Over the last two weeks, Herman "Cupid" Francis, the Director of Culture, has been running his annual Easter music workshop where primary and secondary school students can get a chance to receive basic instrumental tuition, with hopes to spur them on to pick up music. Assisted by his brother Bimshaw, the both of them cover an impressive array of instrumental teaching ranging from guitar to violin to trombone to keyboards.
At the end of this two-week period, most of the participants got together and put on a presentation about what they have learnt over the course of the workshop, as well as perform some basic tunes on their selected instrument. At the end, they performed Amazing Grace as an entire ensemble.
Sounding out the trombone.
Introducing the inner workings of a trumpet.
The violins having a go.
The guitars performing their bit.
While I would have loved to part of this workshop, I couldn't do so because I was back in London for my Easter break. Cupid has been carrying out this programme for many years now, and most participants who signed up usually stay on and form part of Small Beginnings, a young persons orchestra that provides students the opportunity to play their instrument as part of an ensemble after school.
Perhaps it would be possible to re-look at the dates in future for the next education specialist coming to Montserrat to be able to be part of this continually ground-breaking effort, as the term dates for secondary school differs from primary.
The first week of the summer term has passed quickly, with lots of lesson planning taken care of and many an hour spent in front of the photocopying machine. The past week has also been rather rainy and cool, which I hear has been a welcome break from the very hot weather Montserrat had been experiencing during the two weeks I was away. Ironically, London was still in the grips of some unseasonably cold weather when I was there.
Being in London over the Easter break gave me the opportunity to procure lots more resources for the island. Piano and music theory books, and small things like rosin and valve oil - which, while you would ordinarily get any other music store back home, cannot be found here and must be specially ordered in. I also managed to get some wall guitar hangers which, apart from doing what it does, always look good when it comes to sprucing up the image of a music classroom!
I have to say though, the walls that make up buildings over here are strong enough to withstand a hurricane - no pun intended. My classroom walls were made up of extremely sturdy and tough concrete brick, and the accompanying drill bits which came with the borrowed drill barely put a dent in it. So I had to run to the hardware store and pick up a new set of drill bits, and after screwing in five guitar hangers (two screws each), I had broken one in half, chipped off another, and two more are now too blunt to do anything.
Maybe I need a proper lesson in drilling school.
Battling with the walls.
All set up and good to go.
Having had a term to set up the old Salem Primary as the new designated music education 'centre' for the island is paying off well - we now are slowly amassing a steady stream of instrumental donations which will be taken care of looked after. The primary school wider-ops music programme Small Beginnings will also now be run from the new location in Salem. I am still in need for more wall guitar hangers (I only had enough space for a maximum of five to bring over), as well as basic keyboard damper pedals.
And from the looks of it, another new set of drill bits.
The Xinjiang Folk Dance which we did last month was recorded again, this time at Government House with full costumes and in proper HD! After trying to attempt some slick, multi-camera angle video editing on the frustratingly basic Windows Live Movie Maker, here's the result!
It's meant to be spring now, however it is anything but right here in London. The weather hasn't been too kind since I arrived back in London for my two-week Easter break, and apart from a sunny spell over the weekend just past, it has been cloudy, wet and very cold (for spring). Oddly enough, upon my arrival in Gatwick airport last Saturday I was mulling over how I haven't done lots of everyday things in three months - travel on a train, get in a lift, and generally not greet every single person passing you by.
It has been nice though, to get re-acquainted with the big city life, if not for the vast array of food that has been now made available, for the next two weeks at least. I've never had such a strong craving for sushi until I moved to Montserrat! And of course, a good pint of cider.
The video of the Montserrat Youth Choir singing at the Rotary fundraiser is now up. Enjoy!
