PORTSMOUTH MUSIC HUB JUNE 2015 - UPDATE Here’s the latest update from Hub Partners across the city. There have been some fantastic events involving thousands of children and young people, thanks to our excellent team of partners and there’s plenty more coming up in the next few weeks. Thank you everyone! A SHORT RIDE IN A FAST MACHINE TO MARS WENT DOWN A STORM A Monday in May saw a fun, inclusive day for children from a range of local primary schools to explore classical music in a creative and practical way. Each school participated in 3 workshops – a “vocal orchestra” to encourage exploration of voice as an ensemble, a composition session developing children’s creative responses to an existing piece of repertoire and a rhythm based workshop to cultivate strong internal pulse. All the children then came together for a final sharing event at the end of the day, creating a massed ensemble piece on the spot in just 30 minutes! Workshops were based around BBC Ten Pieces repertoire; Britten’s Storm, Mars from Holst’s The Planets Suite and John Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine. The BBC Ten Pieces aims to open up the world of classical music to children and inspire them to develop their own creative responses to the pieces through music, dance or digital art. The aim of the day was to inspire children in local schools by actively encouraging performance and creative composition as a core part of their music development. The event was a joint venture between the BSO and Jump Start – a consortium partnership formed by The New Theatre Royal, Aspex Art Gallery and the Portsmouth Cultural Trust and funded by National Youth Arts Development Agency, Artswork – and Portsmouth Music Hub.
DIARY DATES Key Dates: 14 June 1.30—4.30 Sing Out Pompey rehearsal David Russell Theatre at PGS 16 June 6.30 Performance Evening Langstone Junior School 26 June 7.00 Sing Out Pompey Portsmouth Guildhall 2 July 7.30 Rock the Room Wedgewood Rooms 8 July 9.30—2.30 Arts & Culture Passport Day Guildhall Square
CONTACT US Portsmouth Music Hub c /o Paulsgrove Community Centre Marsden Road, Portsmouth PO6 4JB Telephone: 023 9237 5655 Fax: 023 9237 0263 Email: portsmouthmusichub @portsmouthcc.gov.uk www.portsmouthmusichub.org Twitter: @portsmouthmusic Facebook: Portsmouth Music Hub
BBC NATIONAL MUSIC DAY On Friday 5 June a unique musical event took place in the heart of Portsmouth when the BBC, Portsmouth Music Hub and more than 500 children came together to celebrate the launch of National Music Day. Young people from schools across Portsmouth entertained the crowds in the Guildhall Square with a performance of Anna Meredith's body percussion piece 'Connect It', which uses clapping, stamping, whispering and shouting instead of instruments. Sue Beckett, Director of Portsmouth Music Hub said, 'It was a spectacular event, bringing music to life in the most unconventional way, and that's definitely why the children were enjoying themselves because they, and the people watching had never seen anything quite like it before. The BBC's National Music Day is important because all across the country individuals, groups, Music Hubs and organisations are working together to get the message out, that music really matters.' The BBC launched National Music Day to inspire a generation of children and young people to get creative with music, and to inspire them to develop their own responses through music, dance or digital art. Bob Shennan, Controller of Radio 2 said, 'BBC Music Day is a unique opportunity for people to celebrate music and musical talent, whether attending one of the many events taking place or tuning in at home.' To see 'Connect It' visit www.facebook.com/ portsmouthmusichub.
