The Music Workshop Company Blog

Each month the Music Workshop Company publishes two blogs. One blog, written by the MWC team addresses a key issue in Music Education or gives information about a particular genre or period of music. The other blog is written by a guest writer, highlighting good practice or key events in Music Education. We hope you enjoy reading the blogs.

To contribute as a guest writer please email Maria@music-workshop.co.uk

Posts tagged “DANCE”

Back to all posts

Activities for the Summer – Listening!

Posted on 19th August 2021 at 10:48

Whether you are staying at home or going away over the summer, here are some ideas for musical activities to help develop your listening skills. These activities can be done alone or with family or friends and are suitable for all ages and abilities.

Listening is a key skill in music but is also important in a wider context - listening to a friend who wants to talk, listening to instructions from a teacher, listening to the sounds around us. Sometimes we just listen with no response, sometimes a response is automatic or is needed.

Listening is also used in Mindfulness, a popular therapeutic practice derived from elements of Buddhism. Mindfulness can be used to reduce depression, stress and anxiety. Listening activities can help to relax you and bring about a sense of calm.

Image: Jackson Simmer, Unsplash

Welsh Dance – A Living Tradition

Posted on 18th February 2019 at 14:30

Music holds an important place in Welsh national identity – so much so that Wales is traditionally referred to as the ‘Land of Song’. However, despite the positive implications this moniker has in terms of the Welsh affinity with music, this is actually a modern stereotype based on the importance of 19th century choral music and 20th century male voice choirs, and in some ways it clouds a long and unique musical and social history.

[Image: National Assembly for Wales]

Inclusive Dance Company Changing Lives in Hertforshire

Posted on 28th June 2018 at 14:00

Silverbirch Dance is an inclusive dance company based in Hertfordshire, UK. Founded in 2002 by Suzie Birchwood under the premise that anybody and ‘any body’ can dance, the company aims, through a programme of performances, workshops and projects for schools, colleges, local authorities and community groups, to enable people to explore the creative possibilities in their own bodies and imaginations in a safe and supportive environment.

The Music Workshop Company spoke to David Nurse, Artistic Director of Silverbirch Dance, about the inspiration behind the company, and current projects and opportunities for participants in and around Hertfordshire.

English Folk Dance – Swords, Sticks and Ribbons

Posted on 27th April 2015 at 14:30

There is a huge variety of dance associated with English folk music, some of it quite alien to modern culture. Folk music was either written as song or for dancing, and the dances have deep roots in the social history of England, as well as offering an insight into agriculture, industry and cultural diversity.