Top Tips for a Top Notch Performance
February 27, 2016

  
Can’t beat a bit of constructive feedback! The adjudicator at this year’s Milton Keynes Music Festival was very good – through her group evaluation, ideas and tips for a top performance, all the young musicians learnt that: a ‘phrase’ is a musical sentence; ‘articulation’ is the pronunciation of the notes – clearly defined or slurred through use of the tongue; ‘dynamics’ determine how quick or slow, loud or soft; try and rid yourself of the music stand if you can; and to bow and appreciate an audience’s applause.

Also that musical language like ‘tempo’ is Italian. Dylan would like to know why Italian – any offers on an answer? 

Do something exciting
July 19, 2013

dosomethingBoy: Today nobody at school listened to me and I REALLY needed to tell them something!

Mum: What did you need to tell them?

Boy: I can’t remember, but NOBODY would listen!

Mum: Well, it’s a hot day and sometimes people get a bit grumpy on hot days and might not want to listen as much.

Boy: But I listened to THEM!

Mum: Sometimes you’ll just have days when you feel like nobody’s listened, unfortunately it’s part of life. I have that sometimes – some days I feel like nobody’s listened to me at work. What do you think I should do then?

Boy: [Thinks for a while]… You should get them to stop thinking about the hot sun by doing something exciting.

Mum: What might that be?

Boy: You could ask them if they wanted something to eat. Or to drink.

Mum: Sounds like a good plan – they’d have to listen if their mouth was full!

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