Some steps forward for Hamburg Artist Retreat

On the 8th of March, Aspire organized a fun day for the families of Hamburg community together with volunteers from the Keiskamma Trust.

From Aspire blog:

Hamburg’s ‘old’ community hall was all hustle and bustle on a beautiful Saturday morning. Hordes of children gathered to tackle a treasure hunt that would lead them around the small town. 10 groups were sent on their way to master 6 stations that would lead them to the finish line.

Each station requested the kids to complete a task before revealing the answer to one of the 6 Artists Retreat questions. The final station was back at the hall were each child left their foot print on a tile.

As a reward for the hard work and the successful mastering of the Artists Retreat treasure hunt, every participant received a T-shirt.

The Keiskamma Music Academy kids blessed us with their talent, and the Hamburg Capoeira group performed before everyone dug into a well deserved meal.

Now as you can see the Children of Hamburg have left their footprints…

Now come and leave yours !!!

Visit Aspire blog:

http://www.artistsretreat.co.za/blog

Music Academy Students Prepare for Academic and Musical Success

Two Keiskamma Music Academy students, Khanyi and Yoliswa, have been settling into Grade 8 this term at Victoria Girls' High School in Grahamstown. The girls were accepted to the school as a result of their excellent achievements in music practical and theory exams, as well as their promise in other curriculum areas. After hearing the girls play at our Christmas concert, two donors – Anneke Viljoen and Peter Whelan – came forward to support this opportunity financially. Their generous offer, together with parental contributions, has covered tuition and hostel fees.

We had a busy time on the day before term started getting the girls kitted out and ready to begin their adventure. It was a lovely moment to see them emerge from the changing rooms at the school outfitters, new ties neatly knotted and sporting shiny new blazers and shoes!

Khanyi and Yoliswa are now happily settled into their busy academic life, continuing their music education there as well as contributing to Music Academy when they return for weekends or holidays.

We continue to look for potential places in East London and Grahamstown schools for our other talented young students. If you would like to consider helping to sponsor a “champion” student’s future, please get in touch with us to discuss this.

For our pupils still in Hamburg our German volunteer, Lisa, is offering Maths booster classes for Grade 9 to 11 pupils so that they are better prepared as they approach Matriculation. Lisa's drive in offering additional academic support may make the difference between our students passing Matric or not, as well as achieving university acceptance or not.

A music education has many benefits, equipping young people with necessary skills for all curriculum areas (see our web page, 'Benefits of a Music Education'). We know that our regular music lessons and workshops are laying a solid foundation for all our Music Academy students.

Easter Concerts in Port Alfred and Hamburg

Keiskamma Music Academy has been enjoying Hamburg’s beautiful summer weather as we rehearse for our upcoming Easter concerts in Port Alfred and Hamburg. Nothing puts a damper on rehearsals like wet weather, so we have been happy for lots of sunshine to enjoy when we take breaks from our hard practicing!

We are delighted to take part again in Port Alfred’s “Classics at the Castle” concert series on 31 March at Richmond House Museum and Music Room. Our performance begins at 17h00, and tickets are available in advance only, at Kowie News Agency. Contact Sue Gordon at 0824567437 / gordofam@iafrica.com for more information.

Our concert programme features a friendship between Hamburg, Germany and our own Hamburg in the Eastern Cape. We are delighted to be joined by Paulus van der Merwe, a noted South African musician who currently works in Germany as principal oboist in both Hamburg’s NDR Symphony and the Wagner Festival Orchestra in Bayreuth. Paulus is renowned as international soloist and recording artist, and has taught since 1990 at the Luebeck Hochschule, where he is now professor.

Helen Vosloo, founder of Keiskamma Music Academy and one of South Africa’s top classical musicians, will join Paulus and a small group of Music Academy students for this performance. Until recently, Helen was Principal Flute with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO), and she continues to be part of the acclaimed Trio Hemanay with Malcolm Nay and Marian Lewin. Helen appears regularly as soloist with the JPO, COSA, Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, JMI, and MIAGI.

