Foulds Music Workshop

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!

Norwegian Academy of Music Workshop

Norwegian Academy of Music

The workshop with Christopher Norton was arranged by Norsk Noteservice and the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, Norway. Norsk Noteservice imports Norton’s music to Norway and the Norwegian Academy of Music is the leading music conservatory in Norway.

50 piano teachers from different cultural schools and secondary schools in the area attended this fantastic workshop with an enthusiastic and sparkling Christopher Norton who activated his audience with great competence. The presentation was professional and informative with words, pictures and sound all very well mixed together. Norton’s music is both lyrical and rhythmic and easy to understand in its popular classical style. It is adapted to pupils on all levels in a pedagogically excellent way.

The program was as follows:

10:00-12:00: Introducing American Popular Piano – traditional skills, contemporary styles

12:00-12:30: Lunch

12:30-13:45: Using Microjazz to improve playing, reading and improvisation skills

13:45-14:30: Informal conversation with Christopher Norton

One of the participants describes the workshop in this way: 

“Chris Norton’s music has an exquisite simplicity with a sophisticated touch, presented through humour and a magnificent timing. The seminar in Oslo had moments where the atmosphere in the room was magic, portraying a sense of inner and outer peace, of being connected to something great. What an inspiration!”

- Kjellaug Wik Mikkelsen

Submitted by

Bjørg J. Bjøntegaard

Norwegian Academy of Music/span>