Chloe news

Chloe is very much enjoying her year working for the LSO, and is having new and rich experiences every week. Last week she helped to organise a rather special Hugh masekela concert. She was buzzing after the event. See write up linkhttp://londonjazz.blogspot.com/2009/12/review-hugh-masekela.html

Festive season

All busy here as usual, plenty of concerts, and festive music, but also lots of writing, and the end of manuscripts for "Class Act two". A friend asked me yesterday when I was going to write more bassoon music, and I must admit it would be nice to take time out to write something indulgent like that. I am enjoying however teaching myself the accordion, and it has been quite an interesting experience learning an instrument from scratch again... I think we as teachers should all do it from time to time.... makes you quite sympathetic.

I looked for a festive picture to accompany this post, and this is what I found. Yes, me as Mary aged three, and the angel to my left ( for all music campers) is Alison Tumber!.

Hear this!

Check out Mr Shrimpton on youtube playing two pieces from "Notes to a harmonica player"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4ZeYaR0uNc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-fK-jS7R-A

Quite funny! ( Watts original)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys_QtewqtDA



Just found this on youtube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Worth a look.

This youtube clip is worth a look, quite eye opening! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u-6LzNtkpQ

World Harmonica Festival

Our trip to the World Harmonica Festival in Trossingen Germany was memorable for so many different reasons. I went out there with an open mind, not knowing really what to expect, but I have to say the first thrill was hearing so much good music played by excellent musicians from all over the world. Pictured below is one of them ..... Chris played on the open mike to an enthusiastic audience. Watching the Harmonica orchestras was a real treat, and an enormous eye opener. The group below are from a school in Taiwan. They played a movement from a Mozart symphony brilliantly (by memory!)

The next pictured group are from Japan

We did a tour of the Hohner factory to see the harmonicas being made. This is me standing by a ten foot recorder!.

The legacy of the Hohner family in Trossingen is huge, and this was very evident. pictured below if the old Hohner factory in the days when it employed 3000 staff (Bit like Willy Wonka's!)

There were so many high spots, including a trip to the harmonica museum in Trossingen which was really interesting. Pictured is a harmonica with a bullet hole. It was in a soldiers pocket and saved his life.

He only won!!

I'm very proud to say that Chris won "Solo Chromatic player of the year" yesterday at the National Harmonica Festival in Bristol. It was an action packed day full of all things harmonica, and actually quite nerve wracking. I had written him a new very difficult piece ( which he had requested), and after many months of learning the technical elements in it we were very aware that it was a big thing to play in front of a (harmonica) audience when you are nervous, but he played really well, and the hours of practise paid off. A few copies of the new harmonica book were sold too, so that was a bonus.

Chloe said she will make him a badge with "Reining British Champion" on.

Kevin Mayhew Primary school music competition.

Kevin Mayhew are running a competition for primary schools who are performing one of their musicals this year. A school can win fifty pounds of kevin mayhew products. Check out this youtube clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqxNy_Y7B_E&feature=player_embedded

Twenty One Today!!!

Happy Birthday Chloe!!!!!! Twenty One today.

Lots of people on a desert Island!

Had a great time doing my "desert Island discs" at the Stables, and was amazed to see so many people there ( I had expected six st the most!)

Surprise (!)

Was brousing on youtube, and found this!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaMgmkCvkIE

Sorry there's probably a better way to put a link, but I'm in shock.

(wonder if I'm getting some money).

Desert Island discs ( without the island)

I have been asked to do "Desert island discs" for the Jazz matters series at the Stables Wavendon. It would be much less embarrassing, if people were actually in the audience, so I'm hoping someone will turn up. Among the recordings, there will be a LIVE WORLD PREMIERE by that famous harmonica player Chris Shrimpton, of one of my newly published pieces " To the Sublime". Its at 11 30 am, in "Stage two", and only costs a fiver.

NAME conference.