Our Port Alfred performance will be followed on 4 April with an Easter Concert in Hamburg, again featuring Paulus van der Merwe, Helen Vosloo, and students of the Keiskamma Music Academy. Both concerts will feature solo and chamber music, including music by Vivaldi, Marcello, and Telemann. Please join us in the Old Hall at 16h00 for a celebration of music-making! Contact 0826641190 / music@keiskamma.org for more information.

The piano is here!

Our music room is neither large nor grand. It is tucked into the corner of the secondary school here, an austere and neglected building on the top of the hill, its only saving grace being an amazing view of the sweep of the Keiskamma valley, river and Indian Ocean beyond. The other classrooms are empty broken shells; cracked windows, damaged excuses for desks and chairs, floors which are cratered and scarred. But our room is a little refuge; bright noticeboards, a clutter of music stands, marimbas waiting to be brought to life from under their grey protective covers.

Well now our room is just a little more crowded – but in the nicest possible way! A kind sponsor donated a piano to the Music Academy, which had to be transported all the way from Cape Town. And that is why, a couple of weeks ago during our regular Saturday workshop, a solid little van struggled up the hill towards school to the children's excited cries of, 'the piano is here!'

So yes, the piano was here, but accompanied only by the driver, who had no trolley or tools and then quietly requested that we summon six men to help him unload it! 6 men!! Jen and I looked mournfully at each other. Even with all our combined Canadian and British charm working flat out, it was going to be difficult to raise six sturdy males to assist early on a Saturday morning!

In the end we settled for two, and so the resourceful young Jon Liam, and Thabang our Trust Director, managed with a mixture of science and strength to prise it out of its wooden carton and manoeuvre it into place. As the children watched, suddenly hushed and curious, Jen carefully opened the lid of our new treasure and fingered a few notes. It had survived, and sounded remarkably sweet and tuneful after its long journey.

Now the first boy to start keyboard, Mkhululi, has graduated on to the piano, and many more are eager to learn. The beautiful sounds of Jen and Lisa playing in between their lessons further inspires our musical crew.

We extend a huge thank you to our donor, Anneke Viljoen,who parted with something very special in order to give these young people a richer musical experience. Thank you too to Peter Whelan, who organised and paid for the piano's road trip! And of course thank you to all our KMA friends and donors who help in so many ways to give the gift of Music.

Brenda Fishwick February '12

Music Academy Christmas Tour

This past December, generous funding from the Rupert Foundation gave 16 senior students from the Keiskamma Music Academy the opportunity to share their talent with audiences along the Sunshine Coast, to experience the thrill and the hardships of being 'on the road', and to work together as a team in a variety of situations.

The tour began on December 19th with a lunchtime concert in Grahamstown Cathedral, followed later in the day by a recital in Port Alfred, the finale of the 'Classics at the Castle' series for 2011. On December 20th the Keiskamma Ensemble performed at Shamwari Game Reserve, where guests were surprised and delighted by the group's appearance out in the bush during the evening game drive. Our convoy of musicians continued to Knysna for two lunchtime performances at the Waterfront on December 21st and 22nd. The group was also invited to Fancourt Resort to be the principal contributor to their Carols by Candlelight celebration. On December 23rd, the group's final appearance before heading home was at the Turbine Hotel, Knysna.

Grahamstown cathedral: Siphelo, Lihle, Zimkitha

While at Knysna, the group stayed together. These young people do not have opportunities to participate in school excursions or camps, so this was a wonderful learning experience: sharing a dormitory, supporting each other, being responsible for themselves and their equipment all added up to a valuable lesson in self-development.

Due to the intensity of the performance schedule over the 5 day tour, students gained valuable experience playing their concert repertoire. They achieved new musical insight into the pieces they played regularly; they grew as musicians and as ensemble players. The students also learnt quickly how to cope with playing in the wind or the blazing sun!

