry on making music.
Getting started Like schools, music education hubs and music services are often stretched with regard to capacity, as well as funding. So it’s important to bear in mind that you may have to be proactive in your approach to creating a relationship. GET STARTED
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Choose one representative from your group for consistency when dealing with your music hub or service.
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Have concrete ideas to present about how you could work together.
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Be prepared that, depending on how you decide to work together, the music hub or service may require you to have some safeguarding policies in place.
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Consider collaborating with other groups – for example if you’re already staging a concert, you could give local schools or other local groups an opportunity to perform. This could also be a good way to showcase what you do to young people and parents alike.
You can contact your music hub or service directly. In England, Music Mark is the membership organisation for music education hubs. Visit musicmark.org.uk/members/organisationtypes/music-services/
Chesterfield Symphony Orchestra Photo: Sam Reed Photography
“Consider collaborating with other groups... this could be a good way to showcase what you do to young people and parents alike.”
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A ONE YEAR DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMME IN PRACTICAL MUSIC MAKING AND PERFORMANCE SKILLS Are you passionate about music and want to develop your practical music making and performance skills?
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CERTIFICATE: THE PRACTICE OF MUSIC MAKING This unique distance learning programme, offered by Trinity Laban in partnership with the Open University, is an accessible opportunity of study with a Conservatoire and includes a week-long residential in London. Suited to all musicians, whatever your instrument/voice, genre or level of playing ability. If you make music regularly with others this is the perfect way to build new skills. Applications now open. Find out more at: trinitylaban.ac.uk/certificate
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London Conducting Workshop has been established for over 13 years offering courses annually in London and Paris with tutors Dr John Farrer (President, Conductors Guild) and Howard Williams, (Professor of Conducting, Royal College of Music). We are renowned for encouraging a supportive and helpful environment for conductors to develop their craft, within a uniquely non-competitive environment. All courses take place with the benefit of a professional, hand-picked orchestra whose musicians provide valuable and instant feedback. For further information and to apply visit www.london-conducting-workshop.com
or email us on info@london-conducting-workshop.com Next course:
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MEMBERS
BLOW YOUR TRUMPET Rhyl music Stephen Leeder explains how Rhyl Music Club is bringing Beethoven to Wales In recent times, the seaside town of Rhyl in Wales has faced some economic challenges. Despite this, Rhyl Music Club is making preparations for an ambitious project to celebrate Beethoven’s violin sonatas across Wales. Mary Hofman (violinst) and Richard Ormrod (pianist), internationallyrenowned musicians living locally, helped me develop the idea of programming all ten of Ludwig van Beethoven’s violin sonatas over three concerts, which Mary and Richard will perform. There are significantly fewer compositions by women than men being programmed and, as a promoter, we at Rhyl Music Club want to do our bit to challenge this inequality. Mary Hofman proposed that we commission
three new pieces, one for each concert, from female Welsh composers and we were thrilled to get Hilary Tann, Rhian Samuel and Sarah Lianne Lewis on board. We gave each composer three or four of the violin sonatas on which to base their composition. We’ll also include sessions about the composition process, focusing on how the new compositions have been developed from Beethoven’s original works. Following the première in Rhyl in early 2019, we’ll be taking the concerts right across Wales and are delighted to have secured performances in Aberystwyth, Welshpool, Camarthen, Newport, Wye Valley, Machynlleth and Dolgellau with Wrexham and Rhymney Valley to be confirmed. From March 2019, we’re looking for promoters around the UK
Right: Mary Hofman and Richard Ormrod Photo: Gill Jones
that can programme the entire ten sonatas and three new works over a weekend – if you’re interested, please get in touch. rhylmusic.com
The line is immaterial Music director, Dominic Grier, on how the Worthing Philharmonic Orchestra is breaking boundaries for its 70th birthday I was keen for the orchestra to play more contemporary music, but given the complexity of many existing scores, I thought it would be better and more fitting to commission a new work. James Olsen, who often writes for leisure-time musicians, seemed the ideal composer for this project, and I believe the new work, which will be published in a flexible ‘modular’ form so that it can be performed in part or in whole depending on the forces available, will be something which other community orchestras and choirs will enjoy performing for years to come. The piece will be called The Line is Immaterial: A Worthing Oratorio – the title is drawn from Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance of Being Earnest, written in
Worthing. The première will be in March 2019, and it will be set to music of a montage of Worthing-related texts, from Wilde’s play to texts about early aircraft in Shoreham – and all in celebration of community music in Worthing. I’m really keen for this local piece to show, on a national platform, the richness of community musical life and just what leisure-time music can do. A cross-section of our community will be taking part – initially the commission was meant just for the orchestra but it’s since taken on a life of its own and we are now working with the Worthing Choral Society and The Boundstone Chorus (also Making Music members) as well as Sompting Village Primary School, all of whom we’ve worked with regularly before.
