The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the best-known orchestras in the world, committed to bringing exciting music-making of the highest quality to the widest possible audience. For the last 14 years RPO musicians have been, and continue to be, actively engaged in extending their artistic work through the innovative Community and Education Programme. This vibrant programme encompasses a diverse range of community settings, working with many genres of music.

RPO Taster Workshop, BeijingWednesday 18th June 14:00 – 15:00

Part 1: Warming Up:
This opening section of the workshop will be conducted with the group standing in a circle without instruments. 'Warming Up' includes activities designed to focus the minds of the participants, to begin the process of working together, to break down barriers and generally to get to know each other. Activities include breathing exercises, co-ordination exercises, rhythm games and all are presented with a balance of positive energy and musical discipline.

Part 2: Playing Together:
RPO musicians re-form the circle of participants, but now with instruments. The RPO musicians will teach, by ear, some musical material for the group to learn and play. The process will also have the possibility for creative input from members of the group.

Part 3: Break Out Groups:
Having established a section of music in Part 2, the group will be split into two or three smaller groups. Each will be given a short creative/compositional or improvisational task to complete. The task will relate clearly to the material generated in Part 2. These groups will be monitored by Paul and James.

Part 4: Coming Together:
Each groups' work will be performed separately and then brought together with the Part 2 material for a final run through of a short collaborative composition.

Approach
Over the part 14 years the RPO has run successful music projects with a number of key community groups and organisations, including prisons, youth clubs, schools, music conservatoires, health charities and homeless centres The orchestra’s programme has become defined by its approach to collaboration, meaning that work is developmental and long term, where possible, and of necessity embraces an open and broad approach. The emphasis has been on music as a motivator and catalyst for educational and social development, which should be available to people from all walks of life.

RPO Training and Expertise
RPO Musicians who are involved in the community and education programme have all participated in an ongoing professional development programme, with specific training to enable them to communicate with and play music with anyone, from any background with any level of ability or skill. They are trained to be flexible musicians with an open and inclusive approach to making music through improvisation and workshops. The programme aims to demonstrate that the musicians in the orchestra are simply people who are passionate about music and spend their lives doing it.  The orchestra sees this role as underpinning a responsibility to the community wider than that of giving concerts alone. Please click here and visit the RPO education page.

James Hutchinson BMus (Hons)

James Hutchinson Community and Education Programme

James Hutchinson has been working in the field of music education for the past 12 years and was inspired to pursue this area of work having studied Music in the Community under Nigel Osborne at Edinburgh University. Having graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Music Honours degree, he has since worked with some of the leading arts organisations in the UK, developing community and access programmes both nationally and internationally. He is a classically trained pianist who also performs with jazz group Le Tatou Bleu, which recently played at this year’s Cheltenham Jazz Festival. As the Director of the Youth Music Action Zone in Bristol for three years he led a consortium of 12 arts organisations. This work developed a new framework of opportunities in the area by re-engaging with disaffected young people. This initiative included delivering a three year programme of successful projects, training schemes and showcases across the city.

James has also work for Welsh National Opera as Senior Development Manager at a time when the Company was moving to its new home at Wales Millennium Centre. Here he was responsible for leading on education fundraising and developing new programmes of work. James joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005 and has since been responsible for overseeing more than 200 education projects as the Orchestra’s Head of Community & Education. The role of the RPO in the delivery of its education work is broad and encompasses community settings that include Children’s Hospices, Prisons, Schools, Youth Clubs and Early Years Centres. The philosophy of this work is to enable members of the orchestra to reach beyond the concert platform and to engage communities and community groups in music making of the highest quality. Through this work the RPO ensures that people of all abilities, backgrounds and age have the chance to be inspired through creative, musical opportunities.

Paul Griffiths LGSMD PCS / A Short Biography
Paul Griffiths is an internationally renowned music educationalist. His musical roots lie in Jazz, Rock and Funk but he has developed a unique artistic voice and workshop style that transcends musical, social and cultural barriers. He successfully completed postgraduate studies on the pioneering Guildhall School of Music Performance and Communication Skills course in 1987/89. Since then he has worked as a creative project leader with the majority of the preeminent London and UK based Symphony and Chamber Orchestras (LSO, LPO, RPO, BBC SO, Halle, Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, CLS, NYO) , Contemporary Music Ensembles (London Sinfonietta), Opera Companies (ENO, Glyndebourne), Arts Centres (SBC, Barbican, Sage Gateshead) International Festivals (Huddersfield, Bath, Cheltenham, Lincoln, Lichfield, Dartington, London Jazz Festival) and Conservatoires (Guildhall, RCM,  RNCM). He began teaching at the Guildhall School of Music in 1990 and is a cornerstone figure within the acclamed ‘GSMD/Connect’ project, recipients of the ‘Queens Award for Services to Higher Education’ in 2006. He is a tutor at the Academy of the Arts in Reykjavik, Iceland and the Konservatoriet for Music and Formidling in Esbjerg, Denmark. On behalf of The British Council he has led projects as far afield as Croatia, Cyprus Tanzania, Australia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Current ongoing projects include being the Artistic Director for the Ismaili Community Ensemble in London, co-directing and training the Casa Da Music Ensemble in Porto,  Portugal and performing and project leading with innovative chamber group Between The Notes and Jazz sextet Blue Pepper.