On Day 2 of the Music & Drama Education Expo 2024, Deirdre Waller-Box, Youth Development Specialist at Brass Bands England, will be leading a workshop on how to prepare an engaging group performance in just one session. We meet her to find out more.
Courtesy Rachel Cherry

DW-B: Passionate, dynamic, energetic.

DW-B: I'll be sharing tips and tricks that you can use to prepare a whole-class or school instrumental ensemble for a performance in just one session – using singing, choreography, improvisation and playing by ear. The session will be fast-paced, and some delegates will have the opportunity to act as guinea pigs on brass instruments, but the concepts covered will be relevant to all instruments. I'll also be sharing how delegates can access free support and resources for their school or hub from our Brass Foundations team at Brass Bands England.

DW-B: I started my musical career in New Zealand, where being a trombonist in a small city afforded so many amazing opportunities to travel and play with artists from across the world. Since moving to the UK, I've led music departments in primary schools in Camden, enjoying the challenges of developing curriculum and enhancing musical experiences for students. As part of this, I've developed and led on whole-class brass projects, which brought me to my work as a Youth Development Brass Specialist for Brass Bands England. In this role, it's been a great privilege to support music hubs, schools and local community bands to work together and develop their skills. Alongside this, I am director of one of the Camden Music Service Saturday Centres, conductor of several youth bands and London Metropolitan Brass, and director of a live-stream events company.

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