All the members are taking part in fundraising themselves, which is a great way for them to get fully into owning the project, and we’re applying for funding to the local councils, Arts Council England, and an offshore windfarm trust. We’re also approaching small local businesses, not only for funding but to show them how music is part of their community and how they can support it. James is now our ‘composer in residence’ and will be leading workshops relating to the project in local schools, as well as helping the orchestra to engage with the local community more generally. We hope the project will raise awareness of how our activities bring so much value to our community at a time when funding for the arts is under pressure from many directions. olsenverlag.com/worthingline worthingphil.co.uk HIGHNOTES Spring 2018
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FEATURE
Getting connected Community music groups can make a real difference to young lives in remote areas, writes Heidi Johnson, director of NYMAZ In North Yorkshire, we are surrounded by beautiful landscapes but the nitty gritty of living here isn’t always quite so idyllic. It can feel lonely growing up in a place where public transport is poor, where there aren’t many other children, and where opportunities to engage in music and the arts can be few and far between.
careers and introduce them to local creative businesses and the types of roles available, playing in an ensemble, attending a gig or studying for a qualification.
We at NYMAZ (youth music organisation in North Yorkshire) firmly believe that children in the countryside should have the same life opportunities as those in urban areas. What’s more, we conducted research across England and discovered that if music activities continue to be undervalued, then children in rural areas risk becoming further isolated.
NYMAZ is fortunate to have some fantastic organisations and groups on its doorstep, ranging from Harrogate International Festivals and Live Music Now to Yorkshire Dales-based Dales Jam.
Our solution to rural isolation takes the form of youth music-making projects. As members of Making Music will already know, music has the power to change lives. Our projects not only help develop musical ability but also enhance social and personal skills, even having a positive influence on future employability. Everyone is welcome from absolute newbies through to talented musicians, and our aim is to help every participant to achieve their individual goals. We are also keen for young people to understand where a love of music could take them in terms of further education and
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Tapping into leisure-time music groups
Dales Jam is a community jazz ensemble that, for several years in partnership with NYMAZ and funded by Youth Music, has run a young people’s jazz and improvisation group called RAMJam (Ribblesdale Area Musicians). Young people aged 8-18 years meet weekly in Settle in the Yorkshire Dales to devise, improvise and perform new works, with a particular emphasis on jazz and world music. RAMJam also has the exciting opportunity to perform alongside Dales Jam at public gigs twice a year. RAMJam is open to all young musicians, whether they’ve been playing for five years or five weeks and over the years the ensemble has included brass, wind, strings, guitars, accordions and a range of
FEATURE
weird and wonderful percussion instruments, with everyone getting their chance to shine and on occasion play with high profile guest artists. Repertoire includes ska, funk, soul, music from around the world and jazz classics. RAMJam (and Dales Jam) also now play pieces composed and arranged by some of the RAMJammers, demonstrating that not only are they fantastic performers but that they’re developing incredible composition skills too. We work through trusted partnerships like this to deliver our projects and to ensure our participants benefit from a high-quality music experience. Campaigning across the country Our Play Far Away Day initiative promoted the benefits of participatory music in the countryside. We invited music groups, both leisure-time and professional, to play in remote locations to demonstrate that everyone should have music in their lives, no matter where they live. We were delighted to receive photos and films of groups, some of them Making Music members, playing and singing in isolated spots, set against Yorkshire’s dramatic scenery. Of course, rural isolation is a nationwide challenge. We are committed to campaigning for better access to music-making opportunities for children in rural areas across England. In our bid to help more rural children make music, we work closely with music education hubs across the UK to enable them to make the most of technological advances. In 2018 we will be
‘going large’ and joining forces with Making Music for Make Music Day, to campaign for live music in unexpected locations. We’ll be leading on the rural strand and hope to see your groups playing on moorlands, mountains, beaches and beyond! Get involved We recognise that leisure-time music groups represent a huge, sometimes underused resource when it comes to helping more children progress in their musical journeys. We’re particularly interested in exploring ways in which such groups can build mutually beneficial partnerships with music education hubs. We’ll be in touch with more information on our projects as soon as we get the green light! You can look into working with young people in your area through the Youth Music Network (most of whom will be youth music grant holders): network.youthmusic.org.uk/ organisations And if you’re interested in finding out how you can get work with rural music development organisations in your region, you could consider getting in touch with Cymaz Music (Cornwall), B Sharp (Lyme Regis), Wren Music (Devon), The Music Pool (Hereford) or Soundwave (Cumbria).
