Meet the Music Department

FRIDAY 12TH FEBRUARY 2021

MEET THE

MUSIC DEPARTMENT Hello Everyone! Mr Brawn here.

I have the pleasure of attempting to fill the shoes of the amazing Mrs Marley whilst she is away on maternity. At the time of writing, we are still eagerly awaiting news and I cannot wait to share this with you when we have it…any day now!

I have now been at Glendower for just ten weeks… seven of which have sadly been spent online. What a time to begin a new role, but I have been made to feel so welcome and have been helped throughout by your amazing girls, brilliant staff, and supportive parents. For this, I think you all.

Music lessons online so far have been a wonderful opportunity for the girls to let off some steam, to use their voices, to sing out loud and proud and enjoy some fun and energetic activities. We have been enjoying listening to a variety of different pieces of music and engaging with music in different ways.

INCLUDED: - The Science of Music - Events - Meet the Staff

EVENTS In light of recent circumstances and everchanging timetables, many events have been either postponed, cancelled, or reorganised. Despite this, I am delighted to let you know that we have organised the following

THE SCIENCE OF MUSIC Music is scientifically proven to improve our brain power, boost our mental health and our mood. Music also promotes good physical health particularly through healthy singing, and helps to develop fine-motor skills. For girls who learn a musical instrument or who have individual vocal training, you are well on the path to benefit the most from music, learning self-discipline, and igniting both sides of your brain. This helps with your concentration and school-work, not to mention the joy of experiencing amazing music for yourself.

As a musician, I can wax lyrical about the benefits of music and I cannot recommend highly enough our peripatetic music staff who contribute wholly to the betterment of your girls’ education. The science is there, and we at Glendower fully endorse what music can do for your girls. Just take a look at this short TedEd video which explains it all far better than I can. churches, societies, associations, and businesses.

provisions: Our amazing peripatetic music staff at Glendower have sought to provide performance opportunities for your girls whilst we are in lockdown and will be hosting their own concerts.

The girls’ teachers will be in touch with you with more details about this. We intend to make these concerts available to the wider school community.

In lieu of our regular music assemblies and other Spring Term events, I would like to announce our online Spring Gala Concert which we would like to present to you towards the end of this term in March. More details about this will relayed directly to the girls during their music lessons about their contributions.

MUSIC EXAMS I know many girls will have been preparing tirelessly for their instrumental and vocal exams. The ABRSM have naturally closed the window for exams for this session. As such, we intend to host two separate exam sessions, one in May and another in June where circumstances allow.

Information regarding the Musical Theatre exams with LCM will have already been communicated to you by Miss Forbes directly as these will take place in a recorded format.

MEET THE MUSIC STAFF I feel incredibly privileged to be able to work alongside such world class musicians and music teachers here at Glendower. Having just got to know them, I thought it may be long over-due that they are lime-lighted once more so that our community can see how lucky we are to have such incredible practitioners working with us. They are highly sought-after, not just as musicians, but as teachers too. As such, they have incredibly busy timetables and growing waiting lists. I cannot recommend them highly enough, so please get in touch to express your interest and we will do what we can to accommodate you.

Mrs Park

Miss Forbes

Mrs Anderson

Mr Anderson

MRS SOOHA PARK Music Teacher

After completing her PGCE at UCL in 2019, Mrs Park joined Glendower as a music teacher. She has taught at a number of schools including Dulwich College, South Korea and St. Veronica's Primary School, Greater Manchester. Before starting her career in teaching, she received both BMus and MMus degrees from Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and is highly sought after as a violinist and strings teacher. We are incredibly fortunate to have Mrs Park as a music teacher at Glendower.

1. If you could have a superpower, what would you choose?

Teleportation 2. What was your favourite subject at school?

Music, of course!

3. What is your favourite film/TV show?

The Sound of Music 4. What is your favourite piece of music and why?

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto D major Op. 35, 3rd Movement. It is a beautiful concerto with a lot of excitement!

5. Which is your favourite key and why?

C sharp minor... It makes me calm.

6. Biscuits or cake?

Biscuits 7. Summer or winter?

Summer 8. Book or film?

Film 9. Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate 10. City or countryside?

City

MISS AMANDA FORBES Voice Teacher

Miss Forbes brings 15 years of experience combining performance with vocal coaching.

She offers executive coaching, vocal tuition for singing, public speaking, and team training. Approaching the corporate sector from a performance background, she brings a fresh perspective, with particular aptitudes for helping coachees with public speaking, presentations, and dealing with anxiety or stage fright.

