Category: Uncategorized

Vacancy: Music Educators

West Norfolk Music Centre is seeking to appoint 2 music educators.

We operate a Saturday music centre during school term, and we are extending our provision for children. We would like to appoint two individuals to work together to deliver the following activities each week, for children in the age range 9 to 12 (school years 5 to 7): 

  • Mixed ensemble. To lead a group for children playing at pre-grade 1 level, with flexible instrumentation and, where appropriate, multi-ability arrangements. 
  • Singing group / choir. To lead our children’s choir, developing aural, reading, ensemble and performance skills through singing.

The successful candidates will:

  • Be accomplished musicians with a broad range of musical knowledge and skills.
  • Be engaging and confident educators, ideally with experience of working with children in the target age range.
  • Be able to commit to regular attendance 30 Saturday mornings a year.
  • Be willing to work as part of a team.

The following skills would be an advantage:

  • Knowledge of choral singing technique.
  • Basic knowledge of a wide range of orchestral instruments, their technique, capabilities and limitations.
  • Experience of conducting/leading ensembles or choirs.
  • Piano playing, sufficient to accompany the choir as required.

We may also offer successful candidates the opportunity to offer individual instrumental lessons to members, to lead other Music Centre ensembles to cover short-term absence, and to develop other educational activities.

We will require a satisfactory DBS check, and we will also require you to register with the DBS update service (for which we will cover the fee if you are not already registered).

These roles are self-employed and will be paid at an hourly rate dependent on qualifications/experience (£25 with a degree-level qualification in music and/or as a qualified teacher).

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact our chair Derek Stringer at info@wnmc.org.uk or on 07752 181 781.

To apply, please send your CV, along with an email telling us what you would bring to this role, to info@wnmc.org.uk by Wednesday 24 November. We are aiming to start the ensemble and singing group after February half-term.

We are back in September again!

West Norfolk Music Centre is planning to return to individual lessons and groups at Springwood High School this autumn, starting on Saturday 18 September. New members always welcome, whether you’re an experienced player, returning to music or a complete beginner.

Come along on 18 September, or contact us beforehand to book your lessons and choose your groups!

Autumn groups: West Norfolk Music Centre waives fees

The Trustees of West Norfolk Music Centre have decided to waive all group membership fees this term, and to invite members to make donations instead.

At this time of uncertainty, we cannot be sure that our groups will continue to run for the whole term. We are monitoring legislation and guidance, and the local situation, closely and we will continue decide, week to week, whether we can and should remain open.

We also recognise that we cannot offer the full Music Centre experience this term, with limited numbers and equipment, social distancing, and no refreshments or breaks for socialising. In terms of economic impact, some members may be affected more than others, and we do not want to exclude members who are facing uncertainty in their income or jobs at this time.

Music Centre remains in a strong financial position, thanks to the generosity of the legacy of Michael Janson and Varuni Roberts, and we are therefore in a position to waive our usual charges this term. However, there are still costs involved in running the groups (rent, staff, teachers), and we will be without some of our usual sources of income (refreshments, concert tickets), so we are inviting members to contribute to our ongoing costs if they can.

Members who take individual lessons are eligible for free group membership as usual, and lesson fees are currently reduced for those taking lessons online or at home.

We are currently working towards registration with HMRC, so as to allow us to claim Gift Aid on donations, but in the meantime donations via PayPal Giving Fund are eligible for Gift Aid.

19 May: String Workshop – book now

West Norfolk Music Centre is proposing an evening workshop for string players, supported by players from the European Union Chamber Orchestra. The proposed date is 19 May 2020, 6pm to 8.30pm in King’s Lynn. The workshop will go ahead if we receive provisional bookings from enough players.

The workshop is intended for intermediate-level players (approx. Grade 4+), to provide an opportunity to play in an ensemble and to develop skills and confidence. The event should be particularly suitable for children; adult learners or returners are welcome too.

We are asking for provisional bookings now, so that we can confirm the event. We are aiming to put together a small string orchestra, roughly as follows:

12 violins (6 to play 1st violin, 6 to play 2nd violin)
4 violas
6 cellos
2 double basses

We expect to make a small charge, which for children will not exceed £10. The majority of the cost of the workshop will be covered by West Norfolk Music Centre.