RAMjam and Dales Jam play together Photo: Brian Slater
“We recognise that leisuretime music groups represent a huge, sometimes underused resource when it comes to helping more children progress...”
Spring 2018 HIGHNOTES 13
FROM OUR TEAM
MEMBERSHIP AND SERVICES Helping you get the most from your membership INFORMATION & ADVICE EVENTS
Whatever advice you need on running your group, we’re on hand with a host of events this spring. • Making local connections Sat 20 Jan, Derby Sat 3 Mar, Chichester Sat 24 Mar, Perth • Helping your group to thrive Sat 13 Jan, Cambridge Sat 3 Feb, Reading • PRS and copyright Thurs 8 Feb, London • Engaging with young people (for performing groups) Sat 24 Feb, Cardiff Sat 24 Mar, Plymouth • Succession planning for committees Sat 24 Feb, Glasgow • Removing barriers to audience attendance Sat 28 Apr, Swansea For more information visit makingmusic.org.uk/events
In the spotlight
Show off your hard work and talent through new and exciting ways to perform Typically our groups do three to five events per year, and generally at the same times of year, for good reason. But are you getting the most out of your events? Could you try something different that offers new experiences for your members and attracts new audiences? Here are some things to think about. • You could stage one formal concert per year and work towards a different type of performance or event for the rest of the time. • You could perform at a care home, a topic on which we have some new guidance.
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Some member groups have performed in prisons; you can read about it in our resources. • Joint events are a great way to try new things by spreading the cost, work and risk. • Make it easier for older audience members to attend and make your events family friendly. We have developed some new resources to help you answer these questions. So when planning your next season, you could take some time to look through them and think about trying something new. makingmusic.org.uk/ resources
CONTACT info@makingmusic.org.uk / 020 7939 6030
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New online resources (Aug-Nov) •
Did you know?
• •
Since starting our Charity Registration service we have helped 20 groups get registered charity status. Visit makingmusic. org.uk/charity
• • • • • • • •
Group policies: what do you need to have? Top video tips for music groups Getting your prices right: what to think about and why An introduction to: Handbell ringing Top tips for managing an engaging Facebook page Marketing resources for your group Top tips to reduce barriers for older audience members Performing in care homes Top tips for engaging with people with dementia Not-for-profit organisations: Which bank account What is an unincorporated association?
Visit makingmusic.org.uk/resources for more resources and guidance
FROM OUR TEAM
A social affair
New members
Increase your reach online It can be hard to keep up with social media – it seems like there are always new platforms and ways of communicating, each one with its own set of rules and mysteries. Where do you even start? And how much work will be involved in keeping it going? And is it even worth it anyway? All fair questions. It can be hard to measure and it’s not as simple as twitter post = bigger audience. Social media is about telling stories, painting a picture of your group and raising awareness. But investing a bit of time in one or two platforms and doing them well will help your group. And it doesn’t have to take up too much of your time. Easier said than done? We have a resource on the basics – which platform is which
and how to get set up. Once you are set up we have top tips for making the most of them including a resource on creating an engaging Facebook page. The next problem is keeping them going. Music groups naturally generate content to post and talk about – rehearsals, events, projects. Social media tends to be visual; have a look at our new resources on taking photos and making videos. And don’t forget the workload can be shared. Ask your group members - there may be some hidden expertise that you can tap into. Find our social media resources and more at makingmusic.org.uk/ marketing
Making Music staff Barbara Eifler Executive Director Workineh Asres Head of Finance Ben Saffell Membership and Services Manager Sally Palmer Projects and Membership Coordinator Joe Hooper Membership Coordinator Lily Funnell Office and Membership Assistant Alexandra Scott PDGYA Administrator Ollie Mustill Marketing and Communications Manager Natalie Joanes Editor (Publications, communications, social media)
Sharon Moloney Member Engagement Manager Abby Charles Manager – Wales Alison Reeves Manager – Scotland Xenia Davis Youth Engagement Manager Najia Bagi Project Manager – Exploring Music Making
Contact us on 020 7939 6030 or info@makingmusic.org.uk We are here Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm
A warm welcome to the 57 new members who joined us between 1 August and 30 November! Acquire Alne Singers Baroque Week Biggin Hill Concert Band Blackwood Clarinet Choir Braughing Sing Brentwood’s Orchestras for Young Musicians
