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• From the 19th to the 22nd of April, SWMS intern James Aldridge represented South West Music School at the European Forum on Music in Beyoglu, Istanbul. This year’s forum, in co-operation with the European Music Council, explored the theme of ‘Transcending Boundaries/Building Bridges’ focusing on issues with mobility across Europe for artists and the musical relationships between the countries of such a diverse continent. The forum provided a packed programme with panel discussions, workshops, project and paper presentations and wonderful concerts. This included particularly enlightening discussions on the difficulty Turkish artists born on the Asian side face when trying to obtain visas to bring their work across Europe, something essential for touring artists to be able to earn a living. Friday afternoon saw a highly animated and frustrated panel discussing the issues with Turkish musical education, regarding governmental support, options for children, outdated methods and severe genre bias. It was clear that delegates from all the countries represented at the forum shared these concerns for their home nations. Almost the whole of a very rainy Saturday was devoted to discussing the future plans of the EU in terms of private and public funding, programmes for culture and media, and how the European Music Council are pushing for increased EU funding for the culture sector. The highlight of the forum however was the final panel discussion on ‘The potential of digital media for musical expression and its repression’. This session provoked an almost panicked response from the attendees concerning how artists will receive ‘fair’ recognition and remuneration for their work, now that music is so easy to download for free. This signalled that the future of money making for musicians is firmly based in live performance, with music being created solely as a vehicle from which to continue to perform live and keep the fan base interested. What was also made clear is that the current copyright system is worryingly behind and close to becoming completely redundant. Unfortunately, a solution to this problem is yet to be found. Keeping the forum very much a musical event were the concerts spread throughout the weekend. The host of the forum, the Borusan Music House provided two phenomenal performances from the utterly compelling Boursan string quartet and the dazzlingly talented Borusan children’s choir, both performing traditional and modern music from Turkey. Traditional Turkish folk music was well represented  by Erdem Şimşek, a Bağlama player, more commonly known as an Anatolian Folk Lute. On the Saturday evening the delegates travelled to the Asian side of the city to the Süreyya Operası (Opera House) to see a concert of Turkish contemporary classical music composed by Hasan Ucarso for two pianos and percussion. To close the concert, a traditional gypsy/folk band playing an array of Turkish instruments including Hurdy Gurdys, Kanuns, and Yayli Tanburs. This performance, led by singer Sumru Ağıryürüyen and music director Göksel Baktagir, took the audience on a musical journey through Istanbul, Turkey and the surrounding area, past and present. The often high energy, sometimes beautifully serene and always highly emotive concert prompted the delegates to demand a triple encore, rounding off the forum in a fittingly musical style.  For more information on the forum, the EMC and all the sessions and performances please visit  http://www.emc-imc.org/events-conferences/european-forum-on-music-2012/  

• Istanbul European Music Conference 2012

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• To celebrate the 100th anniversary of composer John Cage, the SWMS percussion students gathered together with percussionist Joby Burgess to look at some of Cage's works. First Construction in Metal Living Room Music Credo In US All these scores explore found sounds, with an element of theatre and rhythmic challenges.  With an instrument list including tin cans, newspapers, prepared piano and chinese water gongs, it promised to be an exciting and experimental weekend!The students entered into the spirit of the residential, overcoming personal and group challenges to do with rhythms, instrument techniques and attitudes towards this type of music.It was a challenging but rewarding residential and the final performance really showcased this. 

