COURSES FOR PLAYERS AND TEACHERS

IN MY EXPERIENCE Player

MITTENWALD INTERNATIONAL DOUBLE BASS MASTERCLASS, GERMANY

I wasn‘t actively looking to go on a course when I came across this one on Facebook. When I saw that Jeff Bradetich was leading it, I knew I had to sign up. That was back in 2015, and summer 2019 was the third time I took part. There are no more than 20 students and players of all levels are equally welcome - people would only be turned away if the course was already full. The students’ levels range from beginner to professional, with adults just starting out playing alongside technically very impressive teenagers.

The mornings start with a 90-minute technical class, with exercises that incorporate Jeff Bradetich’s own method. After that there are solo lessons and masterclasses with different teachers, giving you the opportunity to try out different approaches, and some jazz as well as classical playing. We spend the evenings rehearsing for a concert we give for local people on the final Saturday of each course. As well as a bass orchestra that involves everyone, people play solos and in smaller chamber groups.

Of course, travelling with a double bass - especially by air - can be very tricky. One of the best things about this course, however, is that you have the opportunity to borrow an instrument for the whole week from Michael Pollmann, a local luthier who makes the most fantastic basses. It’s the only course I’ve been on that has offered this kind of service, and it makes a huge difference. As well as giving us access to these excellent instruments, the course’s atmosphere and its location in a beautiful part of Bavaria make for a really great week of music.

IN MY EXPERIENCE

Player

PACIFIC MUSIC FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA ACADEMY, JAPAN

I found out about this course through a friend who had taken part a few years previously. She only had good things to say and, since I was fascinated by Japan anyway, I decided to give it a go. There’s no set date for the application; you just send a recording when you feel you’re ready. I found this a little tricky but I chose a day to work towards, and committed myself to making my final recording then.

The course gave me the opportunity not only to play with some of the world’s best conductors, but also to meet other players I would never usually have the opportunity of gett’ng to know. They were often studying at conservatoires very different from my own and listening to them gave me insights into how things were done elsewhere and new ideas to put into practice in my own playing.

After breakfast each morning we would head to our first rehearsal, one of two three-hour sessions with a break for lunch. The music changed each week for the five weeks of the course, with concerts in different Japanese cities in between. Having a schedule so packed with music exposes you to lots of repertoire, and because the players moved around the section each time, you also had the opportunity of experiencing things from different perspectives.

Every player was assigned a chamber group, which is a great way of gett’ng to know the other musicians as well as an opportunity to get involved in different kinds of playing. I’ve been on other courses where you might meet some like- minded people and want to play chamber music with them, but there’s simply no time for it in the schedule. I really loved the fact that was not the case here, and we had a chance to get to know the Japanese culture a little better, too.

IN MY EXPERIENCE

Player

EYSM (EUROPEAN YOUTH SUMMER MUSIC

I took part in a local competition that was adjudicated by Andrew Sherwood, the main conductor on the EYSM course.

His feedback was so useful that I had a look online to see what else he was involved in, which is how I came across EYSM. I was 14 at the time, and ended up taking part for several years after that. Although it’s an intense week of orchestral and ensemble playing, there’s no pressure to achieve a particular level of playing. The standard starts at around ABRSM Grade 5 and goes up to post-diploma, but there are a number of different groups at different levels to make sure everyone is comfortable.

The course packs a lot into a short time and the day starts early, around seven o’clock. Before breakfast you have a choice of activities, with things like Alexander technique and a gospel choir on offer. Afterwards you break off into rehearsals for one of the large ensembles - as well as the main symphony orchestra there’s a string sinfonia and groups for wind players and singers, too. There are tutors for each section who take smaller group sessions and play alongside us in full rehearsals. Everyone has a chance to play in different positions within their section, which is great for showing you different sides of orchestral performance. I can recall being on first desk during my first ever course, with 21-year-olds at the back of the seconds!

Everyone is there to make as much music as possible in the time available and we play a real variety of things, from mainstream orchestral repertoire to jazz. As well as chamber music there is the opportunity to audition to perform a concerto - we played Rhapsody in Blue one year. You can take part in composition classes, too, and the orchestra performs the music that the composers have written. The standard of the two big concerts at the end of the course, plus the fact the students come from all over the world to take part, show you just how exciting it really is.

COURSES FOR MAKERS

IN MY EXPERIENCE

Maker

LEARNING TRADE SECRETS, OHIO US

My husband and I ran a violin-making workshop in North Carolina for 30 years, and after his death I found myself in charge of everything and working on my own. I soon realised that it would be beneficial to reach out to colleagues for support and encouragment. It was important for me to get some reassurance that I was approaching things in the right way. To that end, I was looking for new mentors who could help me feel more secure in what I was doing. As well as seeing how they approached things and the techniques they used,

I wanted the camaraderie that comes with working alongside other people. I found that first course very beneficial and I’ve since been back several times with different objectives in mind.

Because each course takes about a dozen students, we’re able to get to know each other and find out about everyone’s work. We organise our accommodation individually, usually through Airbnb, but because we arrive at around 8am and work through until dinner each evening there’s plenty of opportunity. The course directors always choose top-notch teachers to lead each workshop and having the opportunity to get to know such talented professionals in a work-focused environment is incredibly useful.

You can study a wide variety of things. I’m currently working as a bow specialist at a workshop in Minneapolis and so have been drawn to the bow maintenance, rehairing and chip repair workshops. I’m also excited to start making violins again in my free time and so I decided to take a course on varnishing new instruments.The classes aren’t for beginners - you should already have some tool skills, but people are always willing to show you their own ways around different problems. That’s where a lot of the progress comes from. You often hear folks saying that we’re in a ‘golden age’ of violin making. Listening to all the information shared on this course, it isn’t hard to understand why.