Ensemble – Together
Unsung Heroes Cello Ensemble – Workshops & Courses
We learn together as musicians by listening, looking, intuiting, watching and copying to “be together” and to sound more unified. The more we play with each other, even when terrified and overwhelmed by all those sounds coming at you, the more we evolve and grow. The sooner, the better too!
My yearly teaching is dominated by courses and in particular, a series of 1-day workshop series for Unsung Heroes Cello Ensemble. The repertoire arranged by me runs from the Renaissance to the 20th century. It is a rich seam that affects you at a deep level as a player and person.
The title says it all – we sing vocal music through our cellos. In choosing vocal music, it is easy to mix varied levels of experience. Players who are Grade 3 standard to infinity are welcome. Some courses are more standard defined, but not the workshops as I believe and know, that we all learn all the time from everyone. This music also makes it possible to go to a line that either challenge you or makes you feel safe.
This is a massive opportunity to explore amazing music many would otherwise not know. We learn about the composer, their times and their place in this rich historical & social tapestry.
I have themes & ideas I want to develop for courses and workshops over the year. Having a syllabus of issues and ideas to help you develop is important. You are both an evolving cellist and musician.
What They Say
I’ve been thinking about the difference between your courses and other ones I’ve been on. After other courses, I can feel a sense of achievement if I’ve managed to play a mega Allegro or complex rhythm section and survived, but when it’s over, it’s over – there’s no lasting learning. Whereas, the way you teach means that new ways to play are now consciously part of how I play because we practise them daily and you explained and demonstrated them. And so, they are still with me.