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David Nelson

Music workshops

Dave is very accustomed to providing a range of workshops that are designed to meet the requirements of the client (school, funding body etc). Click the links below for further information about the wide range of workshops offered.

gamelan

ensemble

songwriting/composition

workshop FAQs

'In addition to his composition and playing talents, I have no doubt that Dave is among the front rank of music workshop leaders in the region, if not the country. He has the gift of being creative, well organised and is easy to work with. Believe me, this package doesn't come along very often. If you ever get the chance to work with him, take it!' Bill Vince, Manager RACA Project

'Dave's ingenious group workshops are marvellous in developing a sense of rhythm, pulse, team work and musical creativity in those participating and they are great fun.  Wonderful for both children and adults alike, they are totally energising and a great workout for the brain as well!' Alison Reese

Dave's workshop ethos

I believe that:

A good workshop needs,

  • a good start, warm ups etc

  • a shared sense of purpose

  • a real sense of direction

  • chill-out times, feedback times, silly games

  • outcome

  • time for evaluation

  • to be fun!

In a workshop, everyone should get the same opportunities to participate in every way, and should feel valued regardless of ability.

There should be an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect, between leader and participants, and amongst participants

Music outcomes should be generated by participants with help from the workshop leader, not prepared in advance by the workshop leader.

Group sessions should engender teamwork, listening to other parts (whilst playing one's own), responding quickly and instinctively to what's going on, watching the leader and others.

Music created by the group and by individuals within the group does not exist in a vacuum; it needs an audience. Workshops and projects should therefore lead to performances or recordings (preferably both) wherever possible. In that way the hard work necessary to bring the germ of a musical idea to its ultimate fruition brings its own exhilarating reward (e.g. in a live concert).

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Gamelan workshops

‘musically  inspirational with the children we worked with' Sue Pemsel, Red Water Arts

Since 1992 when Dave Nelson became the Musical Director of Cragg Vale Gamelan, a percussion orchestra based in West Yorkshire, he has delivered hundreds of workshops which have made considerable use of Javanese Gamelan instruments. These are tuned percussion such as metallophones and gongs, which are extremely easy to play, even for complete beginners. They sound amazing and very different to conventional Western instruments, yet are tuned to a major scale allowing other instruments to be used in conjunction with them.

Dave has used them with participants of all ages ranging from nursery children to senior citizens, and in a wide array of locations from schools and community centres to concert halls and folk festivals. Participants have also included music degree students, special needs groups, rock musicians and absolute musical beginners of all ages, as well as the complete spectrum of young people in schools and colleges.

The Gamelan instruments facilitate the main purposes of Dave's workshops: to create music in an ensemble setting quickly and effectively, and from there to develop musicianship (listening, observing, teamwork etc moving towards improvisation and/or composition skills) in each participant. Not surprisingly, long-term Gamelan projects have proved extremely useful for students working towards music GCSE and A Level exams.

Notable Gamelan-based projects:

  • Pre-school workshops for Hebden Bridge Arts Festival (2000) and for Yorkshire Youth and Music at the Canterbury Nursery in Bradford (2006)

  • Music-creating workshops with Nursery and Infant schools in Barrow in Furness (2003)

  • Composition and performance workshops for Sheffield Children's Festival — collaboration with storyteller and Indian Dancer (2003)

  • Week of workshops for special needs groups for Leeds Festival (Ilkley 2001)

  • Week of composition and performance workshops for Royal Manchester School for the Deaf — collaboration with puppetry and instrument making (2000)

  • Workshops leading to performance of The Tempest at West Yorkshire Playhouse by students of West Leeds High School (2007)


Gamelan workshops at Square Chapel, Halifax

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Ensemble workshops

Many of Dave's other workshops and projects draw on aspects of his Gamelan work, but use completely different instruments. In fact he is happy to work with what ever instruments are available (in a school for example), or that participants can bring along. This can sometimes lead to some fairly novel and exciting combinations!

His eclectic approach has also worked well in more conventional line-ups such as with the Elastic Band: a 3-year project devised and run by Dave at Sowerby Bridge High School (funded by YYM), for up to 25 teenage guitarists, drummers, keyboard players and singers (see picture right ). Dave has provided similar projects (with differing line-ups) for Musical Futures and for RACA (Raising Attainment in the Creative Arts) at high schools in Leeds.

Dave also sings, and plays guitar, bass and percussion in addition to keyboards. He is usually able to bring such instruments (also African drums and Latin hand percussion) to workshops to complement whatever is already there. There is no pre-ordained musical style as that tends to evolve during the creative process.

Participants playing in workshop ensembles can quickly develop the ability to listen to more than their own part, to respond creatively to what is going on around them and to observe and react to visual cues and instructions. Whilst participants may have differing musical skills, all are encouraged to take the opportunity to find their creative talents through composition and improvisation within the group.

Above all the aim is always to make each session stimulating, rewarding and most of all, lots of fun!

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Songwriting/composition workshops

These are usually workshops for smaller groups, although if participants are able to break out into smaller groups to work together, the total group (which would come together for warm-ups, discussions, sharing of ideas and possibly for a performance) can be quite large.

Dave is happy to work with groups of any age and ability, in a whole range of musical genres and using any combinations of instruments (and voices).

Workshops will cover (as necessary) lyric writing, understanding melody, harmony and rhythm, song arrangements and orchestration. If the purpose of a writing/composition workshop is that it should lead to a performance or recording of the outcome, then rehearsal and performance (or recording) skills can be included.

Frequently asked questions

How long do workshops last?
A one-off workshop might only last for an hour or a day, sometimes longer. Quite frequently workshops are run within a larger project that could last for weeks or months.

What age group and ability do you work with?
Any (including a mixture of ages and abilities).

How many people can you work with?
Up to 15 — some workshops (ensemble, for instance) can sometimes accommodate more; some (such as song lyric writing) considerably less. Smaller groups are also recommended for nursery age and for some special needs participants.

How much does it cost?
Gamelan workshops (includes a helper and a van): £430 per day plus travel costs. (Half days are not normally available)

Other workshops: £200 per day (£125 per half day) plus travel costs

Workshops in conjunction with other facilitators/art forms: dance/drama/film etc — prices on request.

How far are you prepared to travel?
A one-off, daylong, workshop needs to be no more than 2 hours drive from Hebden Bridge (as a guide, both Leeds and Manchester take about an hour). Consecutive days further afield would require accommodation being provided.

What sort of people enjoy music workshops?
School children, college students, community groups.

Dave also runs tailor-made workshops for adult ‘bonding' or ‘team building' groups and drama groups; he also delivers training to music degree and PGCE students, classroom and peripatetic music teachers and to fellow professionals (independent music practitioners). Prices on request.

What is a typical workshop day like?
The day will probably start with warm-ups, musical games, group bonding exercises etc (singing, clapping etc). These are usually chosen to help lead the group into the rest of the day's work. Any music generated by the warm-ups may also be used as a start point for the work proper. The day then progresses with:

  • Discussion time — ideas from participants

  • Step by step move into instrument/ensemble playing, creating music, improvisation

  • Feedback, breaks for stretches and for silly games perhaps!

  • Develop the ideas generated earlier

  • Break-out groups (smaller units to develop more detailed ideas)

  • Put it all together (discussion and practical)

  • Practice/rehearse

  • Perform

  • Feedback

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photos frogs design and Jan Scott Nelson

website built in Hebden Bridge by Jan Scott Nelson