Rhythm Connections workshop

Wow! What an incredible experience for some of our wonderful Year 4 children on Friday. A small group of children were selected to take part in an exciting day at the Jazz Centre in the Beecroft Art Gallery in Southend. 

When we arrived we explored the jazz centre finding out information about different jazz artists, experimenting on a range of instruments and talking to staff. 

We were then guided to the Lecture Theatre where improvisation began. We focused on rhythm first where one of our students used a clapping rhythm guiding the audience. Thorpedene Primary School, Porters Grange and Richmond Primary School also joined us. 

We then had a small break and began working with pitched improvisation. The children and adults had lots of fun with Boomwhackers. Again one of our children led a small group with Boomwhackers and then moved onto the larger group. 

Marc, who was leading from ‘Rhythm Connections’, then gave each school a person to research. We were given ‘Snowboy’. Our children, through research and speaking to a member of the jazz team, found out Snowboy was born in 1961 and was from Hadleigh. He was famous in the 90s. He wrote a book and played lots of percussion. He has written 12 albums, but most interestingly has played with many famous people – one of which, Amy Winehouse! Our children then presented these findings back to the other schools. 

The children then all had a percussion instrument and followed Marc where he conducted them into an improvised performance. The band, a keyboard player and cello player, joined them.

We had lunch together and after, improvised with our voices, through call and response.

Towards the end of the session parents were welcomed along to watch their children…and also join in! Thank you to our parents that enjoyed the performance with us.

This was a very special experience for the children and we were very proud of their perseverance, talent and efforts.  They spoke eloquently, performed with confidence and they represented our wonderful school in a brilliant way! Well done Year 4!

“I sing and you sing and we sing together yeh…Everything’s better in harmony.”