MUSIC DEPARTMENT WORKSHOPS
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n term 1 this year the music department was fortunate enough to have workshops with the band Aro, Charlie Porter with the Mat Fieldes combo and Dr. Rodger Fox. Mat Feildes is a kiwi bassist playing with the Juilliard trained Charlie porter jazz quartet. They have experience playing around the world and worked with the Stage Band on bringing out the jazz in pieces like Dr. Feelgood. Their visit inspired the band to play with more feeling and helped build confidence in the less experienced players. Aro, a husband and wife duo, worked with our singer/songwriters. Aro are a New Zealand group who incorporate their Maori heritage into their music to share around New Zealand. Aro worked with the singer/ songwriters and the Rockquest groups on bringing nature and culture into their pieces. This workshop helped the songwriters explore their history and past experiences to grow their songs and passion for songwriting. Dr. Rodger Fox runs the Rodger Fox Big Band, which attracts international players. He has performed with his big band internationally and is New Zealand’s Leading jazz educator. Rodger worked with the Stage band and combo, improving both groups use of jazz language and showing how to make a performance more enjoyable for performance and audience alike. Dr. Rodger Fox comes in every year and many of the senior players have built up a rapport with him and are eager to show them how much they have improved over the years. This visit has become a regular on the music departments calendar. These workshops gave us an opportunity to hear professional musicians and get advice from them on our shared passions.
30 | MUSIC DEPARTMENT WORKSHOPS | PHS YEAR BOOK 2020