Our audiences were often taken aback at the talent of our Keiskamma musicians. A frequent comment was that our music is so different from what audiences often hear young South Africans performing. It was sensitive, diverse, highly professional and played with an infectious enthusiasm. One lady was so moved by the ensemble's performance of the Hallelujah Chorus that she left her meal in the restaurant to run outside and talk to the group in person. In Port Alfred, our reputation led to a sold out house already a week before the concert, and applause demanded two encores!

The tour will certainly be a memorable experience for these young people, helping them to further mature into confident young musicians and advocates of the value of music.

Keiskamma Ensemble performance during December 2012 at Shamwari Game Lodge

Brenda Fishwick and Jen Hoyer

Keiskamma Christmas Concerts!

Along the Garden Route and Sunshine Coast

17-23 December


The concert programme will include Corelli's Christmas Concerto;
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (arr by Daniel Hutchinson);
Traditional Xhosa Wedding Song (Ubuhle Bendoda);
Abdullah Ibrahim's Bra Joe;
Christmas Medley, and Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.

Concert programme

Sat 17 Dec: Hamburg Old Hall at 17h30
More info: Brenda Fishwick
073 087 7307
brenda@keiskamma.org

Mon 19 Dec: Grahamstown Cathedral Lunch Hour Concert at 13h00
More info: Brenda Fishwick
073 087 7307
brenda@keiskamma.org

Mon 19 Dec: Port Alfred "Richmond House" at 18h30
More info: Sue Gordon
082 456 7437
gordofam@iafrica.com

Tues 20 Dec: Private performance at an exclusive Game Lodge

Wed 21 Dec and Thurs 22 Dec
Knysna Waterfront: The Boardwalk 11h00-13h00

Thurs 22 Dec: Private performance at Fancourt

Friday 23 Dec: Turbine Hotel oyster bar (opening December 2011!)
and Island Café, Thesin Island, 12:30pm - 2pm
www.turbinehotel.co.za
044 302 5746
reservations@turbinehotel.co.za


The Christmas tour is funded by the Rupert Foundation
with support funding from BASA,
Alusani Skills and Training Network
and the HCI Foundation.

All of these organisations have given the group tremendousencouragement and support.

"I feel like I am flying,"
said student Simnikiwe Nkani after her first experience at conducting.

First impressions, by Brenda Fishwick - Visiting music educator from UK

As Helen bumped and scraped the little car up towards the High School (current home of the Music Academy) on October 1st, the broad sweep of the Keiskamma River and the rolling ocean came into view. We tumbled out of the car to be greeted with the big smiles of the Music Academy students. Lihle stepped forward and, very sweetly and formally, welcomed me to Hamburg. Standing there, on top of the hill, was a very special moment. I had been looking forward to coming here from the UK to work with the Music Academy for months, with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, and suddenly, under a huge blue sky and buffeted by Eastern Cape winds, I was here!

Another special moment came on the following morning as we arrived in the middle of the Sunday workshop session, as the students were practising movements from the Corelli Christmas Concerto. I had not heard them play live until then, and the beautiful sounds they were creating together, with such attention, care and professionalism, touched my heart.

Since that first weekend I've been swept into the business of life here, quickly trying to get up-to-speed with everything that lies ahead. Christmas Concert tour to be planned, instrumental lessons to be arranged, funding bids to be written and submitted and lots of people to meet and names to learn. Trying to squeeze and manoeuvre my tongue in order to create the subtle clicks that punctuate the Xhosa language raises many a giggle from the students!

Jen Hoyer and Lisa, our German volunteer, have been my saviours. As 'old hands', having been here for 2 months and 1 month respectively, they have been such a help to this English Offcomer. And of course, Helen, who invited me to come and be a part of her fantastic vision for these young people! (More on that Big Picture in future blogs!) Big thanks to you all, and to the other wonderful folk who have welcomed me so generously into this extraordinary place.

