Category Archives: Music

BBC Ten Pieces – get creative with classical music

Ten Pieces Extra

In these films, the Ten Pieces presenters delve deeper into the music and reveal interesting facts and stories about the composers.

Ten facts, ten pieces

BBC Radio 3’s Suzy Klein presents quirky and illuminating facts about the ten composers and their pieces on In Tune. Use these clips to complement the lesson plans and background notes on the composers.

It’s not too late to get involved in Ten Pieces

You can still request a copy of the Ten Pieces film for your primary school which is the starting point for the project. Once your pupils have seen the film you can use the resources on the website to facilitate creative lessons. You can also arrange a screening of the film in your local arts or community centre. Email tenpieces@bbc.co.uk for more information.

News from Champions

Ten Pieces Champions have continued to send details about their innovative and inspiring events and activities for children. Here are some of the latest ideas we’ve been told about. You can share your ideas by emailing tenpieces@bbc.co.uk.

Sefton Music Hub
Sefton Music Hub is working in partnership with The Atkinson, a unique multi art form venue, to host a day of creative workshops. Children from primary schools in Sefton will be given the opportunity to work with Manchester Camerata, The Atkinson’s artist in residence and Maghull High school to find ways of responding creatively to the ten pieces. The workshops will take place on November 21st to link in with Kids in Museums national ‘Takeover day’ since young pupils will be ‘taking over’ the building creatively. The event will also engage secondary school pupils to help with the running of the workshops.

North Somerset Music Service
Each year North Somerset Music Service runs a singing based project for children in North Somerset. 53 schools are taking part this year, with just under 4000 children. Children from groups of schools will come together for workshops in November – about 300 children at each workshop – to compose their own version of two of the pieces: ‘Storm’ from Peter Grimes, (for which each child will bring a junk percussion instrument that they have made) and Night On The Bare Mountain – using an illustration as a starting point.

Worcestershire Music Education Hub
Planning exciting events to be held across the county including singing days which will involve school clusters working with hub partners. The ‘Voices and Visions’ performing arts festival will give schools an opportunity to share compositions inspired by the ten pieces in an exhibition at Worcester Cathedral. Schools will be invited to perform music linked to the project, alongside Worcestershire Youth Music Ensembles, at the annual gala concert, held at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in May 2015.

BBC Symphony Orchestra perform Stravinsky’s The Firebird

The BBC Symphony Orchestra will be performing one of the Ten Pieces in their concert on 24th October at the Barbican. If you’re not near London, you will be able to hear the live broadcast on Radio 3. The family-friendly workshop before the concert which introduces The Firebird.

Arts Award

Arts Award (a nationally recognised qualification programme) and BBC Ten Pieces are working together to support schools who would like to deliver Arts Award’s qualifications. They have produced a beautiful log book that’s available to download.

What did you think of the film?

We would love to know what you and your pupils thought of the Ten Pieces film.

We have created a simple feedback form that you can print out for pupils to fill in. We’d be very grateful if you could collate children’s feedback and send it to us, so that we can get a sense of how they responded to the film.

Comments can be emailed to tenpieces@bbc.co.uk and forms posted to BBC Ten Pieces, 3rd Floor Bridge House, MediaCity, M50 2BH
Thank you!

RSNO CPD opportunities

Details of the remaining CPD sessions we have available across the country are listed below. Sessions cost £20 per person and all attendees will receive a resource pack and free ticket to an RSNO concert.

All CPD is run as morning/afternoon sessions, however, should a school/LA be interested, we can run a more in-depth in-service day session.

We will also be running online courses.

Please contact us for details.

Practical Ideas for Music-making with Early Years (CfE Level E–1). Contact us for additional levels

Edinburgh: Friday 6 February 2015

Glasgow: Monday 9 February 2015

Dundee: Thursday 12 February 2015

Perth: Thursday 5 March 2015

Conducting/Leading a School Ensemble

Edinburgh: Friday 3 October 2014

Glasgow: Monday 6 October 2014

Perth: Thursday 9 October 2014

Aberdeen: Thursday 29 January 2015

Dundee: Thursday 12 February 2015

An Introduction to Playing/Teaching Timpani

Workshops on request

Arranging for School Ensembles

Ranging from small percussion groups to the school orchestra, this workshop will help you to make the most of the individual talents within your ensemble.

Workshops on request.

For more information or to book, please contact the RSNO Engage team at engage@rsno.org.uk or on 0141 225 3574.

National Youth Orchestra of Scotland – opportunity to join the national classical orchestra

NYOS CLASSICAL APPLICATIONS 2015 ARE NOW OPEN

Applications are invited from instrumentalists aged between 8 and 25 with Scottish links i.e:

  • Born in Scotland
  • Living in Scotland
  • Studying in Scotland, or;
  • with Scottish Family


If you do, then NYOS wants to hear from you!

