I’m looking forward to the Music & Drama Education Expo in London next week. This two-day event is held every year and has been through several transformations since its inception twelve years ago. According to its website, the Expo consists of ‘a mix of practical workshops, CPD sessions, seminars and networking for music and drama teachers and includes an impressive exhibition of publishers, examination boards, instrument manufacturers, retailers, associations and technology.’ Anyone can attend, free of charge, and it really is worth visiting especially if you’ve never been before.
I attended several years ago and gave a few impromptu performances at various publisher stands, met up with friends and colleagues, and generally soaked up the atmosphere. For those who enjoy a bit of glamour, you might be interested in the Expo’s awards ceremony held after the first day’s proceedings at the Royal National Hotel.
The Expo takes place at the Business Design Centre in North London on January 30th and 31st. This year I’m a ‘speaker’ and will be presenting for Schott Music, talking about my three-book series, Women Composers – A Graded Anthology For Piano. Find out more about this series by clicking here.
My workshop – Diversity in Repertoire – focuses on showcasing the Women Composers series: how and why I chose the 52 featured pieces, my criteria, how I researched the project and found composers who represent various countries and diverse musical backgrounds. This series won a Presto Music Award for best ‘New Series Of The Year’ in 2022, and is going from strength-to-strength both in terms of sales and interest.
During the presentation, I play a selection of pieces, examine the composers, surveying their life, their style, and I also consider their pedagogical value evaluating why this repertoire might be a useful addition to a teacher’s studio for students of specific grades or levels. This presentation will be of interest to piano students and teachers, pianophiles, as well as those curious about the development of music written by women.
The workshop takes place on January 31st at 12.30pm. I look forward to seeing you there.
With I could be there. Sounds fabulous!
Thank you, Barbara! Yes, it would be lovely to see you. Hopefully we’ll meet up in the US one day…