Derby, England
The Christopher Norton workshop on the 15th June 2008 was part of a bigger weekend event for music teachers hosted by Foulds Music in Derby. Foulds Music host various events, including workshops, during the course of the year and the end result, along with good customer service, is clearly a warm relationship between a venerable music store (over 100 years old) and its music teacher customers. There were more than 60 teachers at this presentation, a very impressive number in 2008!
This presentation was about American Popular Piano – it’s a course of study that Novus Via Music produced in 2006 and which was officially launched at the MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) conference in Toronto in March 2007. So it’s a new series to English music teachers and they seemed happy to have it explained and to take part in the ensemble pieces and even to try some of the improvisation elements with me! There was obviously a great deal of interest in the idea that I had, along with my US colleague Scott McBride Smith, produced an entire course of study that could become the “core” for a piano teaching programme. Microjazz was well-known and well-liked by all the teachers there, but they seemed happy to hear about something new that was so suitable for players at a beginner stage.
The presentation was followed by a beautifully presented and extremely tasty selection of food and drink.
There was talk of a return visit, possibly with master classes featuring students and a public concert. Watch this space!
