Resilience 2020: Helen Stanley
Report on ESTA CPD course, Resilience for a changing world, 10-12th June 2020.
Thanks to the ESTA Nannie Jamieson Nutshell Fund I received a generous award for this course, presented and ably tech-managed by Nicole Wilson, with excellent sessions by Simon Cartledge, Simon Fischer, Lucy Hare, Chris Haigh and Josephine Horder.
As someone who has been a moderate user of technology so far, over the past three months I have embraced teaching online on three platforms. Together with sending practice notes, links to repertoire performances and other hints to pupils, I knew that this process could be invigorated. Proud to be a minor Luddite – I was born in Nottingham, where the movement started as a revolt against textile mechanisation - I was keen to learn and, crucially, not to be scared of embracing new ways of teaching. I was not disappointed.
Both Jo’s and Lucy’s sessions helped assess where we are and where we want to be going. We began each morning with a Feldenkrais session with Jo, using the subtle movements and interior body awareness that are the basis of this method. Jo challenged how we sit (through pelvis and feet) and use our arms (to the breast bone) for playing - no right or wrong answers, just encouraging us to feel individually. Her insights as a cellist infused each session. Lucy Hare’s life coach and professional bass player integrated to make her talks and illustrations relevant to now. Gently challenging us to name our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, we put some interesting thoughts into the boxes! Resilience was definitely the keyword here.
Simon Cartledge’s measures of everything technical are freedom and enjoyment. Lots of jokes, images, stories, clowning – whatever it takes to help a pupil. Vibrato? – wobbly soprano. Left hand elevation? – pairs of fingers walking across the strings like a crab. A shopping-bag hold of the bow at the balance point, down by your side, gentle curve of the fingers, then bring it up and bow from that hold. Misbehave! Make a racket! Be a jester or warrior – particularly good for pupils who like karate and light sabres! Ask a pupil “what do you need to know?” If they find the answer themselves, they are far more likely to remember it. “Knowledge is only rumour until it’s in the muscle”. Violin in hand, Simon gave me many examples that I could take into my teaching.
Simon Fischer’s 20 Questions session became 3-and-a-bit questions, as Nicole led him skilfully through vibrato and shoulder rests – mainly! Answered in a considered way from his years of experience.
Our final evening was a superfast romp through several genres of Folk with Chris Haigh. A challenge to those of us wedded to printed music was learning a simple (!) 16-bar tune by ear, with only one playthrough by Chris of each 2-bar phrase. For me, life got easier after that, even in a Bulgarian 11/8 (symmetrical bars; what’s the problem?!) and Jewish Hassidic dance. Great fun!
The finale - Sheila Holdsworth’s Quiz. What a way to end a course! Laughter, silliness, expert cartoons and puppetry, Nicole’s graphics and sound bites….all that was missing was the bar afterwards. How wonderful that will be when we can truly socialise at the end of a course. Thank you, ESTA. Resilience will help us to adapt successfully.
Helen Stanley