Buckstone Community Choir Bury Choral Society Cannock Highland Pipe Band Catalyst Performing Arts Choir 17 Cobham Community Ladies Choir Cor Aberteifi - Cardigan Community Choir Cucamelons Eclectic String Band Cirencester Edinburgh Incidental Orchestra Glass Ensemble Good Neighbours Willenhall Community Choir Great Bowden Recital Trust Guildford Spring Music Festival Hart Male Voice Choir Hereford Rail Male Voice Choir Herts Jazz Club Hexham Abbey Festival of the Arts Hull Folk Collective Hurn Court Opera Jazz Monkeys Kent Chorus Kings Langley Community Choir Leeds Vocal Movement Life Music Northants London Incidental Orchestra
Marlow Orchestra Mold Town Concert Band Yr Wyddgrug Newham Super Choir Off Key Community Choir Poulton people’s choir Powerjam Pride & Joy Purcell Singers Putney & Wimbledon Brass Band Quinborne Choir Seven Hills Chorus Sonority Choir St Michael & All Angels Steel Orchestras St Richard Singers Sussex Musicians Club Take Note Blackheath Tale Valley Choir The Jersey Big Band The Occasional Quire Tongue & Groove Choir Tony Halstead Horn Ensemble Vacation Chamber Orchestras (VaCO) Vale Voices (Barry) Voices United Wokingham Choral Academy
Don’t forget! If you haven’t yet renewed your membership, your insurance is no longer valid! Renew online at
makingmusic.org.uk/membership-and-insurance/renewals CONTACT info@makingmusic.org.uk / 020 7939 6030
Spring 2018
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FROM OUR TEAM
PROJECTS Keeping you up to date with projects and programmes
Right: Danyal Dhondy Photo: Charlotte Amherst
Discover Handel in 2018 Come and sing, listen or learn about Handel’s life with Making Music member group, the Handel Festival We hope you’ll join us for a special weekend of musical activity on 17-18 March 2018. The 2018 London Handel Festival, ‘Handel in London’, aims to explore not just the composer’s broad and varied musical output but also his wider entrepreneurial and philanthropic life in Georgian society. Performances will range from semi-staged opera and grand oratorio to more intimate chamber concerts. On Saturday, we’ll be holding a ‘Come and Sing’ day, an opportunity for you to sing Handel’s Foundling Anthem (which features the famous ‘Hallelujah!’ chorus in a different guise) under the inspirational leadership of Laurence Cummings, the internationally acclaimed conductor and musical director of the festival. The anthem was written by Handel to raise money for the orphaned ‘foundlings’
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abandoned on the streets of Georgian London. Our ‘Come and Sing’ events are always popular– last year we had 120 singers raising the roof with Handel’s Coronation Anthems. The event will take place in the beautiful eighteenth century Grosvenor Chapel in London’s Mayfair. All are welcome, although we do ask participants to be able to sight read and have some choral experience. Then on Sunday, you can sit back and relax and hear the talented young musicians of King’s College, London perform a chamber version of the Foundling Anthem in the picture gallery at the Foundling Museum. There will also be a talk on Handel’s philanthropy by the librarian, Katherine Hogg. Samir Savant, Festival Director london-handel-festival.com
Did you know? This year, five Making Music staff members have taken a music exam (four piano, one singing)
NEW, FREE COMPANION PIECE FOR FAURÉ’S REQUIEM Thanks to funding from the Nicholas Berwin Charitable Trust, Making Music has commissioned early career composer Danyal Dhondy to create a companion piece to the ever-popular Fauré Requiem, with forces matching the Oxford University Press edition by John Rutter. Programming ‘the other half’ of a performance is always a challenge with these favourite pieces and this is addressed by Danyal’s new and accessible score, which should be available for you to peruse by the time you read this. You will recall that Jonathan Dove’s new Arion and the Dolphin was designed to match Carmina Burana for the same reason. Danyal’s new piece will be available free (digitally) and at a very reasonable price in print for Making Music members only from now until July 2021. Find out more here: makingmusic.org.uk/news/ new-companion-piece-faurerequiem-2018 Listen to some of Danyal’s other work here: danyaldhondy.com
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FEATURE
Playing by ear You don’t have to rely on reading notes to make great music. Natalie Joanes talks to the people making music off the page Writing music down has been a key part of Western classical music since the early church. The stave we’re familiar with today is thought to have been created by Italian Benedictine monk, Guido of Arezzo, in the eleventh century. Chinese and Japanese music also developed notation systems, as did classical Indian music, but with emphasis on the pitch being decided by the performer. Across Africa - as part of a rich oral tradition - music was learned off by heart and passed down the generations, as well as religious teachings, history, poetry and the art of storytelling. It’s good to listen In Western music, genres such as folk and jazz are much less likely to rely on reading notation. Folk tunes are often taught phrase by phrase, learned in informal sessions by hearing the same tune multiple times, or learned by listening to the music first and learning it off by heart. And while there are certain conventions for improvising in jazz, musicians usually lay the groundwork by listening to their particular style of music extensively first before trying to play it by ear, and then going on to improvise. “I think the benefits of learning and playing by ear are huge: players can focus on communication with other musicians, play more intuitively, and improve