UPCOMING EVENTS 13 June, 7.30 Milton Glee Club’s Charity Concert St Cuthberts Church, Copnor
14 June, 1.30pm Sing Out Pompey Rehearsal Portsmouth Grammar School
16 June, 6.30pm Portsmouth Music Hub Summer Performance Evening Langstone Junior School
19 June Portsmouth Festivities 2015 start
19 June, 7.30pm Portsmouth Festivities: London Mozart Players Laura van der Heijden (cello) Portsmouth Cathedral
20 June, 7.30 Portsmouth Music Club: Katharine Carter (Flute) Ian Richardson (Piano) The Rotunda, Portsmouth Grammar School. Book tickets
20th June, 10.00 Portsmouth City Band performing at Portchester Gala Castle Street
DO YOU LOVE TO SING? CBBC is looking for budding pop stars aged 11-14 AND their Mums to take part in an exciting new talent show! Mums - are you an encouraging parent willing to take part in the show, competing in fun physical challenges for your little star? (Mums won’t need to sing!) This unique series is the only talent show to reveal the true side of fame while helping you get there. We’re looking for young singers and their mums who together think they’ve got what it takes to be a winning team! So if you have a talent for singing - whether it’s just in the shower, in a choir or even amongst your friends, and think your mum and you would make a dream team, we would love to hear from you! Filming will take place from 9th-28th August 2015 so we need both of you to be available for all of these dates. There will be 2 more filming dates early 2016 TBC. To find out more, please visit the CBBC website: www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/topics/be-on-a-show where you can download an application form. You must have permission from your parent / guardian to apply. All applications must be received by Friday 12th June 2015
20th June, 8.45pm and 11.00pm Portsmouth City Band performing in Moonlit Memories Walks 22 June, 6.00pm Portsmouth Music Festival Winner: Recital Portsmouth Grammar School 22 & 23 June, 10am– 7pm Our Island: Portsmouth Festivities and New Theatre Royal
24 June, 9.30—11.30 Beginner Recorder Festival Northern Parade Federated School
25 June, 7.30pm Portsmouth Festival Choir Spring Concert Dido and Aeneas Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral
SING OUT POMPEY! On Friday 26 June, at 19.00, school children and community choirs from across Portsmouth will come together, for one night only, to perform a spectacular concert of live music and entertainment at the Guildhall, Portsmouth. With songs about Portsmouth written by the people of Portsmouth Sing Out Pompey! will be a night to remember. All tickets £6.50. Guildhall Box Office: 0844 847 362.
25 to 27 June, 10:30am and 1:30pm Uluzuzulalia: Portsmouth Festivities and New Theatre Royal 27 June, 7:30pm Warren Mailley-Smith; Quintessential Rhapsody in Blue
27 June, 7:30pm Milton Glee Club’s Charity Concert supporting Parkinsons Society St Faiths, Lee on Solent
OUR ISLAND Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd June 2015 10 am – 6:30 pm in the Menuhin Room, Central Library, Guildhall Square. Come and explore 'Our Island', an installation created by pupils from five local schools in collaboration with Filskit Theatre Company. Experience the sights, sounds and stories of Portsmouth through the unique blend of interactive projection, sound and poetry. This will be running on a loop, but the New Theatre Royal will be hosting opportunities for schools to meet Filskit Theatre Company who will talk through the work. This is well suited for pupils who are undertaking the Arts Award.
28 June, 10am Portsmouth Festivities: Musical Theatre Workshop David Russell Theatre, Portsmouth Grammar School 2 July, 7.30pm Rock the Room Wedgewood Rooms 4 July, 7.30pm Ports Philharmonia: A collaboration with the Meon Valley Band. United Reformed Church,
ULUZUZULALIA There are 6 performances of Uluzuzulalia at the New Theatre Royal as part of the Portsmouth Festivities. Thanks to JumpStart, the NTR can offer four of the performances to schools for £1 per ticket. Each performance can accommodate 25 people. Tickets will be on sale from Monday 27th May so book a session for your school by contacting takepart@newtheatreroyal.com Thursday 25th and Friday 26th June, 10:30 am and 1:30 pm (schools only). Saturday 27th June, 10:30 am and 1:30 pm (£8 for adults, £4 concessions) In the Menuhin Room, Central Library, Guildhall Square The work was developed for children aged 6 to 11 and each workshop lasts for an hour, helping children explore the anatomy of the voicing body; the differences between human and animal voicing; vibration and sound; and musical concepts like volume (dynamics), pitch, improvisation, pulse, and rhythm. Learn more at www.yourvivaciousvoice.com/uluzuzulalia/ The performance is accompanied by an education pack and 15 printable activity sheets. The pack suggests ways of using the sheets as a way into topics addressed in KS1, KS2 music and KS2 science. For links to these see and for the activity sheets: http://yourvivaciousvoice.com/fun/
