Summer School 2019: Joanna Petrie

ESTA SS 2019     Bursary Report from Joanna Petrie

‘How fascinating!’ This tip for responding to mis-haps in lessons was passed on by Lucy Hare in her session ‘The Magic of Making Mistakes’ during the 2019 ESTA Summer School at Chichester University in August and sums up the week beautifully. I count myself as hugely lucky to have been there and thank Universal Edition for sponsoring the Nannie Jamieson Nutshell Bursary that made that possible. Lucy was joined by an array of wonderful presenters who shared their knowledge on everything from the make-up of different types of strings (an enlightening talk by D’Addario) to the amazing possibilities of technology, when Steve Bingham showed that we really can all get into the creative world of looping and enhancing effects – there’s no need to be nervous! Sarah Upjohn’s warm and thoroughly approachable talk, Preventing Injury in Young Musicians, was a wake-up call to those of us whose knowledge of anatomy is not what it could be – our pupils are relying on us to give them good advice – and Paul Harris never fails to give insight, talking to us about Getting the Best out of Pupils. If you can remember the name of their hamster, you are well on your way.

The Summer School had two major elements: the teachings of Paul Rolland and sessions by Mark and Maggie O’Connor. Joanne May and Joanne Erwin shared their knowledge of Rolland’s methods with warmth and humour, showing their understanding of how today’s children work and how this carefully crafted approach can be wholly appropriate and effective for modern learners. They enhanced and clarified the Rolland exercises that I had learnt at college many years ago and gave them a new relevance for me – I have now replenished my stock of toilet rolls and ping-pong balls as well as refreshed my eye for any discomfort or tension. The simple statement ‘a pupil should not look uncomfortable’ is an obvious but excellent place to start. Mark and Maggie O’Connor shared their firm love of American music and their desire to introduce children to this repertoire. We took part in a jam session, an excellent way to encourage children to improvise whilst not feeling exposed, and we were taught ‘chopping’ by Maggie – a bow technique that imitates the percussive sound of the mandolin. It’s going to take me a bit more practise, as was evident in the face of the pupil whose ‘Old Joe Clark’ I subsequently tried to accompany. Back to Maggie’s video I think!

We were treated to a wide diet of evening concerts. As well as a dazzling performance by the O’Connors, we heard from the Artesian Quartet whose performance of Dvorak’s American Quartet was a genuine pleasure, as had been their kind quartet coaching of brave guinea pigs earlier in the day. I learnt something about pizzicato I didn’t know before, but I’m not saying what! Steve Bingham and Murray McLachlan played spellbinding Arvo Pärt and Steve demonstrated his electronic gear in an affecting concert with recitation by Jeremy Harmer. But do you know what the best thing was? All those other teachers out there just like me who want to do their best, share ideas and enthuse their pupils. What a wonderful bunch of people. String teaching in the UK is very much alive and plucking!