• John Cage Percussion Residential April 2012

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• The guitarists of South West Music School hit the jackpot in March with full day guitar masterclasses from Stuart Ryan and Dario Cortese within a week of each other. Stuart Ryan has been popularly recognised as one of the finest guitarists in the country, ever since winning the prestigious ‘Acoustic Guitarist of the Year’ competition run by ‘Guitarist’ magazine in 2002. Since then he has enjoyed a highly successful solo career as well as being head of guitar at ‘The Bristol Institute of Modern Music’ and a regular writer for all the top guitar magazines. In this masterclass Stuart covered acoustic fingerstyle techniques and styles from Pre-WWII ‘Travis Picking’ from southern America, to modern day percussive/tapping and virtuoso styles.  The SWMS workshop room was full of the sounds of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’, ‘The Flintstones’ theme and jazz standards all arranged for solo acoustic guitar. This was a fantastically varied and challenging masterclass, leaving the students with a wealth of acoustic styles to practice and some very sore fingers. Dario Cortese is predominantly a Jazz guitarist but is a world class country, blues and fusion player as well as being highly proficient in all other guitar styles. This has allowed him to pursue a hugely successful performing, recording and teaching career. He has been a guitar tutor at ICMP for many years and has worked with such musical legends as Larry Carlton, Frank Gambale and Albert Lee. Dario’s masterclass was based upon a fusion number called ‘Fly By Night’ by Lee Ritenour. Throughout the day the students learned rhythm, melody, solo and improvisational parts, using these different aspects of playing to demonstrate good technique, musicality and creativity when playing the guitar. In the afternoon Dario was joined by a house band and the guitarists got a chance to play the rhythm and solo parts with a proper band set-up. This allowed Dario and the band to give advice not just on musicality and technique, but on performance and how to play as a group.

• Guitar Masterclasses - Dario Cortese & Stuart Ryan

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• The fifth of six Feeder Scheme days was held at Exeter University with vocalists Stuart Silver and Ana Silvera.Stuart Silver is a UK based writer/performer/producer/director and Ana Silvera is a singer/songwriter who has recently released her debut album.  Between them they are a vocal force to be reckoned with!The aim of this Feeder Scheme day was to look at using words and music in an equal context.  Many musicians favour one over the other (either words or music) and even those who work with both will have a strength more one way than another.  This workshop was to bring the two together and make the lesser known element less scary!The day started with an exercise using celebrity names to create rhythms with voices.  Names such as:Chris MoylesShirley BasseySimon Cowellwere thrown into the mix.Once a rhythm was established with voices, it was slowly moved onto instruments to create a simple but excitingly rythmical piece.  This led onto thinking about the technique of writing 'list' poems and listening to some well known examples.  At this point the students broke into groups to write a list poem and put it to music.  The topics were:Why I Love YouWhat I'd do if I won the EuromillionsThings I HateThings to do before I'm 30The group then went onto looking at story telling, using classic myths and fairy tales to feed into song writing.  Stories such as:The Three Little PigsRumplestiltskinMedussaPeter PanThe students were then challenged to tell one of the well known stories in 45 seconds.  This proved quite tricky with a lot of facts and details having to be skimmed over to keep within the time contraint.  Ana then performed one of her pieces which was based on Hans Christian Anderson's 'The Snow Queen'.This inspired the students to go back into their groups to write a song based on a well known story but with a twist.  They had to write it from the point of view of just one person or one object in a story - this would mean that possibly only a part of the story was told.  The stories picked were:MedusaWolf from The Three Little Pigs & Little Red Riding HoodPeter PanA selection of these pieces were then performed to friends and family at the end of the workshop.   

• April 2012 Session 5

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• Over the first weekend of the Easter break, SWMS’s 10 composition students gathered at Seale Hayne in Newton Abbot for an intensive residential weekend. The students were also joined by an eclectic mix of acoustic instrumentalists made up of current students and graduates. They provided the composers with a selection of violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, recorder and French horn from which to compose for. Leading the weekend and tutoring the students was Allison Cox from London’s ‘Purcell School’ alongside two ex-students providing the additional instrumentation of bassoon and flute, as well as extra tuition. The theme of the weekend was progression and evolution of composition. Before the weekend each composer was assigned an instrumentalist for whom they were told to compose a short solo piece. At the residential, after these pieces were learnt, developed and performed, the composers were told to add another part making a duet and eventually a third, to make a trio. Due to the odd mix of instruments, many of the composers wrote duets and trios for instruments rarely paired together, providing quite a challenge for not only the composers but the instrumentalists as well. As a result, the weekend produced an extremely high level of peer mentoring, giving composers and instrumentalists alike a short but thorough experience of new possibilities, techniques and instrumentation. As well as this core task, composers and instrumentalists enjoyed workshops ranging from body percussion to improvisational conducting and from instrumental demonstrations to composing from art. As ever the regular occurrence of ‘Open Mike’ night was a great success, as was the final performance of the solo, duet and trio compositions, in front of parents and mentors. Text to follow shortly

