PERCUSSION AND PLAY!
It may have been a long year for the team at Portsmouth Music Hub, with concerts, events, ensembles, and a city-wide environmental campaign, but in the final few weeks of term the Music Hub have been out and about, taking a series of exciting workshops to more than 1500 children from schools across the city.
Junk Percussion workshops have been taking place at 10 schools, reaching children at various stages of education and musical appreciation. Using a range of household items, including empty water cooler bottles, broom handles and buckets, children have been encouraged to develop musical skills, appreciate beat and rhythm, and have fun making sounds in a relaxed environment at the end of a long summer term.
Supported by the teachers from the Music Hub Catherine Brentnall who led the workshops said: "Children from across the city have had a wonderful time experimenting with sounds and they've been endlessly surprised by what can be created with nothing more than a broom handle or bucket. Junk percussion brings down barriers, everyone can do it, and for many children musical instruments and creativity suddenly don't feel so intimidating. Junk percussion is a less than traditional approach, but it gives children the freedom to play, perform and develop a connection with sound and creativity that may lead them to traditional music-making."
With funding from Hornpipe Theatre Company the Music Hub team have also been holding a series of workshops for Early Years, Nursery and Reception aged children.
'Play Clap and Sing' brought an exciting range of songs to young children. The songs included games and actions, and the aim of the workshops has been to inspire children to work together, to develop communication skills, counting skills for maths, and to socialise positively and effectively with each other. 'Play, Clap and Sing' has been created to be fun, to be engaging and to inspire the very youngest to begin a journey with music that will continue throughout their education and beyond.
The 'Play, Clap and Sing' workshops have been filmed for future use by teachers across the UK. To find out more about the film please e-mail portsmouthmusichub@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.