Current Education Projects & Workshops
Roots Project
ROOTS is an innovative project that seeks to support schools in Cambridgeshire in delivering high quality and sustainable music education. It seeks to connect professional musicians with young people, providing new opportunities for training and models for learning to be extended across primary and secondary schools in the region.
The project consists of two strands. The vocal strand, led by VOCES8, provides training for young people in leadership in singing, introducing a comprehensive programme for promoting singing within primary and secondary schools based on the VCM method and Young Leaders scheme. The instrumental strand, led by The Brook Street Band, establishes a new early music ensemble for under 18s in Cambridgeshire. Specialist coaching is provided through workshops and access to period instruments through supporting partners.
A central aim of the project is to develop an interest in and passion for Early Music among young people, drawing on professional expertise and the latest research to introduce styles of music and performance practices rarely encountered by school students. In its first year, ROOTS will directly involve c. 400 students. Some of the results of the project will be presented in associated concerts, which will reach live audiences of c. 2000 and a further c. 9000 through online streaming. ROOTS is currently in its first year of a planned three-year cycle. Forthcoming activities and events in 2019 are as follows:
The project consists of two strands. The vocal strand, led by VOCES8, provides training for young people in leadership in singing, introducing a comprehensive programme for promoting singing within primary and secondary schools based on the VCM method and Young Leaders scheme. The instrumental strand, led by The Brook Street Band, establishes a new early music ensemble for under 18s in Cambridgeshire. Specialist coaching is provided through workshops and access to period instruments through supporting partners.
A central aim of the project is to develop an interest in and passion for Early Music among young people, drawing on professional expertise and the latest research to introduce styles of music and performance practices rarely encountered by school students. In its first year, ROOTS will directly involve c. 400 students. Some of the results of the project will be presented in associated concerts, which will reach live audiences of c. 2000 and a further c. 9000 through online streaming. ROOTS is currently in its first year of a planned three-year cycle. Forthcoming activities and events in 2019 are as follows:
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i) Vocal Strand
21 January 2019 Workshop led by Paul Smith of the VCM Foundation, providing training to students at the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University to participate as classroom assistants in the ROOTS project. Late January-February Workshops in participating schools: North Cambridge Academy, Sir Harry Smith Community College (Whittlesey), Park Lane Primary (Whittlesey), remaining primary schools tbc. 19 March 2019 Sing Joyfully- a concert given by VOCES8 in Trinity College, Cambridge to mark the launch of ROOTS, including a short presentation by students involved in the project. Further details of the programme can be found here. The first half of the concert can be seen here and the second half, including the school presentation, here. ii) Instrumental Strand
The instrumental coaching and performance project is planning dates for work with students later this term. More information will be added once these are confirmed. The project will consist of several workshops and a shared performance at the end. 13 November 2019 The Sense of Hearing, a concert by The Brook Street Band in the Recital Hall of Anglia Ruskin University including a short presentation by the recently created Roots Baroque Ensemble, made up of aspiring young musicians based in Cambridgeshire. ROOTS is a unique collaboration between professional musicians and ensembles (Brook Street Band and VOCES8), the music education hub (Cambridgeshire Music), two charities (Cambridge Early Music and the VCM Foundation) and two Universities (Anglia Ruskin University and the Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge). Sponsorship for Year 1 is provided by the Helen Hamlyn Trust and HERA (Humanities in the European Research Area). Individuals or societies interested in supporting Years 2 and 3 of the project are invited to contact Dr Sam Barrett, sjb59@cam.ac.uk for further information. |
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