5 July, 3pm Highbury Area Band’s Summer Concert Purbrook Junior School 6 July, 6.30pm Instrumental Ensemble Concert Langstone Junior School 8 July, 09.30am—2.30pm Arts and Culture Passport Day Guildhall Square 31July, 7.30pm Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra: Classical Extravaganza Portsmouth Guildhall 8 August, 2pm The Royal Marines School of Music: The Guildhall Concert & Beating Retreat The Guildhall, Portsmouth
ARTS & CULTURE PASSPORT DAY A day of live music, workshops and performances will be taking place in Guildhall Square on Wednesday 8 July. Portsmouth Music Hub are offering hundreds of children, young people and members of the public the chance to be enjoy some wonderful musical experiences, and there will be a chance for everyone to have a go. It will be a unique occasion, bursting with live entertainment, and as a special surprise the Royal Marines Band Service will be putting in an appearance. The event is free of charge. For further information contact James Pinney, T: 023 9237 5655 E: james.pinney@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME Portsmouth Music Hub is offering an exciting opportunity for an apprentice to join the Team. The candidate will have the chance to develop and learn new skills in Public Relations, Marketing, Social Media and Event Management, plus they'll be part of the team that launches some dynamic new projects and events taking place in the year ahead. The Apprenticeship programme is being managed by Artswork. This post would be Level 2 on the Apprenticeship Framework and the candidate must be aged between 16 - 21, with access to transport and a full UK Driving Licence. For further information visit www.artswork.org.uk or contact James Pinney E: james.pinney@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
NEW THEATRE ROYAL Did you know that the NTR also offers bespoke workshops? They can come to you or you can visit their brand new theatre! They cater for single classes, small groups or whole year groups. All workshops are conducted by a fully qualified drama teacher. They also offer sessions and teacher resource packs suitable for Key Stages 1 to 4 and G.C.S.E, A Level, GNVQ and BTEC syllabuses in Drama, Theatre, Creative Writing and PSHE. Contact takepart@newtheatreroyal.com for more information
ARTS & CULTURE PASSPORT Remember to continue collecting stamps for your Arts & Culture Passport. With five stages, students can become involved from any age. With so much going on, it is a great time to gather evidence of your involvement, not only with music, but in anything to do with arts and culture. That can include a trip to the theatre even to see a pantomime, museum visits, dance shows and photography - indeed anything creative or cultural. With only 5 stamps needed for Stage 1, you will be surprised just how quickly the stamps mount up. Remember that, if you take part in at least 20% of the events (so that means only one event for Stage 1), your certificate, signed by the Lord Mayor, will be at gold status. The evidence of your activities will normally be assessed by your school, so do ask if your school has registered for the Passport. Further information about the scheme can be found here on the Music Hub website. There are also some examples of completed portfolios so you can see what you need to do. Most of all, have fun!
THE URBAN VOCAL GROUP UVG has 3 performances coming up this Summer: Waterlooville Music Festival (St. George’s Church, PO7 7EH) on Saturday 13th June from 12:15 to 1pm. The following week they will perform at Chi Fest Chichester College) on Saturday 20th June from 2:40pm. Their third of the summer will be a headline performance at Southsea bandstand on Saturday 8th August from 1:45 - 4pm. The UVG are always looking to recruit new singers and these performances are an excellent opportunities to hear exactly why they are the largest free to access vocal group for young people on the South Coast.
