Sheffield Music Hub wins a Will Michael Jazz Award!
“Sheffield have embarked on a very challenging journey: we wish them well!”
Sheffield Music Hub was delighted to be awarded a Will Michael Jazz Education Award on the 22 November 2017 at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London. This Jazz Education award is in recognition of the outstanding commitment to Jazz Education.
Colette Dutot, previous Music Hub Manager stated “I was delighted to collect this award on behalf of the Jazz Team* celebrating eight years of work with children and young people, schools, colleagues, jazz artists, composers, organisations and key influencers. Every Thursday, I have the privilege of seeing the utter joy that exploration can bring. When improvising, we appreciate each of our unique sounds whilst building our skills, language and expression as a group. Over time, the energy builds as each young person comes back week after week with their own development… that’s when the sprinkling of gold dust happens”.
At the event, Sheffield Music Hub was celebrated for:
- A clear and ambitious Jazz Vision that uses a six strand model
- Weekly jazz education workshops run by four jazz education specialists which has a focus on discovering how to improvise
- Strong parental and school involvement both initially and through the students’ jazz experience journey
- Working with Jazz artists and composers, on large and small scales
Ian Naylor, Head of Music Education – Sheffield said “I’m really proud of the work we are doing in Sheffield to promote Jazz and all forms of musical creativity. Access to musical activity like this opens up so many wider skills to equip our children and young people for life in the real world. Increasingly employers are looking for creative thinkers to enhance their organisations and this kind of musical activity helps develop humanity in an increasingly data driven world.”
The presenter, Leslie East, commented on the national picture for Jazz Education acknowledging that a successful jazz education within a Hub or music service depends on the dedication, industry and inspiration of a few individuals. Seven Music Education Hubs (123 Hubs in England) were awarded Jazz Education Diplomas were Bromley, Cumbria (BlueJam Arts), Devon, Doncaster, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Sheffield with an individual award to Daniel Mar-Molinero (Southampton). Music Hubs in South Yorkshire along with Cumbria and Lancashire, and Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire were highly celebrated for working in regional collaborations.
The Will Michael Awards are in memory of Will Michael who died tragically early in 2008. Will was a respected and highly successful educator on both local and national stages.
So what is next for Jazz & creative music making ….
- Myth of Her – SoundLab with the international female artists Sarah Sayeed & Anne Eltard (Jan 2018)
- HubFest – Sunday 8 July 2018. A full day festival with two stages featuring young artists from across the city at Yellow Arch Studios. Do you wish to be one of the artists? – find out more here.
- Sheffield Youth Jazz Collective – be part of these weekly improvising workshops – find out more here.
- Sponsorship….if you love the Jazz, and want to be part of an exciting adventure then contact Colette Dutot.
Colette Dutot was delighted to collect the award on behalf of the Music Hub Jazz Team – Travis Finch, David Burgoyne and Chris Burge.
To read more about the Jazz Vision, please click here.
