A series of concerts are taking place at Truro Cathedral on Saturday 10th July with performances at
11:00 am, 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm. For more details please see the flyer, below, or visit the website. The flyer can also be downloaded here.
Under 18's are being offered a much reduced rate of £5 per concert or £12.50 for the whole day.
The opportunity to have their own piece of music recorded in a professional studio is the top prize being offered to young musicians entering the ‘Musically Creative’ challenge set by Cornwall Music Service Trust’s newly launched online music learning platform, ‘MusicEL’.
Young musicians across Cornwall are being invited to view a number of short videos on MusicEL’s website, each with a different feel and mood, choosing one of them to inspire their creation. Open to everyone 18 and under, from beginners to more advanced musicians, competition entries can be created on any instrument or with voice, they can be of any length, of any style and can be recorded very simply on a phone. The entry can be made by an individual or by a group, the only rule is to get creative! Young musicians have until June 30th to submit their entries, which will be judged by a panel made up of some of the best musicians in the county.
Gary Flower, MusicEL Online Project Coordinator:
“We wanted to present a musical challenge that is accessible to everyone, whether you have a keyboard, your voice or a music app packed with your own sounds, our ambition is for young people to embrace music making and we really hope this competition will encourage them to do that. The opportunity to record your own creation in a music studio is usually something that is reserved for professional musicians – through the MusicEL studio we are able to offer the opportunity to a young person or maybe a group of young people, early on in their musical journey. Aspiring songwriters, composers and musical creatives, whether you work alone or as part of a choir, band or orchestra, this is a great opportunity to get your music heard.”
Online music learning platform MusicEL has been created by Cornwall Music Service Trust (CMST) in response to the opportunities for blended learning that have emerged through the pandemic. Mixing real life, face to face learning and playing, with online courses and experiences is, CMST believes, the future of music learning. CMST’s 100 plus music teachers, themselves highly experienced musicians, will all play a role in developing the content on the platform, from courses to workshops, masterclasses to group sessions, competitions to tutorials.
Steve Hawker, MusicEL Project manager:
“With so many musical opportunities having been shut down to us through lock down, we have had to explore other creative avenues. Music composition is something creative that can be done in your own time, in your own space. All you need is the inspiration and a means to record the music you make. Through this competition we are looking to showcase talent that might otherwise remain hidden away, by helping the winner bring their musical creation to life in the studio. It’s an exciting opportunity for young musicians to grow. The first of many opportunities that MusicEL will be bringing to their subscribers as the platform grows.”
The composer/s of the winning piece will be invited into the studio to record it. If they would prefer, they can have their piece played by a professional musician. The music will then be added to the video clip that inspired their entry and will be shared via the Cornwall Music Service Trust and MusicEL websites and social media channels. The ten runners up will have free access to MusicEL’s online platform where they will be able to take their learning to the next level through the growing body of music resources on offer. Any runners up group entries will receive one MusicEL subscription per group.
For further information about the competition visit https://www.musicel.org/community/competition/
MusicEL is a newly launched online community, a virtual music service, in part born out of the pandemic and the need to find new and engaging ways for students to learn music, connect with fellow musicians and continue to grow. At its heart lie the collective skills and experience of the 100+ CMST music teachers who will inform the content. Far from a standard ‘learn an instrument online’ the MusicEL platform will be a place of discovery, to learn new skills and techniques, explore unfamiliar genres and connect with others, wherever you are, whenever you want. For a monthly subscription fee MusicEL will offer members courses and masterclasses, live seminars and group sessions, competitions and challenges as well as live streamed events.
https://www.musicel.org
Cornwall Music Service Trust is a 100+ strong team of professional music teachers, experienced musicians and high-class performers working across Cornwall to deliver high quality music tuition through schools. Our teaching encompasses all styles and genres. CMST offer a flexible, holistic approach to music provision, embracing both individual student and whole school needs, to create a rich, inclusive and personalised music experience. CMST provision includes
Instrumental and vocal tuition at all levels
Individual and small group tuition
Whole class, curriculum based learning delivered by qualified classroom music specialists, including First Access
Specialist Early Years music provision
Leadership of ensembles, choirs and workshops
Access to online learning provision including one to one instrumental and vocal tuition
Help with integrating music into wider school learning
Bespoke training including CPD for teaching staff
https://www.cornwallmusicservicetrust.org
Over the past year CMST teachers have tried to maintain engagement in music with the young people we work with - either in school when possible, or via online lessons.
