Welcome to Big Ears Music first EVER newsletter. First of all I would like to say a massive thank you to all my private students and parents, everyone that has been involved with Orixá Bloco and with Zarebi. Thanks also to fans of Sätteli and Charanga Del Norte.
2018 has been a truly exciting year and incredible progress has been made. Every week I am in awe of you, who come to play music, learn an instrument, learn to sing, come to socialise, turn up to watch a performance. Music and the arts are so stimulating and gives an incredible source of wellbeing. Whatever your reasons for playing, I hope this year you have gained as much from music as I have.
This year I was very excited about the launch of Big Ears Music. Big Ears Music brings together the community of musicians and carnival arts, from learning an instrument in private practice, to performing together, to singing, yodelling, Georgian polyphonic singing, supporting a performance, taking part in workshops, and those involved in Orixá Bloco carnival arts project.
There are opportunities available and this newsletter is a way of getting the message out to all people involved together in Big Ears Music, locally and around Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Zarebi and I are excited to announce the return of Georgian song master Malkhaz Erkvanidze, who will be leading a full day workshop on Saturday 26th February. Full details coming soon at: https://zarebi.bigearsmusic.co.uk
As part of a wish to develop more local music and arts, I have taken the step of making myself more available in the area. As part of this move I am pleased to say that from March 11th I am able to take new students on Wednesdays.
The 2019 Hebden Bridge Piano Festival takes places in April 26-28th. There are some exciting performance opportunities available for young piano students, taking place on Saturday and Sunday morning. Chat to me for more details!
Plans are underway to create the "Big Ears Music Saturday Morning Piano Cram" This will be held every few weeks and is for young students to meet each other, play to each other and share ideas in an informal situation, from my teaching room - hence the name... space is limited... ! More about this in 2019.
Charanga Del Norte are up and gigging in the North once more! March sees the beginning of the performing season. Unfortunately I'll be in Brazil for the first one... but if you want to see me play piano live with this fab band, I'll keep you in the loop for more
News from the carnival sector...
Keep your ears to the ground for new drumming classes/workshops and dance workshops happening in Orixá Bloco, as we gear up towards new project plans for the summer 2019 season. This includes a giant interactive snake, new colourful costumes, new grooves and dance choreography.
As part of our new Summer project we have also decided to make 2-4 more flags to add to our current 2. If you have children or young people that would like to be a flag bearer at parades and performances then do get in touch!
Orixá Bloco want a strong hand drumming section. This is a call out to hand drummers, who are interested in turning their skills to the wonderful drum that is the timbal. I know you are out there! Get in touch! To pique your interest see here - https://youtu.be/q8dKfsnfYSA
Some of you may know I work as an associate artist with the carnival company Global Grooves. As part of workforce development, I have been attending their inspirational course 'Future Leaders'. This progressive course is aimed towards young artists between the ages of 12-25 who have a strong interest in the carnival arts of percussion, dance and visual art. If you are a young person or have a young person interested then have a closer look at what this involves: http://www.futureleaders.org.uk
As part of my own development and learning, I am very excited to be going to Salvador de Bahia for an immersive 3 and a half weeks of music, culture and carnival! I will be away from February 11th and teaching again from the 11th March. I'll set up work for individual students and have a guests tutor/s for Orixá Bloco!
There is an opportunity to take part in the Glasgow Encontro July 26th-28th 2019 as part of an exciting Cuban music carnival project with "La Timbala" directed by Christian Weaver. See -https://www.facebook.com/latimbala/ for details.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2018
It's been an exciting year. I am so pleased and proud with the progress made by all my private students and group members. Some students have performed for the first time ever in public, how brilliant! and there have been some exceptional results from music exams. I am so pleased by the creative and independent minds that come alive with music. In terms of community activities, this year saw Orixá Bloco's first major project and some great performances. Zarebi went to Sweden to perform, and back in the UK we had the most beautiful day performing an open air concert at the gorgeous Landfarm Gardens, on a sunny afternoon with people sprawled on picnic blankets.
Through Orixá Bloco, Zarebi and Sätteli we held some great workshops in percussion, singing and dance. I performed a Candomblé set with Global Grooves as part of the project Journey of the Orixá's. I did an amazing singing weekend with an astoundingly incredible Indian vocal guru and we spent 3 weeks in Georgia on a singing workshop tour with Sakhioba Ensemble. I met a whole bunch of amazingly independent, bright young minds at the Future Leaders project (and yodelled over beatboxing... yes... it happened hear first :) I gave a one to one lesson teaching Krimanchuli! (Georgian style of yodelling) ...and Sätteli performed at Musicport... to a packed out theatre on a Friday night... hurrah we are finally breaking the mould of people's limited knowledge of yodelling... !!!
I've attached a few links of various projects, performances etc. Its only a clip, a lot has happened this year!