CALL TO BOOST STATUS OF ARTS SUBJECTS Arts subjects should be given more status in England's school curriculum, science and engineering experts argue. The Creative Industries Federation and the Institute of Civil Engineers have joined forces to call for more students to study both arts and sciences. In a report, they argue that creative subjects are as important as science, maths, engineering and technology. The government says it provides a broad and balanced curriculum for children in which the arts play a "key role". The campaign group says that Ofsted should judge a school as outstanding only if it can show children are given a wide range of cultural experiences. The Creative Industries Foundation is an organisation representing industry, public arts and cultural education. It and the Institute of Civil Engineers say that creative Industries contribute almost £77bn a year to the UK economy - about 5% of GDP. But in England's schools, the campaigners say, too much focus is on teaching core subjects such as science, maths and literacy. They are asking universities to review their selection criteria to "positively encourage a mixed portfolio of qualifications" at GCSE and A and AS-level. Read more on the BBC website
Bridge the Gap: Science and Creative subjects go hand-inhand, says a campaign group
TEN PIECES SECONDARY Building on the success of Ten Pieces which has already engaged nearly half of UK primary schools, the BBC is extending the initiative to secondary schools. The aim is to open up the world of classical music to children aged 11 and above, inspiring them to respond creativity to the repertoire. A new cinematic film will feature footage for the BBC Philharmonic performing a new selection of orchestral music. TIMELINE April 2015: Cinema booking open to secondary schools October 2015: Screening of the new Ten Pieces film in cinemas around the UK. Supporting curriculum-linked resources available on website and DVD’s will be available upon request November 2015 to March 2016: Young people develop their creative responses and are invited to upload their work onto the BBC website April 2016 to July 2016: Celebratory events nationwide, showcasing creative responses including the national finale.
PHOTO GALLERY
BSO LIVE STREAM OF SUMMER SCHOOLS CONCERT We are thrilled to announce that for the first time ever we are able to offer you the chance to watch one of our concerts online – LIVE!! (and free too!) Join other schools from around the whole of the South West and beyond to experience the thrill of a live symphony orchestra from the comfort of your own classroom! Find out how a real live orchestra works, interact with our presenter, James Redwood, via twitter, and have your questions answered by someone on our team! CPD materials will also be available in advance of the concert so that you can all join in. Aimed at KS2 pupils, this year’s programme is entitled ‘Fairytale & Fantasy’ and will take your students on an exciting journey of make-believe. Featuring numerous epic classical works including Pictures at an Exhibition, Beauty and the Beast, and the Firebird Suite (as featured on the BBC Ten-Pieces list), there will also be the world-premiere of a new song by James Redwood which will feature the 1300-strong audience of primary school students. This is one not to be missed! Our live stream will take place on WEDNESDAY 1 JULY @ 1.30pm and will last approximately one hour. If you’d like to be part of this exciting event, please visit the link below to register your interest: www.bsolive.com/fairytale-andfantasy-live If you have any further questions about this event, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Chris Block, BSO Participation Administrator on cblock@bsorchestra.co.uk / 01202 644727 NEW HUB PARTNER: SOUND AND MUSIC Sound and Music provides exclusive access to and discounts to schools to purchase the teaching resource 'minute of listening' as well as free trials as requested They will actively promote Portsmouth Music Hub as a partner on websites, through social media and education brochures Ensure that Portsmouth Music Hub will be one of the first Hubs to be contacted about fantastic opportunities for young composers, such as the annual residential summer school
LEARNING MUSIC GIVES YOU BIOLOGICAL ADVANTAGES A study by Dr Nina Krauss and Dana L Strait at Northwestern University concludes that musician children and adults who make music demonstrate biological distinctions in auditory processing when compared with non-musicians. For example, musician children and adults have more robust neural encoding of speech harmonics, more adaptive sound processing, and more precise neural encoding of acoustically similar sounds; these enhancements may make musicians better at hearing speech in amongst noise, and reading. Although it is not possible to separate the effects from the demographic and innate qualities that may pre-distinguish musicians, because the lab works with community music programmes involving a wide range of young people including those in challenging circumstances, the outcomes indicate that many of musicians’ auditory-related biological enhancements can develop through musical training and so this may well promote the acquisition of language skills, including in ‘at-risk’ populations. SOURCES: Brainvolts (Northwestern University): http:// www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu/documents/ Kraus_Strait_NYAS_2015.pdf [2] Read more on the Music Education Works website
GCSE MUSIC The Government is reforming GCSE exams and music was included as one of the first GCSEs to be redesigned. The new GCSEs will start being taught from September 2016. Each of the four awarding organisations (exam boards AQA, Edexcel/Pearson, OCR, and WJEC) have now submitted their draft new GCSEs to the Government for approval. The ISM website www.ism.org/GCSE carries a comparison chart of the four GCSE courses on offer to give teachers plenty of opportunity to engage with properly with all four proposed offers. These are only draft versions and may well change over the next few months.