Amongst many success stories comes this report from Lowenna Thrussell, one of our woodwind team. Lowenna writes about Scarlet, a pupil at St Keverne School:
Scarlet has worked incredibly hard during lockdown, whilst taking part in online support. I am really impressed by her development and she really deserves recognition for this. Scarlet is a very shy and timid pupil and so with lessons in school, she found it very hard to engage. Over time, this led to her not practising at home and often forgetting to take her clarinet into school.
Since being in lockdown, Scarlet’s attitude has changed dramatically. She regularly logged into online support and had no intention of having any time off! Each time I saw her she had practised really hard and learnt several new pieces. Scarlet adopted a regular practice routine and with support from Mum, who I have been able to have more contact with, she has gained so much confidence! Scarlet is secure in her note reading and she produces these with a lovely tone. Her reading of rhythms has improved and she can work these out independently. Mostly, she is no longer afraid to try and it is an absolute pleasure to see her progress and find such a love of music.
Well done Scarlet, I am one very proud teacher!
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Cornwall Council have teamed up with the Cornwall County Choirs, run by Cornwall Music Education Hub, to say a big “Thank You” to the amazing foster carers and staff who work to support young people in Cornwall.
Please watch the video, below, and if you are interested in finding out more about being a foster carer in Cornwall please follow this link.
CMST is delighted to be supporting Truro Cathedral in the song for Sing2G7! There are some excellent resources so please sign up at the website: https://www.sing2g7.org/
Gee Seven is a toe-tapping new song created by Sir Tim Rice and Peter Hobbs for Sing2G7 to share and sing with the world.
Click on the video at the above website to watch Truro Cathedral Choristers sing out their powerful musical message.
Follow the blue buttons for free resources to join over 10,000 voices signed up worldwide.
Whether you're learning at home or at school, we look forward to sing to G7 with you and to hear your own recordings of this special song!
The Rotary Club of St Austell is holding a 'Virtual' Young Musician Competition, closing date 30 April 2021. The winning instrumentalist/vocalist plus runner-up from this competition will be asked to compete in the Virtual Regional and Final RIBI Young Musician Competition to be held in June. A few years ago the National Final was held in Cornwall at Truro School. However, so far, Cornwall has not produced a winner and there are some outstanding young musicians in the county. For more information please see the poster below.
CMST’s most recent newsletter can be downloaded here.
Cornwall Music Service Trust has been awarded the Gold Healthy Workplace Award for 2021!
This is the second consecutive year that CMST has received this recognition. Thank you to all involved!
This year’s Primary Schools Music Conference is taking place online on Monday 22nd March 2021 and will be led by Christine Judge. Further details are shown on the flyer, below.
Truro Cathedral are recruiting boy choristers who are currently in years 2, 3 and 5.
The Cathedral’s Director of Music, Christopher Gray, writes:
Hello,
I’m the Director of Music here at Truro Cathedral where we are fortunate to have a nationally recognised choir of boys, girls, and adults (you might have seen us on Britain’s Got Talent!).
Right now, we’re recruiting for boy choristers and are seeking to audition boys currently in Years 2, 3 and 5. For the right boy, this can be a life-changing experience that boosts self-esteem while being part of a close-knit team singing great music.
If you know of any boys who enjoy singing and may be interested in finding out more, please could you forward my email address to his parents/guardians?: christophergray@trurocathedral.org.uk
This video link which tells all about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRyzQW7hYME&t=22s
I should say that we also have a wonderful team of girl choristers and their auditions usually take place in January each year for girls in Year 8 (deadline for applications is the month before).
Please feel free to share this email and invite anyone interested to contact me.
With best wishes,
Christopher Gray
Director of Music
Truro Cathedral
The Old Cathedral School
Cathedral Close
Truro
TR1 2FQ
Main office (01872) 276782
Website: www.trurocathedral.org.uk
Facebook: @TruroCathedral
Twitter: @TruroCathedral
The Radford Charitable Trust has generously allocated some funds to help families who may be facing financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic pay for music lessons.
Parents can apply for a one off grant to pay for up to 12 Instrumental or Vocal lessons. It is for those children, who through financial hardship, would not otherwise be able to continue with their music lessons due to a drop in income and the grant may be used to pay for an individual or group lesson. This financial support is open to all children learning within CMST as well as privately taught students.
To make an application for a grant, please click here.
Following a successful pilot project organised by Kari Gilbert before Christmas 2020, we would welcome entries from all ages which are a reaction to music that they hear or play. Whatever your art form - painting, drawing, photography, 3D sculpture or poetry - we would be delighted to showcase it to a wider audience. Some of the early entries from the pilot can now be seen on our website: https://www.cornwallmusicservicetrust.org/music-gallery where you can also find details of how to submit your piece.
Look out for competitions in the future!
Music and Me by Evie
