Yesterday, Thursday, a sub-set of The Ram Company went into two primary schools in Derby, to give the pupils a taste of our music and show them the instruments we use to make our wonderful sound!
The first place was Firs Estate Primary School. Now, believe it or not, this was Keith Kendrick's first school (as a 5-year-old) and he was quite intrigued to be visiting it again after such a long time. Not only that, but it was the second school I ever taught in. Back in the mid-70s it was two separate schools -- Infants and Juniors -- with separate heads and (more importantly) distinct educational philosophies.
I'd been teaching French (or trying to) at a junior high school in Derby (720 kids all aged between 11 and 13 -- a nightmare!) and was getting absolutely fed up with getting nowhere fast. I just didn't see eye-to-eye with the headteacher (I've always been a bit headstrong, I suppose) and eventually I decided to leave that school and try my hand at teaching music. So I applied to Firs Estate, and, with only minutes to go before the deadline, I took the application form to the school by hand. When I got there, there was only the caretaker around, and as I was talking to him, I realised I'd mis-read the advertisement. I thought I was applying to the Juniors, but in fact the vacancy was for an Infants teacher!
"Ah well," thinks I ... "in for a penny, in for a pound" and I gave him the application form. A few days later, I got the job, and became (as far as I know) the first male Infants teacher in Derby. And I loved that job. It was lovely, working with 5-year-olds. Such fresh enthusiasm, such joy, and such love. Those were the days, eh?
Anyway, we did our mini-show for the Juniors (sorry, Key Stage 2) at Firs Estate, and then zoomed off to Ashgate Primary School for the second one that morning. And as it turns out, this school was Michelle Short's old primary school (again as a pupil) so it brought back some memories for her.
The headteacher wasn't expecting us, as his deputy had actually arranged the visit, but he was so pleased with what we gave him, this is what he said in an email to the lady who's co-ordinating all these school visits:
Just a quick note to say thank you for sending this marvellous group of talented musicians to our school today.
Their input was educational, entertaining, outstandingly musical and thoroughly enjoyed by all pupils and staff.
My only question is....when can they come again?
What a wonderful start to our day.
Robert Roche
Head
Ashgate Primary
Wasn't that a nice thing for him to say?! I know I speak on behalf of the whole band when I say that we'd be over the moon to go back for a further visit. The children (and the staff) were so attentive, and applauded very appreciatively after each number. And so knowledgeable, those young people. Very impressive.
We've got more visits coming up next week, and I hope we'll be able to take a bit of video. I know we have to be very careful with video-ing children, but if we get the necessary permissions, then there'll probably be some more video to watch on YouTube!
Watch this space!
Last night I was immensely privileged to do a barn dance for adults with learning difficulties at the Wetherby Centre in Derby. The centre is in the middle of an industrial estate and the whole area really looks quite forbidding, but as I learned the last time I was invited there, it's a totally different atmosphere inside.
As soon as I walked through the front door yesterday evening, I was greeted by the incredibly dedicated and enthusiastic carers who organise all the events at the Wetherby Centre. There were decorations all over the main room, most of them executed by people that society often casts off as being "abnormal". There was bunting, spelling out things like "Tribute Act", "Comic Relief" and of course "Barn dance".
And when the audience began to arrive, their openness and warm-hearted greetings as they recognised me from last time was just glorious. They may have misshapen bodies; they may find it difficult to talk as clearly as some of the rest of us; they may be restricted in the amount they can move their limbs ... but I'll tell you what! Those people throw themselves into the dancing with total abandon. They're not precious, in the sense that they worry about who they dance with, and last night we had almost every imaginable permutation from the different "types" who were there -- including the carers. Wheelchairs are not an obstacle, either.
And something else that astonished me last night ... I didn't have to vary the speed/tempo of the music -- not one bit. They coped with the dancing as if they were born doing it. Of course I adapted the dances to fit, but we still attempted some potentially "difficult" figures, and ... you know what? ... they managed. Brilliantly.
There weren't as many people there as had been hoped, but that's because it was "Red Nose Day" and a lot of events were competing for everyone's attendance, so of course some people had gone to rival happenings. Nevertheless, there were plenty there to make the dance floor look full for the circle dances such as the Circassian Circle -- and of course the Hokey Cokey!
There were times when I was nearly in tears at the child-like antics of some members of the audience, but the main thrust for me was this:
What a privilege it was for me to be able to provide a service to such lovely people, so that they all had a great night out, enjoyed themselves physically and emotionally, and went home buzzing about a fantastic social gathering.
I'm looking forward to being invited back for a third visit!
Went down to London yesterday with a friend for a very short visit to The Casting Suite, near Piccadilly Circus. We weren't there very long, but blimey what we packed into that time!
A very capable young woman took a score or more photos, in various suitable poses, against a plain white background and then a pull-down grey backdrop. Not easy to get up after sitting on the floor, but I managed it!
After that, it was time to face the video camera, introduce myself, talk a bit about what I want from the Casting Suite (which is basically the opportunity to appear in TV advertisements, as well as maybe do some modelling -- don't laugh!). After that, I gave my definition of "barn dance", as a contribution to the online visual dictionary website, Wordia.com. I'll let you know when it's up and viewable.
Having completed the photoshoot and videoshoot, it was time to go back upstairs to the office, where another woman showed us the photos by projecting them onto the wall. Great idea! We selected ten for inclusion on the Casting Suite's webpages, and hopefully they'll get spotted by casting directors.
Eventually I'll get hard copies of the photos and video, which I'll be able to use to promote myself even further.
Well ... you can't just sit still and wait for life to come to you, can you?
I'm off to Manchester Metropolitan University tomorrow (Tuesday) to audition for a part in another student film. This one's called Doors, and it's a very short exploration of a family's emotions after the death of the mother in a hospice. I'm trying out for the part of the father.
It sounds quite interesting, and I'll report back once it's over.
I've just finished putting together a compilation of video clips from recent gigs. All the music comes from the MIDIband (which is my Yamaha PSR3000 keyboard). I played all the music myself, recording it as MIDI data. It's saved on a USB memory stick and the keyboard reads the information from that.
Close your eyes, and it's almost indistinguishable from a real live band. (At least, I like to think so!)
The YouTube link is here but you can watch it on the Gallery page of my website.
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