Hackney Music Service: Music Tutor Spotlight…..Lawrence Tatnall February 27, 2020 by Claire SivierThis month we continue our feature shining a light on our dedicated team of music tutors working across Hackney both in schools and our collaborative projects. This month we spoke to Lawrence Tatnall who began his work in Hackney 13 years ago. He is now the Musical Director of the Hackney Borough Youth Orchestra and works across a range of HMS projects and ensembles. How did you come to choose your instrument, or did it choose you? Although my official “instrument” is the trombone I now regard myself mainly as a conductor. I was about 4 when I first started waving my arms to music with my granddad (who also conducted in his spare time!) but it was the piano and the trombone which I studied first. I didn’t really pick up the baton again till I was about 16. What do you enjoy most about conducting and what is most challenging? The thing that I most enjoy about conducting is that I get to really influence how a piece of music sounds. I really enjoy the rehearsal process of taking something raw and unrefined and helping to make it into a beautiful piece. By the performance the conductor’s job is basically done so then I get to hear amazing musicians playing from the best seat in the house! What’s your all-time favourite gig – (either played in or been to) and why? It’s really hard to choose a favourite concert of all time but I think it was probably the first ever orchestral concert that I went to see aged 8. I knew from that point onwards that I wanted to be involved in an orchestra in some capacity for my career. There have also been some really special concerts with Hackney Music Service. Conducting the Hackney Borough Youth Orchestra at the Barbican with the LSO was a particular highlight. What do you enjoy most about teaching in Hackney? The thing that makes Hackney so amazing is the people! I have now been teaching in Hackney for about 13 years and it’s such an incredible place to work in. It has been such a delight teaching in Hackney, and I think I have learnt just as much from the children over the years as they have learnt from me! It’s also such a vibrant place with so many different cultures and people. I am not sure there is anywhere else in the world quite like it! Tell us a little bit about your musical life outside of Hackney Music Service Outside of HMS I conduct several different groups such as the Havering Concert Orchestra and the Theydon singers. I also work with professional musicians and have put on several events with local amateur choirs. I also play the trombone freelance and am the accompanist of a local choir. How does all of the above influence your teaching? I think that my work as a conductor has really brought home the benefits of playing instruments not just as an individual but in a group with others. It has definitely influenced my teaching in that I always try to get my pupils listening to each other (as an orchestral player would) and I always try to put together ensembles to perform in my schools. What advice would you give to a student on developing their playing? My advice for students would be to try to find every opportunity to play their instruments with others! I always hated practicing on my own but absolutely loved playing in groups. If it wasn’t for these, I don’t think I would have ever made it as a musician. Find groups in your schools, in Hackney Music Service or even make a group yourself but get playing! More about Lawrence: Lawrence’s first conducting experience was at the age of 4 in his grandparents house with a knitting needle. He then got his first real baton at the age of 16 while directing a performance of Beethoven’s Egmont Overture at the Kent Centre for Young instrumentalists. After being named the BBC Radio Kent Young Musician of the Future in 2002 he went on to graduate with BMus (hons) from the University of Surrey in 2005 (majoring jointly in performance and conducting) studying under Nicholas Conran. He then got a Postgraduate diploma at the Trinity College of Music. Lawrence has gone on to conduct many more works ranging from Mozart chamber music to larger choral works, and also ran the University College London Big Band for 9 years. He is currently the Musical Director of the Havering Concert Orchestra, the Hackney Borough Youth Orchestra, and the Theydon Singers. He recently founded the East London Chamber Orchestra; a collective of professional musicians for performing with choral societies. Lawrence is also a professional trombonist and has played in a diverse selection of groups ranging from principal trombone with Philharmonie de Nationale under Justus Franz to the prize winning brass dectet SE10 Uncategorizedensembles, news, orchestraShare : Tweet
Fake A Smile – Niccole and the Hackney Borough Youth Choir. February 20, 2020 by Claire Sivier We are delighted to share our Hackney Borough Youth Choirs recent recording at Rising Tide Studios. As well as performing the song Fake A Smile live at the 2019 Hackney Music Service Gala at the Hackney Empire, HBYC provided backing vocals for this original song written by a pupil at Stormont House School an outstanding Hackney secondary school for pupils with complex and inter-related special educational needs. The studio experience was quite different from the live performance experience as the choir were not recorded as one big group, but instead recorded in small groups of three, in a recording booth, with headphones and monitoring. There was no opportunity for singers to ‘hide’ in the crowd. We are very proud of our choir and all involved! You can listen to the recording below and see a photo montage created of the experience below. Hackney Music Service would like to give a huge thanks to our Network Partner Paul Ryan at Rising Tide for accommodating us, to David Harries for recording the group, to Lauren Dyer for arranging the backing vocals, to Jane and Lauren for their wonderful vocal work with the choir as HBYC Leads, to Kelvin Ghann for being everything always to everyone, to families for all their support bringing singers along to rehearsals and performances, and last but not least to the singers for all their tremendous hard work – and a special thanks to Niccole for involving us all in her beautiful song! We look forward to further collaborations with Rising Tide in the future – they are the most fantastic local resource, and if you are not already aware, please visit their website here – there are opportunities for rehearsal space, mentoring, holiday projects, and we will be working closely with Paul to work out a programme to increase opportunities for primary-aged pupils to access their offers – watch this space! To find out more about our Network Partners – visit our partner’s page here For more information about HBYO and all of our wonderful ensembles and groups, visit our Ensembles page. Network Partners, Young peoplechoirs, ensembles, Network Partner, news, young peopleShare : Tweet