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their listening and memory skills. It also makes music more accessible to those who can’t read it,” says Sarah Jones, who is programme manager for the National Youth Folk Ensemble at the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). Accessibility for all In the UK, the number of choirs moving away from using sheet music is growing. The Natural Voice Network, whose musical directors work with voice and song, believes that singing is everyone’s birthright, regardless of musical experience or ability. The network’s practitioners try to make learning music as accessible as possible. “Teaching by ear is stimulating for learners and gets good results,” says Xenia Davis, musical director of two choirs in south London. “If you sing with sheet music, you have a relationship with the page in front of you. Moving away from that makes it easier to watch and listen to others, which is what singing in a group is all about.” Learning – or for people who can read music relearning – how to make music without the safety net of a written part requires the musician to trust their brain more than what’s on the page in front of them, and can help to increase
FEATURE
their confidence. Juliet Harwood set up Making Music member choir Quangle Wangle with an open access policy. Its repertoire includes west gallery music of the 19th and 20th centuries, which was performed by country folk singers, most of whom would not have had the opportunity to learn to read music. “The Quangle Wangle singers are a mixture of people who do and don’t read music – and all of them can learn without sheet music,” says Juliet. The choir rehearses in a circle rather than in rows to better create the effect of ‘total sound’. Juliet rehearses them part by part, encouraging each to listen and absorb the other parts. Besides which, she says, “It’s easy to forget that you can get tremendous enjoyment out of listening to the other parts.” Helping the creative process But what if you can read music? Although you can learn music without notation, for example through the Suzuki method, playing instrumental music without a score is a different thing and might seem like an alien concept. But it can help with the creative process. The Making Music Adopt a Composer scheme in 2016 saw Horsham Symphony Orchestra paired with Brazilian composer and percussionist Adriano Adewale. Although the final composition, Suite Dialogues, was scored, the process of getting there required working off the page. “Musicians tend to rely on their eyes a lot,” says Horsham Symphony conductor, Steve Dummer. “Going off piste helped the orchestra take
ownership of the music.” First the players had to down their instruments and clap syncopated rhythms over and over until they had absorbed them. Then they were given musical sketches of two lines each and sent off in groups to play them to one another. Swapping parts helped them feel more familiar with the material and helped open them up to improvisation, from which ideas for the piece were taken. A musical community Laura Callaghan Grooms, member of Sound Sense and Director of Hand on Heart Arts, rehearses her orchestras for young people using aural and visual methods, rather than through sheet music, which she uses less frequently. Having worked as Education Director for Deal Festival of Music & the Arts and other music education organisations, Laura has seen how putting less emphasis on reading music helps people, who would never otherwise meet, to connect. “I’ve seen intergenerational, mixed, rich and diverse groups of people able to join together in an environment that may simply not exist outside of music: it gives an opportunity for people of all walks of life to work together, share music and have fun together.” Whatever a musician’s background, getting away from the page once in a while can unlock the flow of musical creativity and help them to connect with other music makers. For more on working by ear, visit EFDSS’ resource: http://bit.ly/2zQ2uvO
Saturday Folk Music Workshop, EFDSS 2017 Photo: Rosie Reed Gold
“Going off piste helped the orchestra take ownership of the music.”
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MEMBERS
EXPLORING MUSIC Members tell us about the music they love. Email editor@makingmusic.org.uk
New
Jukebox
Right: Lucie Corcoran
Readers share how a particular piece of music inspires them
‘On a sunlit stage’ by The Villagers https://youtu.be/Zi_2sTwY8Lo I went to see The Chapters at Whelan’s bar, in the winter of 2008 and got there early enough to catch the supporting act. It was a well-attended gig and quite a noisy crowd. A singer-songwriter called Conor O’Brien apologetically brought his guitar on stage, almost hiding behind it. I wasn’t a big fan of singer-songwriters back then, preferring the likes of Iggy Pop, The Frames, Radiohead and The Pixies.
