Intermediate woodwind workshops Are you a frustrated adult woodwind player who would like to take part in a band or orchestra but find the standard expected is too high? One-off Blow & Blast intermediate workshops offer the opportunity to enjoy ensemble playing, developing your confidence and experience in a relaxed, friendly context.

Intended for:
Anyone who is too good for our introductory group but would like some additional playing experience without having to make a regular commitment.  If you are sufficiently expert that you have few concerns about your technical ability, you want to be able to play standard repertoire with the correct instrumentation or you would find it irritating to keep stopping to assist less experienced players, then Blow & Blast is not for you!

Instruments:
Flute, oboe, clarinet or bassoon.  You will need your own instrument!

Objective:
To develop sensitivity to the teamwork necessary for an effective performance, strengthen sight-reading skills, build familiarity with more challenging key and time signatures, realise ornaments and symbols, improve overall musical competence… and to have fun making music together.

Music:
Includes arrangements of works by composers such as CPE Bach, Gounod, Haydn, Mozart, Palestrina, Rossini, Schubert, Sullivan, Tausch, etc.

Some pieces are relatively straightforward, to encourage focus on refinements of articulation, phrasing and balance.  Others are intended to present more of a technical challenge.  You can expect to play one-to-a-part at least some of the time.

Standard:
Players of at least Grade 3 or 4 level and above.  You should be reasonably familiar with the working range of the instrument and comfortable about sight-reading in a variety of not-too-intimidating time and key signatures.  To date, the standard of this workshop has been quite high.

Sounds a bit too challenging?  How about our introductory workshops or Blow & Blast Band?

Blow and Blast sessions are led by mother-and-daughter team, Tricia and Trona Melville-Mason, both experienced woodwind teachers and musicians.