Find out about our Foundation Programe
Foundation Programme:
KS2 Workshops
Designed for young musicians in Key Stage 2 (school years 3–6), this programme offers practical cross-genre workshops led by experienced music professionals.
These group sessions provide a collaborative space for students to learn, explore, and create music with like-minded peers. While part of a structured programme, each workshop stands alone, allowing students to attend as many sessions as they like.
This year, our Foundation Programme students are exploring different music from all around the world through listening, performing and composing. The workshops are a combination of songs with percussion taught without music, a tutor-led notation based arrangement for the whole group, peer-led teaching of student’s chosen songs, improvisation on scalic and rhythmic patterns with a soundscape, and sharing of video examples of the countries’ traditional music and instruments set within geographical and landscape contexts so that students get a sense of where the music comes from and the people who perform it. There are short presentations at the end of alternate sessions where students introduce and perform selected pieces.
Sessions are held in the well-equipped music department at Wellington School with our two highly experienced and qualified tutors, Dr Sadie Harrison and Mark Hewitt.
Find out more about our tutors below:
Please note that we can sometimes offer a means-tested grant to cover the cost of our workshops.
Use the Contact Form at the bottom of this page to get in touch today
Workshop Dates:
Sunday 22nd September, 2024
Folk Music of the UK: vocal rounds, notated arrangement of Green Bushes, writing own folk song lyrics then setting vocal lines using a pentatonic scale and drone harmonies. ‘Chinese whisper’ improvisations – passing a phrase from one to another with gradual transformations. Students solos. Combination of tutor-led and peer-teaching, notated and aural.. Wellington School, 10:00 – 15:30
Sunday 17th November, 2024
Folk Music of Afghanistan: Song Qu Qu Bagh-e-Chinaar song in Dari with percussion accompaniment, video examples of traditional Afghan songs and dances with student feedback, notated instrumental arrangement of Watan jan in 7/8 piece, percussion ensemble improvisation on rhythms accompanied by Afghan soundscape of rubab and tabla, introduction of student folk solos for following session.. Wellington School, 10:00 – 15:30
Sunday 19th January, 2025
Folk Music of Africa: Songs Kye Kye Kule (in Ghanaian), Banaha (Dem Rep of Congo), My Heart is Happy (Baku tribe Cameroon in Ubangian), vocal Kplango polyrhythm using grid notation, writing own African polyrhythms, video examples of traditional African songs and dances with student feedback, peer teaching of 2 student pieces Butterfly and The Wellerman, free composition and improvisation against African savannah soundscape. Wellington School, 10:00 – 15:30
Sunday 29th March 2025
Folk Music of Asia: Songs Barung Kakak Tua (in Malay), Sakura (in Japanese,) videos (Chinese Noh theatre/Japanese Kodo drumming/Indonesian gamelan), Crazy Water Buffalo gamelan arrangement on multiple keyboards (paired up depending on ability, some non-pianists), 2 peer-led groups learning arrangement of Sakura for the whole ensemble, and Butterfly for presentation. Integrating new students.. Wellington School, 10:00 – 15:30
Sunday 18th May 2025
Exploring folk music from all around the world, part 5 (details tbc). Wellington School, 10:00 – 15:30
Sunday 22nd June 2025
Exploring folk music from all around the world, part 6 (details tbc). Wellington School, 10:00 – 15:30