Just complete one application form to be considered for all NYOS classical orchestras.


Following the audition process we will be in touch to advise you whether or not you have been successful and which ensemble you are being invited to join.

Ten Pieces – get creative with classical music and attend free cinema screenings

TEN PIECES

Ten Pieces aims to inspire a generation of children to get creative with classical music, and will launch in the Autumn with a week of free screenings in cinemas nationwide of a stunning new 60 minute- film introducing ten pieces of classical music. To find out more about the project – and the cinematic film – do watch this inspirational 3 minute introduction by Barney Harwood from Blue Peter.

There are still lots of seats available for children aged 7 – 11 years throughout Scotland.  Schools can find their nearest cinema, by following this link and reserving their free seats now: http://www.bbctenpieces.co.uk/

After seeing the film, teachers will be able use the music and numerous free resources which will be available from the BBC Ten Pieces website to encourage their pupils’ creativity.

The project will culminate in a series of concerts in the nations and regions involving the BBC performing groups, and a major finale in July 2015, when the children’s creative responses will be showcased alongside the original ten pieces.

We do hope you’ll make the most of this exciting opportunity!

BBC Ten Pieces – cinema bookings online

BBC Learning and BBC Performing Groups announced Ten Pieces, a new UK-wide initiative for primary schools in 2014/15 to open up classical music to children and inspire creativity. It will launch in October, with partners including Creative Scotland and Into Film and local activity through Champions at music education hubs and services.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4KCVB2XVgPQ0JwnqLGJl8y0/about-bbc-ten-pieces

Youth Music Initiative Consultation Opportunity

As part of the on-going Year 11 Youth Music Initiative programme in Aberdeenshire the Arts Development team is looking to appoint a researcher to plan and run a consultation exercise with children and young people in the region.

The Youth Music Initiative (YMI) programme, which is administered nationally by Creative Scotland, has two key purposes:

1/ To meet the Scottish Government’s P6 target that “every school pupil in Scotland should be offered a year of free music tuition by the time they reach Primary 6.”

2/ For projects delivered beyond the P6 target the purpose is: “to engage young people (of any school age) who otherwise would not participate in quality music making activities.”

With these priorities in mind and working closely with the Aberdeenshire YMI team, the consultation will engage with children and young people across Aberdeenshire to ascertain what impact the work is having, what areas of music are popular and where gaps exist that can be addressed in future years.

It is envisaged that the consultation will be with a range of participants such as those undertaking YMI projects, children and young people in other music settings, Visiting Music Specialist’s classes, school councils and Community Learning and Development groups.  It is important to note that Aberdeenshire is a large, mainly rural, locality and evidence will be required from a representative cross-section the region.

The research post is open to cultural professionals and creative artists who will be employed on a freelance basis and will need to be available between May and July (2014) to work with school based groups, with the report completed by the end of August.  Successful candidates will be required to be PVG registered with Disclosure Scotland (Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme).

A fee of £5,000 is available for the work, which will cover all research, travel and subsistence, materials and final report.  We will shortlist candidates for interview based on an indication of suitable experience and creative responses to the brief.

To apply please send by email:

  • Your CV
  • A short description of how you would conduct the research on two sheets of A4, with a breakdown of associated costs, based on the figure above.
  • Details of two referees

Deadline for email applications 12 May, 2014 to david.atherton@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Only email applications will be considered.

Please note interviews are planned for 19 & 20 May, 2014 at Woodhill House in Aberdeen.  Candidates will be judged on the basis of a short presentation and responses to questions from the panel.

For informal discussion and more information about the project please contact:

David Atherton, Arts Education Officer, 01224 665363 david.atherton@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or

Jenna Main, Youth Music Initiative Officer, 01224 664604 jenna.main@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Composing Music Survey

To help us better support composing music in the classroom, Education Scotland would like to invite practitioners to participate in a very short survey which will help direct us towards developing appropriate support materials. This consultation will also take into account feedback from our learning blog and inform next steps for the working group.

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/eslb/2014/04/23/composing-music-survey/

Music Working Group

The subject working group for Music convened for the initial meeting on Monday 3 February

Visit the full post here: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/eslb/2014/02/12/music-working-group/

The subject working group provided an opportunity to discuss the development of creative approaches to music education across sectors. This working group mirrors the groups being brought together from the other Expressive Arts subject areas, Art & Design, Drama and Dance who will feed in to the Expressive Arts conversation days.

We would invite practitioners across sectors to share their thoughts and views.

Awards for Young Musicians

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Visit our website
http://www.a-y-m.org.uk/

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Twitter: @AwardsAYM
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