So, not much attention was being given to Conor, but as he began performing ... everything stopped. A dark, eerie Leonard Cohen-like sound emanated from the stage. The room fell silent. We all experienced something extraordinary that night. Conor and his band, The Villagers, have since gone on to great success and to halt time with their sound. What I heard that night was a taster of their debut single, ‘On a sunlit stage,’ which was released in October 2009. Listening to the song again now, it is timeless, beautiful, haunting folk/indie that comes from a place that’s not New York or the UK or Dublin. It’s from a place that Conor lives in and lets us visit when he performs. The sound and lyrics create a place and an atmosphere that part of us all recognise as something very special. As a promoter, I try to root out musicians and facilitate this very same atmosphere - while knowing that there is no formula for it. Lucie Corcoran Jam Nights (non-profit music promoter in Belfast) jamnightsblog.wordpress.com Email us and tell us about your favourite song or piece of music editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Indian classical music Indian music is rooted in the Hindu Vedic scriptures dating back over 6,000 years. From the chanting of these sacred texts with careful attention to pronunciation, intonation and meter, performers developed a system of musical notes, scales and rhythmic cycles of beats. Notes evolved from natural intervals like the perfect fifth, perfect third and mathematical ideas to give a general scale of 22 srutis (divisions). The Natya Sashtra, a treatise written in around 500 BCE by Bharata Muni, is the earliest evidence we have of a highly ordered musical and rhythmic system, integrated with dance and theatre. The primary goal of music and all art was to transport the audience into a higher state of being, where they could experience the essence of their consciousness. Two distinctive genres evolved – Hindustani classical music (North Indian) and Carnatic classical music (South Indian). Both use ragas as the basis of their repertoire. Ragas are complete musical structures defined by notes used, their hierarchy and importance, and characteristic phrases. The artist then improvises using this raga. The tonic is variable and set according to the artist’s mood or instrument. Performances take place in a chamber setting and focus on the 20 HIGHNOTES Spring 2018
Left: Sitar Music Society workshop hoto: Kaviraj Singh
Atul Patel of the Sitar Music Society gives an overview
solo performer, who is accompanied by a drone and rhythm. Melody, and the relationship between notes, is more important than harmony. Extensive ornamentation – such as gliding, vibrato and oscillation – is used to embellish the melodic lines. Rhythm accompaniment is generally provided by the tabla in Hindustani music, and mrdangam drum in Carnatic music. A variety of instruments such as sitar, sarod, and sarangi in the north; and veena, violin, and saxophone in the south are used. Although Indian classical music has spiritual roots, rather like Western music, you don’t need to be religious to appreciate it! Listen to or play Indian classical music with Sitar Music Society workshops. sitaruk.org
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Contact should be made, in the first instance, by letter (inc. email address if possible) asking for further details, addressed to:
Applications may be made by organizations (choirs, chamber groups, orchestras and so on) or individuals (performers, composers and authors, including students).
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A stunning music venue in the heart of Cambridge Music School at The Leys was opened in 2005 by Julian Lloyd Webber. The Recital Hall and other rehearsal spaces are available to hire during non-term times and on occasional weekends/evenings during term time. External groups can hire the Recital Hall for events such as recitals, rehearsals, concerts or music examinations. Music School at The Leys is situated at the heart of The Leys’ 50-acre city campus, within one of England’s premier independent schools.
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FROM OUR TEAM
DROP THE MIC If you have any tips you would like to share, email editor@makingmusic.org.uk
Apply yourself Useful apps and software
Audacity Audacity Team Audacity is a free, open source audio editor that you can use to make your own music recordings (single and multitrack), remove noise, cut and combine clips, apply special effects and more. Before you start, it’s best to research how to capture your instrument or vocals and which microphone to use, and you may also need to upgrade your sound card. You can also edit pre-recorded files and use plugins to add effects such as autotuning. Free to download; pay for plugins.
Swiftscales Velden Education Swiftscales was created by singers - it’s a vocal trainer phone or tablet app for beginners to advanced singers, and simulates sitting at the piano with a vocal coach. The app moves with you as you sing, as high or low, fast or slow as needed. Features include being able to share scales or vocal routines on a cloud, complete control of sessions in real time and creating your own custom scale patterns. Free to download; with in-app purchases. Vivace: Learn to read music Dreamhound Studios Vivace is a practise tool both for learning how to read music and improving your music reading skills. Illustrated step-by-step tutorials will teach the basics of music theory. It has 100 lessons categorised by clef and 15 key signatures. Free to download; with inapp purchases.
