Category Archives: Big Noise Raploch Musicians’ Blog

This July Veronica and I had the great opportunity to visit New Zealand to help train teachers on the Sistema Aotearoa programme in Auckland. The programme had already started in Otara, South Auckland, where the children had been taking musicianship classes as well as playing on model instruments. They call their model instruments whisper instruments and they have been specially made for the children. When Veronica and I arrived it was the start of their winter holiday programme, in July, which was very confusing for us! However, it was still almost as hot there as it is in our summer. During our visit the children were trying the real instruments for the first time and we were helping the teachers to deliver these exciting introductory classes. As you can imagine the children were learning how to hold the bow, the instrument, the names of the strings and some basic bow strokes. We also taught them our open string song which is based on our sister centre’s song in Venezuela. It was really wonderful to be hearing children on the other side of the world learn the same games and pieces as the Big Noise orchestras. At the end of the week there were concerts for friends and family and the buzz was just the same as the concerts we have here. Maybe one day in the future the children could meet!

Sistema Aoteroa is run as part of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and you can find out more by following this link http://www.apo.co.nz/sistema_aotearoa.aspx

Since we’ve been back we have been busy getting into this year’s programme. I mainly work with the Rinconada Orchestra and our focus this term is really getting through the great new books we have just started, which means PRACTISE, PRACTISE, PRACTISE!!!! So if you hear even more gorgeous tones coming out of Raploch then we are definitely travelling in the right direction. This year we are going to put on even more concerts with lots of new pieces and we can’t wait.

We’re in to Summer School. Such a nice time at Big Noise.

There’s time for chamber music and mass singing games in addition to the normal bread and butter of orchestra.

Soon we’re having a bbq for children and families with the musicians………… we’re all so chilled!

(D0 sign up if your children are coming to summer school – Friday 22nd at 12.15 we need to know numbers to order burgers!)

Jen

Hello! I’m JP. One of the lower brass tutors at big noise. I was meant to do a blog a year ago when I started the job to introduce myself but I forgot. So…. Hello! I’m JP. One of the lower brass tutors at big noise. Lots have happened over the last year as you may know. From our trip to Venezuela at the start of July to observe the teaching and management of Nucleos in Caracas, to our third Birthday concert in the Albert Halls (Stirling!) on the 29^th of May. Writing this has made me think about what we’ve achieved in between those two events. After Venezuela we witnessed summer school, observing lessons, getting to know the children and the other staff. Then on to our own recruiting of Primary six and seven woodwind, brass and percussion pupils leading into the creation of the first Big Noise Symphony orchestra during the October week. Sadly, I missed that momentous occasion. I had a good excuse. I got married on the 9^th of October and was on my honeymoon!

The wicked weather marred the Christmas activities but we still managed to put a great version of We wish you a merry Christmas and some excellent brass solos together for our informal concert. After the holidays the brass team embarked on an epic voyage to the Bridgewater halls in Manchester to see the Venezuelan Brass ensemble. It was very impressive and the children were amazed by the golden eggs the brass players put in their bells that changed the whole sound of the instrument!( Mutes!).

When we got back we started working towards our side by side concert with the children playing alongside the BBC SSO. It was a great experience and a really moving moment for a lot of the parents and even some staff! We then started working on the 3^rd birthday concert. A concert with a mix of things from the BBC Side by side, WWBP Wind band, Purple and Red orchestras playing a tremendous version of Joelle’s Mission Mars, small chamber groups from the BBC SSO and a very interesting infomercial by someone called Dr. O’Hagan that you can now find on the Big noise website! As for my involvement in the concert, I conducted the wind band and the symphony orchestra for the piece ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ or as you might also know it, the music from 2001: Space Odyssey. It was a great moment for me personally and the children played their hearts out. The whole concert was a great success and all involved were buzzing for days after it. You can see more photos from the concert here

Phew… Almost finished! Looking back at this blog, I’m amazed at how much we’ve fit into less than a year. The little tales I have spun are just the highlights. There have been countless more trips, outings, performances and residential courses throughout the year. The amount of blood, sweat, tears, hard work and everything else the musicians have put in over the year has been so impressive and I’m proud to be part of such a great team.

Well, that’s it from me except for one thing. Big Noise now has a new enrolment of string, brass and woodwind students! Primary one strings have been introduced into the purple orchestra and, after a host of entertaining and enlightening demonstration concerts by the WWBP team, the remaining primary four and five pupils have chosen a woodwind or brass instrument and are now attending summer school. Ok. I’m definitely going now. Bye!

JP

After an exhilarating Side by Side concert at the City Halls in Glasgow our programme of work continues almost non stop with the Easter School.

The normal three day week expands to a full time five day music feast, an ideal opportunity to upload our kids with some mega music making and more memorable performance experiences.

Over the 2 weeks, each group within Big Noise were tasked with preparing their own individual performance of some short pieces aimed specifically at the current learning outcomes expected of them. The concert also included a performance from our more senior Noise orchestra made up of our adult members of the community. The result was an extremely entertaining programme of music which culminated with a full Symphony Orchestra performance of an excerpt from Charpentier’s Te Deum. All compered exquisitely by myself (lol!)

We took the opportunity to present our ‘Musician of the Month’ certificates at the grand event. Our hard well deserved winners were…(drum roll…) Rinconada – Fraser, Purples – Shihan, Reds – Tanialeigh, Wwbp – Simone.

Well done to all involved…Happy Easter!!!