New ensemble launching in 2020…Hackney Junior Jazz Ensemble December 11, 2019 by Claire Sivier We are pleased to announce that next term we will be launching a NEW and exciting ensemble – the Hackney Junior Jazz Ensemble (HJJE) for young musicians of Grade 2 and above standard looking for the experience of playing in a jazz group! HJJE will be a cross-phase ensemble, open to Primary Yr5+ pupils as well as secondary players. We anticipate a wide range of opportunities for musicians in the ensemble, as well as progression to the Hackney Creative Jazz Ensemble. The group accommodates any instrument – we welcome drummers/percussionists, guitars/basses, keys as well as strings/wind and brass, tuned percussion are also warmly welcomed! This new ensemble follows the success of our long-established Hackney Creative Jazz Ensemble (HCJE). HCJE regularly perform at venues such as the Vortex and the Hackney Empire and is aimed at minimum Grade 5 standard (Yr7+) players. We are delighted that we are now able to additionally set up a feeder ensemble to nurture musicians from a younger age interested in exploring jazz. HCJE Manager Oliver Crooke says: ‘We are excited to be launching this new ensemble in January 2020 which expands the range of opportunities we are able to offer young musicians across Hackney” HJJE will rehearse at City Academy on Wednesdays 4.30 – 6pm, directly before the Senior Ensemble. Like HCJE, the ensemble will be coached by a team of professional musicians including a rotation of different instrumentalists in order that all the different sections of the group are supported well. To find out more about HJJE, as well as our other ensemble opportunities, please visit HMS ensemble page, here Uncategorizedensembles, hackney, jazz, orchestra, workshopsShare : Tweet
Applications are now open for The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain 2020 June 5, 2019 by Claire Sivier Young musicians who are aged 13-18, play at Grade 8 distinction level or equivalent and are totally committed to music. Musicians who are offered a seat will be attending three orchestral rehearsal residencies, tour dates, three performances throughout the year and between 5-10 days of NYO Inspire activity. Subject to confirmation – the activities take place in schools and concert halls around the UK throughout the year. Auditions will be held in London, Manchester, and Birmingham during late September – October 2019. Residency Dates Saturday 28 December 2019 – Monday 6 January 2020 – NYO Winter Residency Tuesday 7 April 2020 – Saturday 18 April 2020 – NYO Spring Residency Monday 27 July 2020 – Saturday 8 August 2020 – NYO Summer Residency Additional NYO Activity Dates Saturday 15 – Sunday 23 February 2020 – NYO Inspire Ensembles NYO welcomes musicians to be part of the NYO 2020 and break through to the next level of orchestral brilliance, perform the most challenging music with the world’s greatest conductors and inspire other teenagers through NYO Inspire. NYO additionally recruits teenage composers. Auditions are FREE and applicants will receive feedback. Bursaries are available to cover travel to and from the audition as well as the applicant’s place in the orchestra. Auditions are friendly, positive, and great learning experiences. NYO Tutors will share playing tips in a workshop, and all applicants will receive performance feedback. More more information please visit the NYO Website. Network Partnersensembles, Network Partner, news, young peopleShare : Tweet
Music, Songwriting and Theatre making Opportunities for Young People September 19, 2017 by Claire Sivier Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning has a number of fantastic opportunities for young people coming up this academic year. See below for more information. Young Jazz Big Band – open to 14 – 18 year olds If you play trumpet, trombone, saxophone (soprano, tenor, alto, baritone), drums, piano, double bass or guitar and are inspired by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billie Holiday and other sultans of Swing this is your opportunity to work with musicians from London and New York, develop your big band playing skills and perform at the Barbican Centre. Application link here https://www.barbican.org.uk/education/young-people/young-jazz-big-band Young Songwriters – open to 14 – 18 year old The Young Songwriters is a programme that will get your melodies and lyrics out of the bedroom and in front of professional musicians who will help you craft and shape your work by exploring new sounds, instruments, genres and approaches to writing music. We’d love to work with you whatever you put together, be it Grime, EDM, Jazz, Folk, Classical or something completely different. Application link here https://www.barbican.org.uk/education/young-people/songwriters-collective Barbican Box Music – secondary school music teachers The Barbican Box is a portable box filled with the ingredients for making and creating original theatre, visual art or music inspired by our world class arts programme. Curated and designed by composer and musician Max Richter, this year’s Barbican Box Music will contain an array of inspiration for teachers to create new music with their secondary school students. Teachers will benefit from world class training days exploring new ways of composing in the class room. All participants will get to perform at the Barbican with Max and will receive free tickets to a Barbican Contemporary Music Concert. Application link here https://www.barbican.org.uk/education/schools/barbican-box-secondary All deadlines on Sunday 1st October Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning is a member and a partner of the Hackney Music Network. All enquires about the above opportunities should be sent to them directly. Deadline, Music Opportunities, Network Partners, Uncategorized, Young peopleensembles, Network Partner, news, workshops, young peopleShare : Tweet
HACKNEY COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA SURVEY April 4, 2017 by Claire Sivier Hackney Community Orchestra (HCO) is a newly-established group run in partnership with The Bridge Academy and Hackney Music Service. HCO is open to players (particularly adults and those returning to ensemble music making), of any instrument at any level of expertise. Music reading is not essential. We aim to bring people together to create a unique ensemble for Hackney, playing all kinds of music, from jazz to pop and classical to folk. We have been meeting on Thursdays from 18.30 – 20.00 at The Bridge Academy, Laburnum Street, London E2 8BA. We are now looking at how best to secure the future stability of the group and to recruiting new members. SURVEY The purpose of the survey is to help us raise awareness of the group and to make decisions about its future organisation – please complete the survey here. The survey should be completed by Monday 1st May. Uncategorizedensembles, orchestraShare : Tweet
