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You will have seen me and others comment over time about attending workshops / weekends / summer schools. I have been to a music summer school every year now since 2000, and I first went to day/weekend workshops in about 1994. This weekend I got back from a week of mostly cello playing, with some singing at a summer school based in a girls' boarding school in Hertfordshire.
There are several reasons why I think people should go to these kinds of things.
I accept these things are not cheap, although if you live somewhere near London, where there are many such things, you could probably cut costs by commuting in. Obviously, weekend and day events are cheaper, but I think the immersive experience of a full week takes a lot of beating.
Why not give it some thought?
There are several reasons why I think people should go to these kinds of things.
- You get exposed to a great deal of music and repertoire you might not otherwise encounter. This last week I played everything from works by Saint-Saens, Rossini and Elgar, to Greek dances by Nikos Skalkottas. I sang everything from Haydn to Manhattan Transfer arrangements of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.
- You will meet inspirational teachers and tutors. Some of the people I encountered this last week are not just good but world class
- You will get to play with these people
- You also get to hear them perform in the 'tutor concert'
- You will meet lots of other people who are both similar to you and very different - united in music
- You will do loads of stuff outside of your main sessions. In my case that included singing in two choirs, playing in a large string orchestra (12 14 10 14 8 - that's V1 V2, Viola, Cello, Double Bass) conducted by a world-class violinist. I could have played with the light music orchestra which had over 120 players, including extra instruments such as cor anglais; contra-bassoon; sop, alto and tenor sax; bass clarinet; plus all the usual strings, woodwind and brass as well as percussion
- There is a great deal of socialising over breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as in the bar afterwards
- You attend and/or participate in concerts and recitals through the week
I accept these things are not cheap, although if you live somewhere near London, where there are many such things, you could probably cut costs by commuting in. Obviously, weekend and day events are cheaper, but I think the immersive experience of a full week takes a lot of beating.
Why not give it some thought?
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