• March Composer Residential 2012

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• On Sunday 19th February 2012, the final day of the Core Programme residential, Feeder Scheme students met together with Andy Baker and Jack Ross to look at composing music to film. Andy and Jack brought along a selection of silent films for the students to compose a soundtrack for.  These ranged from the original film of West Side Story to the horror film Psycho. The students looked at elements such as instrumentation, how to create moods, the difference between a music soundtrack and being a sound effect. The films and new and improved soundtracks were performed to parents at the end of the day.

• February 2012 Session 4

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• The 2012 February half-term saw the coming together of two polar-opposite ways of approaching music. This residential was entirely based around the concept of using the creations and ideas of children of only 4 and 5 years of age, to inspire and provoke new musical ideas from the 45 SWMS students in residence at Seale Hayne, Newton Abbot.   The aim of tutors Hugh Nankivell, Ben Ballard, Sarah Moody and James Aldridge, was to not only explore how the students could interpret the musical play and creativity of the pre-school children, but to challenge the conventions and approaches that govern and restrict all aspects of musicians’ composition and performance.   This was achieved through a series of provocations sourced from the Shared Inventions project, where Hugh, Ben and James have been going into the reception classes of Homeland’s and St. Margaret’s primary schools in Torquay to explore music with ‘early years’ children.   These included graphic scores created by the children that were given to the SWMS students to interpret and to be used to create short solo pieces. The students were also presented with a structure for an ensemble peice (called ‘Elephants’) created by a year 5 and 6 band from the same two Torquay schools. Smaller activities included using drawings and art to inspire song-writing and improvisation, games and warm-ups popular with the ‘early years’ children and a short lecture exploring the origins of musical notation and alternative ways to transcribe music.   Saturday night saw the return of the ever popular open mic night, including a grade 1 oboe and trumpet duet from Lisa Tregale and Sophie Brewer and an improvised piece from Hugh, Ben and Sarah, involving spoons, kicking around various instruments and eating a whole dry Weetabix and pot of jam. The weekend also saw the culmination of the SWMS ‘Grade-1-athon’ in which everybody taking part received a merit or above!   The residential culminated in a 50 minute performance to a packed great hall, with renditions of solo graphic score interpretations, group performances inspired by the techniques of the young children and a full group performance of ‘Elephants’. This perfectly rounded off another highly successful SWMS residential.

• February 2012 Residential

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• 20 string players from South West Music School came together to work with Tim Boulton for a weekend looking at string techniques and ensemble playing.  The music being looked at over the weekend was:  Brukner Adagio for Strings Bargiel String Quartet Gliere String Octet Lutoslawski Violin Quartet Metzler Cello Guartet The weekend started with a large group warm up including the scale Gb major (the key the Bruckner is written in).  This was followed by the first rehearsal for the Brukner.  The collective group sound, even within the first 10 seconds, was phenomenal.  It promised to be an amazing weekend.  After the break the students moved into their smaller chamber groups to look at the other works for the weekend and learn how to work together to learn and also perform a piece without a conductor or tutor with them full time.  The building was filled the sound of flowing string melodies and tricky rhythms being clapped out! Saturday evening, after sessions, brought a time of well earned relaxation with table football, pool and giant jenga!  The students couldn’t keep away from their instruments long though and soon there were some brilliant ‘jam’ sessions happening.  Students with backgrounds in classical, folk and jazz all brought their styles together, improvising around each other, dropping in and out as the music moved forwards.  What a privilege to be among such talented musicians in their element.  As if this wasn’t enough pleasure, we were then treated to an impromptu performance by Ben & Alfie Weedon.  A string duo that have been with South West Music School for 4 years and are looking to set up their own performance career when they have both graduated.  (Ben graduated in 2011 and Alfie is due to graduate in 2012).  Sunday morning brought with it an early morning work-out session of running, jumping and leap frogs to get the bodies and lungs working!  Then it was onto a musical warm up for the instruments and brains and finally into sectionals for the Bruckner.  The day was spent working on the various pieces from the weekend, performing to each other in preparation for the informal performance to parents later the same day. What a successful weekend with plenty to take away and expand on.  Looking forward to the next one later in 2012!

