Wythenshawe Creative - October Monthly Roundup
The stage is ready, and the crowd is excited. October marks the beginning of our weekly funded music sessions at the new studio above Wythenshawe Forum library. After a successful launch on Saturday, October 12th, where 12-year-old Hugo impressed everyone with three guitar pieces from his Grade 6 exam, we started our sessions the following Monday, October 14th. Although it's only been three weeks, we have a steady group of 25 teens aged 13 to 16 in four one-hour sessions each week with more students being added to the register weekly. They're enthusiastic and eager to make music.
Here's what tutor Harry has to say about the groups' progress:
The Music Evermore project has started really well with all of the students showing an eagerness to learn, whether it is their first time or having prior knowledge on their choice of instrument. These first three weeks I have focussed the classes around learning to play together and what that entails. We have begun by working on the essentials of music theory: counting beats in a bar, using drinks as an example we have learned the different values of notes - Tea = crochet, milk-shake = two quavers etc.
Through the song Twist and Shout by The Beatles, Guitarists and pianists have been learning the necessary notes to play the song, building from using open strings and individual notes on the keys, to then fretting the notes individually and in week three some are developing into chords and using two hands on the keyboard! Bassists have been developing their knowledge from using the open strings to now playing the fretted notes to the song where necessary. Our drummers have not only been learning a steady pop/rock beat and a build up beat that we use in a separate section of the song, they have learned the names of each piece of the kit as well as the importance of keeping time for the band and leading them between the section by counting the appropriate amount of beats per bar.
Overall the progression by every student has been very impressive and they all turn up with a real passion to learn. I look forward on developing their knowledge over the next couple of months hopefully leading to a winter showcase in the last week of term! The main goal for November is getting some of them to find their voice, we should hopefully have a couple of singers as of next week!
Big thanks to local organisation “Media Cubs” for the fabulous interview with Hugo from the grand opening. We will be working closely with Media Cubs throughout the year, allowing their students to document our progress and interview our band members. This will give our young musicians some valuable interview experience.
Special thanks to James Ryan at the Wythenshawe Forum Library Creative Space and Andy and the team at Manchester City Council for their Neighbourhood Investment Fund which has made this possible. We now have a fully funded academic year of music sessions ahead and we cannot wait to see the impact this is going to have on the local community of Wythenshawe. Please keep checking back each month to keep tabs on the groups!