Education
Brass Solutions directors, Steven Greenall and Chris Fower, have an extraordinary breadth and depth of knowledge and experience in the delivery and administration of music education.
The extent of this experience encompasses hands on delivery of instrumental learning and education projects at all age ranges to deep involvement in the day to running of state schools and Music Services.
Case Study
Client: EdwardsUK@theValve
Project: Deliver creative brass workshop project to Berkshire
Young Musicians Trust.
Location: South Berkshire Music Centre, Bracknell
Brass Solutions director, Chris Fower was contacted by B.Y.M.T Head of Brass, Marc Edwards and EdwardsUK@theValve Management with regard to expanding the presence of EdwardsUK@theValve in the South Berkshire Music Centre via a music education project.
Chris Fower, created the “Brainstorming Brass” improvisation and composition format and he and Brass Solutions artist, Tim Hawes, delivered the workshop to around one hundred pupils: age 7 to 15 years old with ability ranging from grade one through to grade five.
The days work lead to the composition of a piece stimulated by a verbal story and an exploration of brass technique both traditional and contemporary. The composition generated contained both tonal and free elements as well as an improvised, chord based section featuring individual, improvised solos from selected pupils. The regular staff who run the bend on a week in week out basis then delivered a performance in a more formal setting on the next day, utilizing skills they had learnt during the workshop sessions.
Outcome:
Extracts from a letter to Chris Fower from Marc Edwards course leader for B.Y.M.T. of May 10th 2001:
I just wanted to make sure you got to know how much the SBMC brass team and I appreciated what you did for us on the Easter Brass Course…We thought you handled the kids brilliantly. We were stimulated, refreshed and inspired by the content and execution of the whole project, and I have felt encouraged and liberated enough by what you achieved to start to put elements of it into work even with quite small groups.
The day after you left, we rehearsed the piece. Although I had done a graphic score for my own benefit, the “piece” sort of flowed…It was different again in performance, but still had a beginning, middle and end, and was summed up for me in the words of our percussion project/singing tutor when she said “that was beautiful”!
Both the Principal and the Regional Head were clearly impressed. Parental responses varied from bemused to excited. One child said later: “It was cu-el” (in the way that they do). Another said “The Valve bit was my favourite bit”. Only one said it was “weird”, while many others obviously enjoyed the freedom and “licence” of the experience. Various stuck mouthpieces…
Extract from a Letter from Marc Edwards to the management of EdwardsUK@theValve:
Staff have made a point of saying this was the best course we have done to date, largely due to your contribution…stimulating, refreshing and energetic presence…injection of new life…Chris and Tim rose to the challenge…ventured into the unknown with amazing results. You have all given our students something quite special…handled the children superbly, with humour and encouragement…the improvisational and compositional content was persuasively presented…an “expanding” experience for both staff and course members.