Professor at Shanghai Conservatory of Music Jensen Lam, Pao School Resident Artist Barnaby Palmer, and FM947 Anchor Ms Hong Yun discuss musical education
Recently, YK Pao School held a music education panel talk featuring former Eton College Director of Music Dr Ralph Allwood. Dr Allwood was joined by violist and professor at Shanghai Conservatory of Music Jensen Lam and FM947 Anchor Ms Hong Yun as well as Pao School's very own resident artist and guest conductor Barnaby Palmer to join in the discussion on how instructors can provide the best music education for children. The event saw attendance by over 200 international students and parents.
Dr Ralph Allwood, MBE, served as Director of Music at Eton College for 26 years and is now a freelance choral director. He is the director of the Eton Choral Courses, which he founded in 1980. Dr Allwood also co-founded the Junior Choral Courses in 2012. The Rodolfus Choir, made up of the best singers from these courses, has been described by Gramophone magazine as ‘unspeakably beautiful.’
Philip Sohmen, Pao School Co-Founder and Deputy Chairman of the Board opened the event with a welcoming speech for attendees, sharing his own experiences in studying music during his tenure at Eton College, and expressed his admiration for Dr Allwood in his true understanding of music as well as the importance of music to Pao School’s mission of whole person education.
Dr Allwood began the panel discussion with an introduction to his own teaching experiences, sharing in detail his views on musical education. Dr Allwood emphasised his belief that the motivation to study music should always be the music itself, and that parents need to provide access to music, create musical opportunities and use various ways of tapping into the child's musical potential.
The highlight of the evening was the riveting conversation between the several renowned expert panellists, with Dr Allwood, Prof. Lam, Ms Yun and Mr Palmer each expressing their own views on how children can receive the best in musical education. In approaching the topic of monitoring children during practice time, Mr Palmer encouraged parents to find middle ground with their children in order to overcome lack of motivation or laziness. On the subject of the value of musical education, Ms Yun believed that the effects of music on children is a process of transformation from qualitative to quantitative, one that cultivates personality as well as aesthetics. When it comes to musical talent, Prof. Lam believes that everyone has talent, but some of it may be hidden, and that parents and teachers need to try and tap into their children’s inherent musical talent. Dr Allwood, in answering the question of selecting an instrument to study, expressed that children should be given exposure to a range of instruments before making their decision, and then extend their interests to other instruments.
During the subsequent Q&A session, parents enthusiastically raised their own questions to the panellists, inquiring on topics ranging from musical examinations to Pao School’s very own Ralph Allwood Choral Course. When asked about the uniqueness of the course, Dr Allwood said the programme is an excellent opportunity for children to gain exposure to music, and would help them improve their social and teamwork skills. The material covered during week-long course is equivalent to one semester at Pao School’s music programme – in addition to learning choral skills, students will also gain additional musical training and experiences. A parent of a student from last year’s massively successful run of the course expressed that the programme was immensely rewarding and that her child is looking forward to attending the programme again this summer, to which Dr Allwood responded that the upcoming course will be even more spectacular.
Pao School students Lox Ma, Cici Yu and Ebony Clare Slyth also took to the stage to share their experiences from the course, followed by a very special performance by Cici herself.
Pao School Headmaster Wu Zijian, in his concluding remarks, also discussed in detail his experiences with the Ralph Allwood Choral Course. Mr Wu was confident it was the hard work and dedication of Dr Allwood, Head of Performing Arts at Lambrook School in Berkshire Martyn Ford and his team that culminated in the programme’s dazzling final performances, and extended a warm invitation for everyone to participate in the 2016 choral course.
The 2016 Ralph Allwood Choral Course at Pao School is now accepting applications. The programme will run over two sessions at Pao School’s Primary Division campus (Session 1: June 28 to July 4, Session 2: July 15 to July 21). The programme will be taught by Dr Allwood along with Martyn Ford as well as a team of elite Eton choral course instructors. To register, please email camp-music@ykpaoschool.cn or call (021) 61671999-8304. For more details on the programme, please visit http://www.ykpaoschool.cn/junior-choral-course.
