Mr Crouter, whom you all probably know does brass and woodwind lessons, was keen for me to let you all know that he currently has spaces for children from Years 3-6, who would like to learn to play a brass or woodwind instrument.
Back before lockdown, Mr Crouter and I ran a lovely whole school worship, where most of the children who learn an instrument with him, played one or two short pieces, so the children could see what it was like, what they sounded like, etc. We had a huge number of children who, when asked, were really keen on the idea of learning an instrument. I am biased, as I've been involved in music all my life, but I think music has such importance, especially at times like now, when wellbeing is our focus. It's so much more than just playing an instrument; it helps us to grow in so many areas, like learning a new skill, performing, confidence, memory skills, mental and physical stimulation, relieving stress, helping with spatial awareness, motor skills and of course, the sheer enjoyment of achieving something incredible - making music, and making the people who listen to it happy too!
Mr Crouter would usually offer some sort of 'try it out' session, but with the current situation, he can't do that. However, he does have some suggestions:
1) a Pbuzz - this is a plastic instrument that still needs to be blown like brass instruments, but can be used even by an early years age child. It helps them to start thinking about playing, and is lots of fun! These can be found on the internet and are about £20. It might help your child to see if they like the idea of playing.
2) If your child would like to start learning a brass instrument, rather than woodwind, you can now buy plastic trombones, trumpets and cornets. These are approximately £120 and are therefore about half price of a metal instrument, but you can use these for a long time whilst learning, and would be a cheaper option rather than purchasing a metal instrument at a higher cost without knowing if your child will stick at it! This does not unfortunately work for woodwind instruments.
3) It is often possible to pick up a second hand instrument from music shops etc, if you'd like a better quality instrument, but at a cheaper price.
3) It is often possible to pick up a second hand instrument from music shops etc, if you'd like a better quality instrument, but at a cheaper price.
If you are interested in your child starting to learn a brass or woodwind instrument, please get in touch with the office. The cost of sessions is £6 per week for a 30 minute group session.
Kind regards,
Mrs Rennison