Back from EAS Leauven

We are just back from the EAS (European Association for Music in Schools) conference in Belgium where I was leading a workshop .

THREE NOTE SYMPHONY.

At a time when teachers are being asked to do more than ever in the shortest time,

this practical session aimed to provide new ideas and material, as well as teacher confidence.

It was aimed at classroom teachers and instrumental teachers who wanted to inspire beginner musicians and encourage their enjoyment of playing together right from the start.

I wanted to show how  students in the classroom or in instrumental tuition groups could be motivated and have fun right from their first notes and play together in an ensemble of any combination. 

Much of the workshop was based on my writing for beginners, and I was able to introduce my  instrumental piece"Jigsaw Jam" . Parts and accompaniments for this could be downloaded free by delegates for use in their own schools.

The session was well received, and we had a lot of fun. It was so interesting meeting music educators from all over Europe. The conference was in English, and there were only nine of us from the UK, so most people were constantly thinking in their second (or third....) language (great respect!!).

There were some excellent sessions during the conference and it had been organised with intelligence and hard work. There was an excellent balance of seminars and workshops for the wide range of music educators that were there. I enjoyed the experience, and have come back fired with new ideas.