Summer school for young musicians
The annual East Sussex Music Service Summer School – which meets in July before the school term ends – is a popular annual event for young musicians in East Sussex. There are more than 40 courses on offer, with over 1,000 pupils taking part.
Where does the summer school take place?
Many of the longer courses take place in Eastbourne or Lewes and supervised transport is laid on for some courses from across East Sussex.
Who teaches in the school?
The directors and tutors on the courses are drawn largely from specialists among the Music Service staff. They are joined by guest conductors, directors and renowned musicians.
The benefits of attending for young people
The summer school offers young musicians the chance to make music and make new friends. Real gains can be made in pupils' musical understanding and performing skills. The experience of studying and performing with others motivates young musicians to strive for higher levels of musicianship and enjoyment.
The summer school course is also the culmination of a year's work for the East Sussex String Chamber Orchestra, East Sussex Brass Band and East Sussex Youth Orchestra – groups whose members include the best instrumentalists in East Sussex.
Young cello players perform at the Royal Albert Hall
What courses can I do?
There are courses for instrumentalists in their first years of learning, and bands and orchestras for more experienced players. Singers can take part in a music theatre production and there is a music technology course for those interested in applying computers to music.
There are also courses in jazz and in world music. Each course finishes with a performance to present a selection of the work covered.
The summer school also includes a number of regional one-day courses for specific instruments.
Costs
- one day courses - £17
- two days courses - £34
- three days courses - £51
- four days courses - £68
- five days courses - £85.
There are a number of concessionary fees available for families on low incomes, as well as different prices for centralised courses where travel is involved.
The summer school brochure
For more information on the summer school, download the Summer school brochure.
The 2009 summer school
Details of the 2009 summer school will be available here from spring 2009.
