Alison can provide whole-class or small group violin lessons to schools in Bristol. The focus in the lessons is having fun playing music as an ensemble, with playing skills and musical knowledge taught along the way! Students work on performance skills from the start, and will have many opportunities to create new songs using their own ideas.
Violins must be provided by the school, and the use of a projector or electronic whiteboard would be useful, but Alison will provide all other musical resources.
Alison has many years of experience as a violin teacher, band leader and workshop tutor, working with all ages and abilities. She has an up-to-date enhanced DBS check and can provide a CV and references on request.
Ukuleles are great for kids – they’re small and light enough for little hands, relatively inexpensive (about £20 for a basic-but-playable model), available in all sorts of fun colours and give quick results. The musical and physical skills children learn on a ukulele can be transferred to other instruments later on too.
Alison’s class ukulele lessons in schools focus on playing and singing together as an ensemble from the very beginning. Students will learn new songs, chords and strumming techniques alongside developing their performance skills. The repertoire is varied – from easy chorus songs to rock ‘n’ roll and modern chart hits.
The school is expected to provide the ukuleles, although Alison can bring up to 10 ukuleles for use in smaller groups. The use of an electronic whiteboard or projector during lessons would be helpful.
Alison has twelve years of experience as an instrumental teacher, band leader and workshop tutor, working with all ages and abilities. She has an up-to-date enhanced DBS check and can provide a CV and references on request.
Tin whistles are a great starter instrument – they’re small and light enough for little hands, inexpensive (about £6 for a standard beginner model), available in all sorts of fun colours and give quick results. The musical and physical skills children learn on a ukulele can be transferred to other instruments later on too.
Alison offers whistle lessons to whole classes and small groups in Bristol schools. The focus in the lessons is having fun playing music as an ensemble, with playing skills and musical knowledge taught along the way! Students work on performance skills from the start, and will have many opportunities to create new songs using their own ideas.
Alison can provide whistles and other musical resources, but the use of a projector or electronic whiteboard would be useful.
Alison has twelve years of experience as an instrumental teacher, band leader and workshop tutor, working with all ages and abilities. She has an up-to-date enhanced DBS check and can provide a CV and references on request.
Using props, puppets and percussion instruments, this is a broad introduction to music-making with a particular emphasis on singing, aimed to inspire children for years to come.
Alison keeps young minds entertained and stimulated with actions, rhymes, songwriting, harmonising, listening and teamwork.
Details
Age group: foundation, KS1, teacher training
Length: 45 minutes – one off or a series
Skills developed: music, rhythm, singing tone and intonation, harmonising ability, creativity, memorisation, teamwork, knowledge of traditional music, history, poetry, English language
Event type: suitable for music lessons, after school clubs, community events
In the Victorian period, Christmas celebrations and caroling experienced something of a revival. Their love of parlour songs led to many traditional medieval carols being collected and reworked with new lyrics, and to new songs being composed. Just as many of the other traditions the Victorians brought to Christmas survive to this day (greetings cards, crackers, etc) these carols now form an important part of modern Christmas celebrations.
Using traditional fiddle playing as an accompaniment, Alison will lead students in the singing of several traditional Christmas carols, whilst incorporating elements of social and musical history into the experience. Students might also enjoy dressing as Victorians for the day!
Alison can also provide CPD sessions for teachers. In addition to teaching songs and their history, she can suggest suitable warmups, links to the rest of the curriculum, confidence building for ‘non-singers’, ways of catering to different abilities and achieving high standards.
Details
Age group: foundation, KS1, KS2, KS3+, teacher training
Skills developed: music, rhythm, singing tone and intonation, harmonising ability, creativity, memorisation, teamwork, knowledge of traditional music, history, poetry, English language
Past bespoke workshops have included an introduction to the compositions of Ralph Vaughan Williams and the folk songs that inspired his music, a hands-on introduction to Prokofiev’s Peter And The Wolf with opportunities for KS2 students to create their own motifs to represent the characters in the story with a variety of musical instruments, and a songwriting workshop using folk songs as the basis for writing their own class song.
If you have any other requests or want to make a booking enquiry, please contact Alison.
Boomwhackers are fun, tuned percussion instruments that force players to work together to create melodic and rhythmic patterns. They are a great tool for encouraging counting, teamwork and creativity. Workshops can focus on learning pre-existing repertoire (such as well-known songs or tunes adapted for boomwhacker ensembles) or composing new pieces.
Alison can also run teacher training sessions to provide knowledge, repertoire and confidence on these instruments.
Details
Age group: foundation, KS1, KS2, KS3+, teacher training
Seafarers shaped the development of the modern world and their songs provide a snapshot of their lives, from romantic entanglements to captain brutality to a longing for home. They often rely strongly on call and response with a very strong rhythm, which makes sea shanties perfect for younger students.
Alison can also provide CPD sessions for teachers. In addition to teaching songs and their history, she can suggest suitable warmups, links to the rest of the curriculum, confidence building for ‘non-singers’, ways of catering to different abilities and achieving high standards.
“We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors,
We’ll rant and we’ll roar across the salt seas,
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England,
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues.”
– Spanish Ladies
Details
Age group: foundation, KS1, KS2, KS3+, teacher training
Skills developed: music, rhythm, singing tone and intonation, harmonising ability, creativity, memorisation, teamwork, knowledge of traditional music, history, poetry, English language
Working with traditional tunes as a starting point, these workshops give students the opportunity to learn and create new repertoire. The usual format is: learn a traditional folk tune (or two, or more!), experiment with arrangement ideas, and decide on a funky arrangement to perform.
Band workshops with Alison always give participants the opportunity to develop their aural and performance skills, whether using sheet music or playing by ear. They can be organised for all ages and abilities, although it is expected that all participants can already play simple pieces on their instrument.
Details
Age group: KS2, KS3, KS4+
Length: All day, half day or one hour sessions – one off or a series
Skills developed: aural, composition, teamwork, performance, creativity, knowledge of traditional music
Alison Rowley is a Bristol-based professional musician, composer and workshop leader with a Music degree from the University of Cambridge. To find out more about her performances and compositions, please visit www.alisonrowley.com.
Working with traditional tunes as a starting point, these workshops give students the opportunity to learn and create new repertoire. The usual format is: learn a traditional folk tune (or two, or more!), experiment with arrangement ideas, and decide on a funky arrangement to perform.