An exciting couple of days at the NAME conference (National Association of Music Educators) at York University, meeting people who said they found my books useful (which was really nice), then launching and getting feedback on the six new "Red Hot Song Library" books. It was great seeing peoples reactions, and fun singing through a few songs with them at the stand!. The covers are so eye catching , and people had to walk past them to get their tea and coffee, ( I didn't even need to jump up and down to get them to look).
Lots of interesting events and people, and we stayed in the student accommodation ( ahhh memories!!)

The calm before the storm.

Evenings in our van.

Straight after the Music camp we disappeared off to Cornwall to have a bit of quiet to re focus and get creative. It is such an inspiring place, and we especially enjoyed the galleries, the Arts club, and the carrot cake!. While I was there, I mapped out the framework for "Red Hot Recorder two". The first book is still the best selling tutor, and although I thought I probably wouldn't do book two, I think the time has come, because I have forgotten what a lot of work the first book was.

Back home now, all I have to do, is get going on the pieces, as everything else is done. The manuscript is ready on the piano in the studio, but, its just getting started!!!. I am supposed to deliver by the end of Oct ( hum!). I just need to pick a few blackberries, walk while the weather is still nice, tidy a few drawers, draw a picture, make some apple curd, finish reading my book..........

More amazing music camps and three backing tracks!

I have just finished another incredible year of Music camps, and now we start to decide how to celebrate our fortieth anniversary. All three weeks were different, but equally as creative and fulfilling. More or less straight after the last camp I went to Kevin Mayhew ltd for two days recording thirty tracks for the next three "Red Hot Song Library"books. It was exhausting for all involved, but I am excited that all six books will be ready for the NAME conference in York in September. I can't believe how quickly the summer is going, It will soon be time for Strictly come dancing!

Getting ready for music camp

I'm trying to get music together for camp. There's always someone that wants your attention!

Notes to a harmonica player

Shortly to go to print, is a set of three pieces for chromatic harmonica. I wrote these pieces originally for Chris, as he found the chromatic repertoire is quite sparse and unobtainable in this country. Kevin Mayhew ltd have published them in time for the National Harmonica Festival, and also for us to take to the world Festival in Oct. It was quite a challenge writing for the instrument, which has quite a few technical peculiarities (!!) it was quite different to my normal writing ( which now seems quite straight forward).

NEW MUSIC CAMP BLOG!!!!

As we enter our 40th year of the National Youth Music Camps, I have started a Music camps Blog. I have always wanted to do this, so am very excited. Its a place to celebrate what has gone on in the last forty years, to enjoy what is happening now, and toast what we hope will happen in the future. I hope it will reunite old camp alumni , rekindle music camp memories, and enable people to follow camps as they happen.
Please take a look at what is there at the moment, and keep coming back as more is added. Please leave a comment and feel free to contribute. Not only are there some old pictures of camp ( more to come), but also pictures from T2 today.
Please pass the link on to any ex campers or staff you think may be interested. I hope it will be a nice place of meeting and reference.
www.nationalyouthmusiccamp.blogspot.com

T1 arrives!!

The reception commitee for campers arriving today for the National Youth Music Camps.

Well, its that time of year again, and the first teenage campers arrive for the start of our fortieth year! The tents are all in place for another year of creativity and music making. The reception commitee is poised to welcome everyone. Notice the first aid dept accepting medications.

Back from Ghana

Martha is back from two weeks at the Mansec Music service in Ghana. Here are just a few of the (very many ) photo's she took. The crocodiles are real!!!.

click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Busy times.

Just coming to the end of a really crazy few weeks. Did a big teachers day for the music teachers of Kent which was a lovely day. I did workshops with groups of thirty to forty, and was able to introduce for the first time the new song books. ( above). They were received enthusiastically which was exciting. I am hoping to launch them properly at the NAME conference in Sep.

I had a good day adjudicating at "Music for Youth" where Chloe spent the week working on the staff. She has just gone off now to start her year placement at the LSO, very exciting!. Martha is in Ghana (!!) with the music service, and loving it. We are having lots of enthusiastic texts.

