Workshop Ideas Options

[Seer_Green]

This year, I've been running a series of evening workshops for pupils; an 'optional extra' on top of their normal lessons. This year they've taken place 'every so often' on a Monday evening for a couple of hours. Next year, I'm hoping they'll be a bit more regular, probably every other month, so six next year, and I'm looking for some new ideas.

The main idea is that above all, they're for pupils to get together, meet each other and share their music, so there's a degree of socialising in them too (drink and cake provided). So far, they've mostly been attended by adult pupils with a few older teenagers thrown in too and I suspect this is likely to continue.

The idea is that whatever the 'theme' of the workshop, they're open to all pupils. For example, this year we had a 'Sing Harmony' workshop and a 'Get Started with Piano Duets' workshop - the idea was that you didn't need to be having singing lessons to attend the first, and you didn't need to be having piano lessons to attend the second etc. So far, there's been a pretty wide spread of pianists, flautists and singers at each one, regardless of the 'theme'.

They're limited to about 6-8 people due to space so there is some restriction on what we can do. I'm clear that they're not performance sessions as we do them on other occasions so whatever the 'theme', learners should be able to come and take part without fear of having to stand up and do something on their own!

I've got a few ideas in my head and there's obviously scope to repeat/extend previous sessions too, but all ideas welcome! The ones we've had so far have been so enjoyable that I'm keen to keep the momentum up and I know those who've attended are also keen to know 'what's coming next'!

[Alicia Ocean]

handbells
improvisation
improvised instruments
Latin

[dorfmouse]

You've got a mixture of instrumentalists - maybe they could get to know and appreciate the challenges of each others' instrument better? I'm thinking that as a pianist when I started playing flute I had really no idea of all the non-visible aspects involved in just getting a sound, playing dynamics, leaping from low to high, vibrato.... etc. Similarly singers' techniques are mostly invisible to the non-specialist. The pianists might explain the hidden difficulties of their instrument - eg playing evenly, coordination of two hands, getting fingers down together in a chord, creating crescendos on an instrument where the note decays the instant it's struck, voicing chords, playing 3 against 2 .... the sort of things you don't think about when you don't learn that instrument. You could have simple activites for each to try out and help each other.

[Norway]

I know that many people may not view theory workshops as fun, but I have them, and we have drinks, cakes, a bit of chat and banter, a play on the piano for various reasons, cuddle the pets, look at the garden etc. We still get loads of work done, but it has a friendly feel good factor. Also, people start to help each other, which is great.

[iona]

Percussion? I'm thinking specifically of Steve Reich pieces : Music for Pieces of Wood/Clapping/Drumming etc. They really bring the need for good, tight rhythm into focus. They can either be massively frustrating or hilarious to get to grips with, depending on mood,approach and amount of wine quaffed. If not those pieces specifically, you might be able to extrapolate some ideas from them.

(Great idea to have workshops, by the way).

[dotted quaver]

handbells
improvisation
improvised instruments
Latin

i was going to suggest improvisation, but I see you got in first! Latin? In what way?