Practice makes perfect A checklist for taming pre-performance nerves 1. When you’re practising on your own, tackle the bits that are the trickiest first each time and get those under your belt. 2. In the lead up to a performance, prioritise your practise time and stick to it. 3. Write down a list of all your skills and strengths and keep them close by whenever you are practising. 4. Integrate relaxation and similar techniques into your practise time like mindfulness or meditation. 5. Research says that the brain reacts the same way to real or imagined situations, so start training yourself
to think positively and practise seeing yourself performing well. 6. If you’re feeling the adrenalin, this means that you’re ready! Without it, a performance is likely to be less exciting for you and your audience. Working at visualising a good performance will help you manage your adrenalin. 7. If you make a mistake, refocus and just keep going. It’s very likely that the audience won’t notice. If you forget to come in, others will help you out and your ‘muscle memory’ will kick in. 8. And finally (and most importantly)… don’t forget to enjoy yourself!
A session taking place Photo: Louise Bichan
EXPLORING SCOTTISH MUSIC For twenty years Making Music member group The Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland (TMSA), has been connecting audiences with performers by collating information about traditional Scottish musical events, festivals and activity from around Scotland into the TMSA Events Calendar. We’re now pleased to announce the launch of an interactive map of Scottish musical traditions (supported by funding from the Growth Fund of VisitScotland) that gives a flavour of the different geographical music traditions, types of music, instruments and themes that run through the cultural heritage of the country, including links to audio and video files, singers and musicians of note, and other resources and organisations. Whether you’re in Scotland or not, we hope your group will find inspiration for your repertoire by using the map to explore the traditions of Scotland and its traditional music. Visit tmsa.org.uk for more information. Fiona Campbell Cursor arrow designed by Vexel.com
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MEMBERS
READERS’ PAGE Got something to say? We’d love to hear from you: editor@makingmusic.org.uk.
Why I make music Who? Karen Gledhill What? Accordion, Ladies No1 Accordion Orchestra
Karen Gledhill, foreground and the Ladies No.1 Accordion Orchestra Photo: Hannah Dawson
I’m an actor but I also have a background in classical music, having learned how to play the cello, piano and clarinet. In 1987, during the run of a play I was performing in, I fell in love with a new instrument. The production required background accordion music and the lady played so beautifully. I heard it and thought - one day I’ll learn how to play that. Years later in 2012, when my children had grown up, I was looking for a new project to get involved in. I went to Cecil
Sharp House in north London, hired an accordion and started having lessons. The right hand, which plays the keys, was easier for me to learn. But I had to learn how to use the left hand bellows. Not to mention the 120 buttons! I progressed well and at the earliest opportunity, joined the No.1 Ladies Accordion Orchestra. The group is very collaborative – we take it in turns throughout the year to organise weekend performances around the country. The decision for the group to be all-female is a conscious one. The founder, Karen Tweed, who has since moved on, wanted to get more females playing the accordion and what started as a group of backing players became an orchestra. That’s not to say that men are excluded from proceedings – our male friends and partners attend our concerts and cheer us on! We’re mostly middle-aged women with shared life experiences who have found each other. And particularly for me, in a profession where work is harder to come by as you get older, it’s nice to have this opportunity to perform. no1ladiesaccordionorchestra.co.uk
Saving my arse? I’m writing as a long-suffering member of your audience. Longsuffering not because of the quality of your events, but because of your venues. My partner’s membership of the choir makes my attendance pretty mandatory - but if this wasn’t the case, would I come to one of your performances more than once? Take this next one as an example. It’s a church again, which probably means: freezing cold, no more than one toilet for 24 HIGHNOTES Spring 2018
150 people and hard pews for two hours. And the usual glass of cheap plonk and hideous Walkers crisps. We - your audiences - love what you do and want to support you, but please make it a bit easier for us and give us some creature comforts! #remoaner Got something to say? Email editor@makingmusic.org.uk
BOOK REVIEW Who cares about education? by Eric Macfarlane MacFarlane’s book paints a damning picture of an education system in the UK that sidelines the arts while obsessing over examination success and elite institutions. He calls for the creative industries and the business world, with its fastpaced changes and need for creative thinking, to stand together in taking action for the survival of arts subjects. The author points out that the reverence the education system places on pure academic study means that – while drama, for example, has a foothold with English literature – music and art via their emphasis on the ‘creative and practical experiences that lie at the heart of these subjects’, come in second class. For McFarlane, devaluation of the arts is also part of a bigger picture of education becoming less about the welfare of the pupil, and more about political game playing. McFarlane builds his book around recommendations in the 1967 Plowden Report, which suggests that education’s purpose is to realise everyone’s individual potential to the full, and that the focus needs to be on the children and the teachers, an approach that he says has been largely ignored by successive governments in the UK. An education in music might not necessarily lead to a musical career, but education doesn’t have to be solely about career. What it does do is nurture creative thinking, provide fantastic networks of people, social skills, and self confidence - invaluable on whatever path you later choose to tread. Music may not be seen by everyone as the most academic or profitable subject but, as experienced by the author, the arts provide the key to a successful and rounded school education and a fulfilling and happy adulthood. Laura Shipsey
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FROM OUR TEAM
MAKING MUSIC PEOPLE Interested in getting involved? Visit makingmusic.org.uk/volunteers
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
CELESTE BERTEAU
SUE CHOULES
TRUSTEE
DIGITAL MEDIA VOLUNTEER (England)
When did you join Making Music’s Board?