Things are hotting up for the music camp will post more here when it gets started.

Aldeburgh festival

After a really crazy few weeks, Martha and I went "on retreat" to Aldeburgh for a couple of days. The festival was on, and there was a musical buzz, in this lovely sun drenched "arty" environment. Our stay was made all the more special by the ( converted convent) bed and breakfast , where we had views of the sea and a table and chair by the window to sit and write. The lady who owned it was an artist, and her pictures and Murals adorned the walls of the big convent entrance hall there was also the most beautiful herb and flower garden where her and her friends played croquet.

There were various concerts and workshops going on as part of the fringe festival in the town itself, and every tenth person seemed to be carrying a cello!.

We paid homage to the Britten memorial shell on the beach, and read books and drank coffee.

Sing up/sign up

Just found this on youtube. Its the song "Switching it on" I wrote with Hyawyn Oram for the governments "Sing up" project musical. It is a version with signing for deaf students.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSQJeMl22Jc

Also a signed version of my arrangement of the "Menu song" by the fantastic Paul Whittaker. Unfortunately they put that I wrote the song which isn't true, but I did do the arrangement.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15XIr_n-23M&feature=related

But I decided on this.

There have been numerous things I have wondered about blogging about this week. The first was to talk about the wood pigeon I listened to the other day that had a syncopated and rather complex call. I wondered how you would get some people to do that let alone a bird.
The second was about "keeping it real" and about how we, in our crazy lives go for "Instant gratification" by eating, shopping etc.
The third was to discuss the fact that the school where I should have been teaching today was closed due to swine flu. (yes really).
Anyway, I went for the fourth which followed Chloe and I listening to Leroy Anderson's "Typewriter" in the car yesterday.
WATCH THIShttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWJBfvWjlk0&feature=PlayList&p=1238F899CA0E1F95&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3

Red hot song library!!

Very excited that first three song library books have arrived!! The next three due August (and all finished) are Silly songs, cumilative songs and chants and music games.

click on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLj5QVYBeGk

Farewell and Vivaldi!

Can't believe its Martha's last day at school tomorrow!! and it was last lessons and party time today!!. They celebrated in music with a "Sing along" of Vivaldi's Gloria!.

One more time!

My new folk song arrangements are now out for flute, clarinet alto sax and recorder. They take a new ( and rather different) look at some lovely folk songs that are just too good to forget. the melodies pretty much stay true to the original, but the accompaniments give a bit of a new twist. ( I'm actually pleased with them).

Bit of Beethoven!

I was struggling through the moonlight sonata with a pupil this morning when I was reminded of this Muppet sketch ( got to watch!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWf7GEX65Sw

When God came to call.

We have just had a really inspiring four days putting up three children from the Watoto children's choir from Uganda. All the children from the choir have been orphaned by Aids or civil war, and it has been humbling to see how gracious and full of faith these beautiful children are.

They have been a delight to have in the house, and so very grateful to us for looking after them. They are considerate and well behaved, and boy what a delight it has been to see their love for God and their music.

We had an amazing experience yesterday, we took the children ( aged 7, 8 and 12) to Asda. It was their first trip ever to a supermarket ( and we chose one of the biggest in Europe!!). Martha had Lent them all a huge pair of sunglasses which they wore with great excitement . They then took GREAT delight in pushing the trolley, buying the food for the evening, and loading the conveyor belt. They had a kids meal for lunch, after one of them had said a ( very long) grace in Asda cafe.

Having the children and their "Auntie" here has been a privilege.

http://www.watoto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=31

Quite amusing!

Just another video of some Red hot recorder tunes. This time by the "Recorder Rockers"!
http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/music-makers/St-Francis39-Primary-School39s-recorder.4132087.jp
A performance of "Mike Olivers Tanktop" which is quite reserved and British, then a more daring rendition of "The EBGB's" where we let go a little bit............

Happy Easter!!

Chris and Martha went to the sunrise service this morning. This was the order of service ( it was a bit rainy!)