The Benedetti Foundation visit Moray
The Benedetti Foundation recently visited Moray for a week-long music residency.
The residency kicked off with a series of school visits over the first three days. Two tutors from the Benedetti Foundation, Lucy Drever and Calum Huggan, led over 700 pupils through sessions introducing them to a range of musical concepts, whilst also encouraging them to share their own views as to what music means to them, and how it relates to the wider world about them.
This was followed by a training day for strings teachers and other staff which covered a variety of professional development topics and aimed to boost their confidence to teach music in their classrooms.
The week concluded with a full strings day at Holy Trinity Church Hall in Elgin. Over 100 young strings players from across Moray came together for an engaging and inspiring day of music making. The foundation’s team ensured all young people experienced the joy of performing together in a group setting, whilst learning and utilising the fundamentals of what they’d learned throughout the week, including bow technique, rhythm and ensemble playing.
Principal Teacher of Music Instruction and performance in Moray, Alexander Davidson, said: “We were delighted to be able to help support the Benedetti Foundation and all the amazing events they put on for us during the week. We’re so grateful to be able to provide such a positive and unique experience for so many young pupils.”
The Benedetti Foundation’s Head of Creative Learning, Lucy Drever, said: “It was such a joy to visit Moray recently as part of the Foundation’s Residency Sessions. The young people were really creative, they had such powerful ideas as to why we listen to music, and we had so much fun making music with them. We hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.”
The Benedetti Foundation is a music education charity established by violinist and dedicated music education advocate Nicola Benedetti. The foundation provides equal access to music participation and education, and in 2022 launched their residency sessions in partnership with music services across the UK. These sessions provide a motivational opportunity for young people and a source of support and confidence boost for teachers.