After training at the Royal Academy of Music and the National Opera Studio, Miss Forbes began her career as a principal artist for numerous opera companies across the UK. She featured in lead roles in world premieres, including Phillip Glass’s The Trial at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and in a one woman opera composed for her of the Poet Laureate Carol Anne Duffy’s ‘The World’s Wife’, which was critically acclaimed and attended by the Poet Laureate herself. Her performances have received four and five-star reviews in The Times, Arts desk, Financial Times, and the British Theatre Guide, among others.

Miss Forbes has run group teaching and education workshops for Glyndebourne Opera and the Wimbledon Theatre. She is currently working on a course with Companies In Motion focusing on Physical Intelligence, building awareness around breathing, posture and dealing with performance anxiety and stress.

She holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours from the University of Melbourne, a DipRAM in opera from the Royal Academy of Music and is a graduate of the National Opera Studio, London. She is also a certified executive coach with the Academy of Executive Coaching and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.

1. How long have you been

4. Do you have any phobias?

teaching?

I hate spiders because I'm from

9 Years

Australia

2. Who is your favourite musical

5. What is your favourite genre of

artist?

music?

It's between Amy Winehouse and

Jazz Funk/Soul

Sarah Vaughan 6. Tea or coffee?

3. Do you have any Pets?

One thing I cannot live without is

I have a Bombay Cat called Truffle

coffee.

MRS EMILY ANDERSON Clarinet Teacher

Mrs Anderson completed her studies as a full scholarship student at the Purcell Scool, Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she gained a Double 1st class Masters degree in Music and Music performance. She has worked in both orchestral and chamber music performances with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Orchestra. She has recorded for BBC Radio 3, Channel 4 and has performed for the Maltese Government, at Buckingham Palace, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Centre, Cliveden House, Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Opera House and for the Royal Overseas League.

As well as being offered a Junior Fellowship in Chamber Music at the Guildhall School, Mrs Anderson has earned the following prizes which include: June Emerson Chamber Music Prize, Tunbridge Wells International Concert Artist Competition - twice woodwind finalist, 5th Israeli Chamber Music Competition – finalist, Needlemakers Prize – finalist, Mary Richmond Ryan Award, Marlow Music Medal.

Mrs Anderson is an experienced teacher, holding positions at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, City University of London, and has been a teacher at Glendower Preparatory School since December 2007.

1.What was your favourite subject at school?

English, and Music of course!

6.Tea or coffee?

Tea

2. Do you have any siblings?

I have an older brother and a younger sister

7. Summer or Winter?

Summer

3. Why did you choose to become a teacher/musician?

All my family are musicians; I went to specialist music school at 11

8. City or countryside?

Countryside

4. Do you have any hobbies?

Reading books - my house is full of them!

5. Do you have any phobias?

Mice and I am not keen on heights

9. Bass Clarinet or Bassoon?

Bass Clarinet 10. Nicola Benedetti or Hilary Hahn?

Hilary Hahn is phenomenal, though I have played with Nicola and she is also fabulous and lovely. I would go with Hilary Hahn.

MR JASON ANDERSON Piano Teacher

Mr Anderson works as a freelance pianist and composer alongside teaching at Glendower Preparatory School, where he has taught the piano since 2013.

Originally from the Philippines, he moved to England when he was 4, completing his music studies in piano and composition at the Purcell School of Music, Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as a scholar.

Prizes include the Sussex Recital Prize, Tracy Chadwell Memorial Prize and finalist in the Ivan Sutton piano competition. He has performed extensively throughout the UK and overseas as a solo and duo recitalist including at the Purcell Room, Cadogan Hall, Colston Hall, Cliveden House, for BBC Radio 3, and for Cunard Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2. Other notable performances include for HRH The Prince of Wales, former President Ramos of the Philippines, alongside a busy career as an accompanist.

As a composer, prizes include the BBC Guardian Proms Composer award, and performances at the Wigmore Hall, for BBC Radio 3, collaborations with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, as well as arranging music for both professional musicians and dancers.

1.If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?

The Moon, I always wanted to see what the Earth looks like from space 2. What new skill would you like to learn?

Grade 9 Clarinet (and get a higher mark than Mrs Anderson!) so I could play in orchestras 3. What is your favourite piece of music and why?

Clair De Lune, it reminds me of playing concerts all around the world 4. Who is your favourite composer and why?

Debussy, he is the first composer I performed in a concert and I can listen to his music any time!

5. Biscuits or cake?

Biscuits 6. Tea or coffee?

Coffee 7. Book or film?

Film 8. Running or cycling?

Running 9.Mozart of Beethoven?

Beethoven

Glendower Preparatory School 86/87 Queens Gate London SW7 5JX 020 7370 1927 office@glendowerprep.org