by Author Mary Schwarz

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Residentials at South West Music School

With the South West being such a large region, bringing talented young musicians together for any sort of ensemble work is a challenge, so SWMS places great importance on the termly residentials, which provide group experiences students don’t get elsewhere.

This practice write-up comes from an external evaluation of South West Music School (SWMS), which looked at what SWMS achieves with its students, and how it does so. It is part of a resource collection: How South West Music School supports musical ability.

 

Residentials are themed and develop students’ general musicianship. Students work with each other across age ranges, instruments and genres, getting involved in a wide variety of playing from the Baroque to the contemporary and from folk to improvisation. As well as benefitting greatly from working as equals with peers as passionate about music as them, they draw much from being with the professional musicians who tutor on the residentials. Invariably, resdidentials take students out of their ‘comfort zone’, stretching them both musically and socially within a strong and supportive community environment.

From the case studies it was possible to see how important residentials are in bringing together and nurturing the students of SWMS...

 

Ben

Community and complementary learning

Not having had support or encouragement at school, where he felt he was treated like ‘just another kid’ among students who weren’t at all interested in music, Ben finds what SWMS provides – and how it provides it – of huge importance, complementing the teaching he receives and the learning he achieves with Simon.

Ben looks forward to each residential, counting down the hours. He particularly enjoys the musical tasks undertaken in a mixed (instrumental and experience) group, working with peers over a length of time and seeing what other groups come up with. This is all about Ben supporting himself and others, developing collaboration and leadership skills – acting as leader and follower – and also developing high musical and creative process awareness. For Ben, the most enjoyable part of the February 2011 residential was ‘working with my group and creating ideas...it has encouraged me to think about writing more music myself’. And here he reflects on the July 2011 residential:

 

Ben finds the non-musical, team and leadership building activities on the residentials really fun and another important way of making a bond with the others. This adds to the sense of ‘feeling part of SWMS’, along with the basic residential experience: with everyone eating, socialising and playing games together, ‘having a laugh’. Being able to build on this whole-child development has helped Ben to develop his self-confidence and self-esteem.

Lisa explains that Ben’s particular infectious love of music spreads to the others. While quite quiet, when working in a group he always brings the best out of people.