Please contact us by email to conrad@wnmc.org.uk

Love your music stand

A Valentine message for your music stand, and for ours at Music Centre. With a little TLC, you and your stand could be best of friends for years, even decades.

At Music Centre, we use the classic design of folding stand. This type of stand is light and compact, and it can meet the needs of most musicians most of the time. Follow a few basic rules, and our stands — and your own if you have one — will be happy. The stand in our photos is 28 years old and still going strong!

1. Big ears up, little ears down

The top part of the stand looks like it can fold in two ways — and, if you force it, it will. Folding the stand the wrong way is the most common cause of permanent damage.

The stand is designed to fold just one way. Do it wrong and the stand will bend.

Here’s the right way and the wrong way:

2. Not too tight!

The second most common cause of damage is tightening the screws too much. If you do this, you will eventually strip the threads (so the screw won’t work at all) or you will crush the tubes (making it difficult or impossible to slide them into each other).

If the screw doesn’t seem to grip enough, try cleaning the upright tube with a damp cloth, or with a bit of rubbing alcohol to remove grease.

3. Get the legs right

The legs of the stand should be opened so that they are at an angle of roughly 45 degrees to the ground. Too steep and the stand will become unstable and fall over. Too shallow and the stand will not support its own weight (and it will sink to the ground.

4. Support the stand from behind

It is best to rotate the music desk (the top of the stand) so that one of the legs sticks straight out behind the stand. If you do this, the stand is less likely to fall over backwards when you load it with music.

 

 

Musicians: protect your hearing

As musicians, we generally rely on our hearing — to monitor what we’re playing, to keep in tune and to keep in time with others. Not to mention, of course, the pleasure from listening to others.

But can we rely on always being able to hear as well as we can now? As we age, our hearing does become less keen, and this is part of a natural process. But we can also damage our hearing, through exposure to noise, and this damage may be irreversible.


While as musicians we might not think of our own efforts as ‘noise’ (or maybe we would!) but exposure to high levels of sound and/or exposure for long periods can cause permanent damage. There have been a number of high-profile cases where professional musicians have suffered severe hearing loss — not just amongst those playing amplified music but also amongst orchestral musicians.

West Norfolk Music Centre can now offer its members the opportunity to purchase earplugs which are specially designed for musicians. Unlike general-purpose earplugs, they reduce the volume of the music while keeping the sound as natural as possible.

We would encourage all members to consider whether they would benefit from hearing protection. In particular, those who play drums and percussion, and those who are exposed to louder instruments (do you sit in front of the trombones in the orchestra or band?) are encouraged to try ear plugs. Or, if you attend loud amplified concerts or gigs, try them — if you’ve ever had the ‘ringing in the ears’ sensation after a gig, it’s a sign of hearing damage.

Ask at our desk, and we can explain what is available — for less than the cost of a single music lesson.

Time for a new pencil?

Whether you’re playing in one of our groups or taking one-to-one lessons, one tool is essential: the pencil. Without it, how will you remember the valuable information your group leader or conductor has given you, or the suggestions your teacher has made? And in your own private practice sessions, when you work out the solution to a problem, do you make a note?

Whether it’s fingerings, bowings, breathing, or sticking, sometimes we just have to make our own marks on the printed music. Without them, you could earn the (dubious) distinction of being the person who plays that big chord as a solo — while everyone else is silent!

And if you need a pencil, you also need an eraser, because your first idea (or the conductor’s first idea) might not be the one that works. It’s much easier if that eraser is on the end of the pencil and not somewhere else (in your instrument case/music folder/coat pocket).

When it comes to the eternal question ‘2B or not 2B’, it probably doesn’t matter that much, but a soft dark pencil (which makes a legible mark without pressing hard and leaving an indentation) is better than a medium HB or hard pencil. Remember, unless it’s your own part, someone else might want to remove your markings when you’re finished with it.

We now have good quality 4B pencils, which are ideal for marking up music, for sale at our desk, with or without removable eraser caps.