Saturday Morning Yr 5&6 Recorder Lessons/Yr 3&4 Junior Recorders @ Stockport Recorder College
Stockport Recorder College operates for 10 weeks in each school term and takes place on Saturday Morning from 9.00 to 12.30 at Hazel Grove Methodist Church, Wesley Street Hazel Grove. The staff are all CRB checked and are all competent and qualified musicians from different walks of life. Some are qualified teachers, some have diplomas/degrees in music and all are experienced recorder teachers.
At Recorder College we offer lessons for children and young people of all abilities. On role, we currently have the complete range of ability from beginners to grade 8 students some of whom are hoping to study music at university. In recent years four of our students have gone on to study music, with recorder as a main study, at Birmingham Conservatoire or Leeds University. Many ex-students, such as myself, come back to join the staff after graduating.
Children form Year 5 and 6 are welcome to join Recorder College for the full morning and we also cater for children form Year 3 and 4 in ‘Junior Recorders’ which runs from 9.00 to 10.15am.
During the morning, children take part in a range of activities:
-
Technique: During these lessons, the children are grouped by ability and we usually work towards the external Trinity College of London grade exams although it is not compulsory to take external exams.
-
Theory: a half an hour session to learn about how music works
-
Small group: children play in small groups, working towards playing one to a part at higher grades
-
Large group: the opportunity to play within a large group directed by a conductor
Students are also given the opportunity to play in termly concerts and are encouraged to play in festivals and competitions.
Recorder College is open to all children and young people from Year 3 to Upper Sixth and is particularly valuable for those children whose parents cannot afford the cost of private music lessons which are currently in the region of £30 per hour. I was one of those students; I started at SRC in 1980 and I’m still there! Without the input form SRC, I would not be considered as a music specialist at school (Prospect Vale Primary) nor would I have developed the friends and range of musical activities that I now enjoy.
Unfortunately, we now have to pay for the hire of the premises which we use each Saturday morning. This means we do have to charge a termly subscription which is currently £40. This still represents good value for money at just over £1.30 per hour.
On 12th May, we will be hosting a ‘taster morning’ for anyone who is interested in finding out more about us. Children are welcome to come along, to play in our informal concert or just to watch. I would be grateful if you could pass our leaflets (attached) to anyone who might be interested.
Anyone who would like to find out more can visit the SRC website, send an email or come along one Saturday Morning during term time to see what goes on.