8 Hour Education Workshop
At the local cente for arts Cine Marrocs I am to deliver a full day workshop. We don’t know how many people and at 8am there are only 8 people. We wait patiently having set up shop on the stage with a circle of chairs and enough kit for 30 people.
Hoping for that number and by 9.15 we have 28 people in the circle (from a variety of Casa de Cultura / Music Foundations and music schools) and we start.
Three aims for the day
To share practice between cultures
To demonstrate More Music pedagogy
To create some new music and song
I have had long discussions with Dan about the processes and the rhythm of the day and we will be running it very collectively with him translating all day as we go along. I have a plan which very soon shifts… there’s a surprise! We do rhythmic play, we sing, we talk, we reflect about education and try to address some questions What is relevant from More Music pedagogy to bring/share within the local context? How do the arts work within education in Brazil ? What are the principles of the pedagogy here What are the tools that people have?
We work hard and after lunch develop a great piece using a variety of techniques that create tunes, rhythms and structures. We let them take ideas into their cultural context and samba and carimbo beats develop the tunes and songs… good musicmaking. At 4 we stop and talk and reflect for nearly 90 minutes. This is the first time that these arts educators have met and sat together. Dan hosts this and lets it run a steady course. This is not my world and I would much prefer to be active and doing… yet I know that this is important and relax and let it roll on. People are engaged and want to find out about ways of working from each other a well as from me. Very interesting and many of the questions are touched on if not totally answered.
Paulo Frere and reflection
Later we talk with Mano about Frere education pedagogy and it’s focus on reflection (25%). Need to really think this one through.
Evening Show at Cine Marrocos
And the day goes on with a collaborative improvised show for 140 people at the venue in the evening.
Amazingly it come together at the last minute with audience and performers all ready for 8pm. Band from the centre (bass/guitar/sop sax/trombone), Zequinha, the Latinhas de Quintal, me and some guests. A hilarious evening ensues!
At the end of the evening Kathryn takes a last group shot.