How long have you been volunteering with Making Music?
I was elected in June of 2017.
Since December 2016
Why Making Music?
What does your volunteer role involve?
I’ve been involved in voluntary music groups for the last 15 years, and I’ve seen first hand how much they contribute to personal wellbeing and the wider community. Everyone should have the ability to make music in whatever way they choose, and I want to help promote that vision within the UK.
Connecting with members in England via Twitter – I publicise their events and concerts and let them know about the information workshops and resources offered by Making Music.
What do you do when you’re not doing Making Music Board-related activities?
I found myself out of work and wanted to put my social media/writing skills to good use for a worthwhile cause.
I’m an evaluation officer for the Life Changes Trust. When I’m not working I’m usually taking walks with friends, spending time at home with my husband, playing board games or volunteering with a local, after-school tutoring and mentoring service.
What has been your most rewarding experience with Making Music so far?
Do you play an instrument or sing?
What do you do when you’re not volunteering for Making Music?
I grew up playing both piano and violin, but switched to voice. I’ve sung in musical theatre productions, jazz groups, chamber choirs, large choral societies, and small a cappella groups. I start to get grumpy if I go too long without the chance to sing!
What inspired you to volunteer with Making Music?
Attending the presentation concert for the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists award winners in June 2017 – I was blown away by their talent, vibrancy and commitment.
I work part time as a customer services assistant in a library. My husband and I have just purchased a plot of land in Cornwall which we are going to build a house on, so I’m doing lots of research into construction and design.
Which Making Music member group are you part of?
Do you play an instrument or sing?
Cadenza, a 50-person mixed voice choir in Edinburgh, Scotland. I’ve been with them just over a year now, and I’m thrilled with the balance of high-quality work and incredibly friendly people.
Yes, I play principal flute with Marlborough Concert Orchestra (MCO). I was in my County Youth orchestra and chamber groups when I was at school, but had mostly given up playing until MCO asked me to join them eight years ago. It’s been an incredibly rewarding, sometimes challenging, experience.
Who is your favourite musician or composer (past or present) and why? My favourite piece to perform is Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3, ‘Kaddish’. I was lucky enough to sing this with the Cathedral Choral Society alongside Samuel Pisar in the summer of 2011, and it was a life-changing experience. What was the last piece of music you listened to? ‘Praying’ by Kesha
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Do you have a particular favourite piece of music or song? Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro for harp, string quartet, flute and clarinet. I first heard it at a residential music course when I was a teenager and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately I’ve never had the opportunity to play it. One day!
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Our members spend a long time finding the right insurance cover, get worked up trying to understand music copyright and PRS, wonder who can process criminal record checks for them, wish they had an expert to turn to, try to fathom where to find cheap music, waste time getting to grips with Gift Aid, trawl the internet for the latest news and best practice, worry about running a charity, wrestle with how to use social media, struggle to find a new musical director, fret about what to perform, spend their evenings looking for different funding schemes, tear their hair out trying to understand online ticketing, deliberate for ages what to pay professional musicians, spend hours googling to find local groups to connect with, worry about how to influence the powers that be, wrangle with risk assessments, wish it was easier to run a voluntary music group, and then get on with making music. Let us cross the boring stuff off your to-do list. We fight for the best deals and provide the expertise, networks and support you need to set up, run and thrive as a leisure-time music group.
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