Year 8 Music Day
Year 8 spent today immersed in day-long workshops, designed to stimulate their curiosity and expose them to the vast spectrum of the music industry.
With the freedom to choose from a huge range of performance and composition options, Music Day was an experience as diverse as it was enlightening.
The day began with an inspiring presentation for the whole cohort exploring the challenging but captivating journey of a music artist. Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter, Iluka, joined the girls via Zoom, discussing her process and career to date including the release of her album, Queen of Turbulent Hearts.
The girls then enjoyed a performance of much-loved jazz classics by the talented trio, The Keepsakes, before moving into their chosen workshops.
A huge number of rare opportunities was on offer. They included learning the "inventive and invigorating" art of stomp, using broom sticks and buckets to create energising beats.
Another workshop focused on the art of Taiko Drums with a lesson from Mr Graham Hilgendorf, part of the dynamic duo behind YuNiOn, which was formed in Japan in 2005.
Other students took the opportunity to focus on composition. Mr Ed Kuschel led a synth session, while Mr Thomas Gray hosted a ukulele jam, teaching simple musical arrangements that had everyone strumming in harmony.
The classroom where Mr Neel Shukla was hosting a DJ session was buzzing with excitement at the chance to use high-tech equipment to mix sounds and beats. The day concluded with musical performances and a demonstration of new skills learned.