• String Weekend January 2012

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• The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation’s principle objectives are to promote the arts, culture and heritage for the public benefit. This Foundation was founded by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1992 and is regulated by a Charitable Deed dated 5 April 1992. It was registered with the Charity Commission on 10 December 1992 and is listed in the Central Register of Charities as Registered Charity Number 1015648. Since inception, the Foundation has successfully achieved its objectives by acquiring exceptional works of art for the nation, as well as supporting other projects. Following the sale of the Foundation’s Picasso in 2010, the Trustees are now embarking on an active grant giving programme including the provision of musical theatre scholarships. In November 2010 the Trustees of the Foundation agreed to fund ten Musical Theatre course scholarships per annum at renowned musical theatre colleges throughout the UK, to commence in September 2011.

• The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation

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• Applications for South West Youth Orchestra have now closed.  However, we are still looking for violins, violas and bassoons.  If you are grade 8+ standard on any of these instruments then please contact the SWMS office. Presented in partnership with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra  Conductor: Rui Pinheiro Dates: Sunday 12 to Thursday 16 August 2012 Place: Bryanston School, Dorset  Ages: 13 – 21 years (we can be flexible - please contact us if you fall outside this age bracket!) Open to: Orchestral Musicians Level: Approx. Grade 8 standard upwards A fantastic chance to join the orchestra for exceptionally talented young musicians in the South West region, rehearsing and performing under the direction of exciting Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor, Rui Pinheiro. You will play alongside a team of world-class orchestral professionals, who will direct sectional rehearsals and also coach chamber music sessions. The following challenging repertoire will be studied:Shostakovich Symphony Number 10 (for full orchestra)Stravinsky Symphonies of Wind Instruments (for wind and brass)Mozart Serenata Notturna (for strings)Steve Reich's Music for Pieces of Wood (for percussion) The course will culminate in a public performance in The Coade Hall, Bryanston School, Dorset. If you are approximately Grade 8 (or equivalent) on an orchestral instrument and live in the South West, then this is an opportunity not to be missed! To apply Send your completed application form (by post or e-mail) with the following 2 items if possible: A recent recording of your playing. This should have been recorded within the last 3 months and show your playing off well. Ensemble recordings will only be accepted if you can be heard clearly (e.g. the solo part in a concerto performance is fine but a single violin line in a string quartet is NOT acceptable). We will be judging your playing, not the qualities of the recording so please don’t worry if it isn’t studio quality! Most formats are accepted (CD, mp3, audio cassette, minidisc, DVD etc) A recent reference from an adult musician who knows you musically, e.g. instrumental teacher, school/college music teacher etc. This should not be a member of your family or a fellow student. Deadline for applications was Wednesday 25th April 2012However, if you play violin, viola or bassoon we would love to hear from you. After the deadline, members of the orchestra will be selected from the applicant pool, we will notify all applicants as soon as possible in early May. If you are successful, fees will be payable at this point and you will be sent sheet music in advance to learn prior to the start of the course. Fees Fees for the course are £250 including all food and accommodation, or £175 on a non-residential basis. We recommend attending residentially if possible to take full advantage of the immersive nature of the course. Financial Assistance A limited number of financial assistance awards are available for South West Youth Orchestra. To apply for financial assistance please enclose a letter with your application stating how much you can afford to pay and the reasons for your request. The primary criteria for financial support are: Low Income Families, particularly those in receipt of benefits e.g. income support, incapacity benefit etc; Low Income Individuals e.g participants age 16-20 who live independently; Others who, without financial support, would not be able to attend.

• South West Youth Orchestra 2012

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