And just a footnote - last week we took one of the younger students to have an eye test at Specsavers in East London. We have just discovered that they provide a free service to under-12s, with free prescription glasses, so that's something we shall follow up with other students too and our only outlay is our travel to town. When we finally got back to the village in the evening we had to drop two students off at their homes which lie well off the beaten track. Fortunately, Unathi was also in the car to voice her enouragement as I precariously nudged our vehicle ( an unsuitable, low-slung, white little job) over giant potholes and across fields...('what track?!') Dogs barked at us as we stuttered and stalled in the darkness. And just for a moment, I wondered, was this what my daughter had had in mind when she urged me as I left; 'Now you be careful there Mum......'

Music Academy Exams

Jen Hoyer, a Canadian recorder performer and teacher plus librarian, is visiting Hamburg and teaching our Keiskamma students beautifully.

“The Music Academy was busy for most of the month of August with preparations for UNISA exams. Having arrived in Hamburg to work with the students only two weeks before the exams, it was a bit of a test for myself as well!

23 of our students played 28 exams, with five students doing two exams on different instruments. We were very pleased with the general feedback from our examiner. He was impressed to see an outreach music program putting forward such well-prepared students and explained that this was contrary to his previous experience with similar programs. He went over the exam results from other exam centres he supervised in the region during the same session and confirmed that our students' average was 3.8% higher than the average in any other centre.

The final results for our students showed 19 distinctions (over 80%), 8 merits (over 70%), and 1 pass. In the distinction category, three of our students actually achieved over 90%. These were such exciting results, and they are good validation for the students that their hard work is worth it.

Coming from Canada, I have many memories of playing music exams as a student. These experiences generally involved poorly heated church halls and scratchy wool skirts, missing a half-day of school and stopping for a Slurpee on the car ride home.

Exams work a little differently in Hamburg. There are no parents around to drop off or pick up their children. The students walk from many kilometres away and we give them some bread and peanut butter if they haven't had a good meal before coming.

I accompanied many of the exams on piano. Shortly after lunch on the first day, I waited with the next student for her turn. We stood on a back stoop outside the living room (our exam room) door, gazing at the breakers on the beach and smelling the geraniums in the garden. I was still catching my breath from marching several students back to their practice room with curt orders: "We do not run in the yard and we do not steal guavas from other peoples' trees while waiting for our exams."

I often admit that I am learning just as much as my students, and experiences like this highlight the learning curve!"

Keiskamma Music Academy Newsletter - July 2011

Dear friends of the Keiskamma Music Academy

Thank you so very much to our friends who raised a total of R60 000 and made the tour to Cape Town and Stellenbosch possible.

Our tour was a lovely success. The children were specially congratulated on their “open and focused demeanour and on their professionalism on stage”. We performed a total of six times.

Setting up for every concert is an undertaking. Siphelo is responsible for this marimba and Sibongiseni is helping him here while Yolisa watches on.

Apart from our concerts, we did two school concerts and workshops introducing our work “Aquarium” to St Cyprian's in Cape Town and Weber Gedenk Laerskool outside Stellenbosch.

Lihle Mtshonisi, our 15 year old senior leader, wrote:

“As a leader of a rural Music Group, it was such a thing to be able to lead a workshop at a school with children that are more used to the city life. The part I enjoyed the most was when the kids and us stood in a circle and shared what music meant to each one of us. And how music has changed our lives. I enjoyed seeing them so excited about performing and learning the 'Aquarium'. It was very nice that they learnt the piece so quickly.”

Our last concert of the tour gave our twelve most advanced students the opportunity to play a movement from a concerto with Camerata Tinta Barocca. We thank them for their generosity of spirit, their encouragement, patience and the ample rehearsal time we had with them. We presented four complete baroque concerti - a few of the students had to learn new movements with only two months’ notice, Lihle being one of them. Goodness, we worked hard on the concerti upon arrival in Cape Town!

Keiskamma Music Academy here together with Camerata Tinta Barocca following our final concert where the 12 most senior students played as soloists with them.

Lihle again: “First orchestral rehearsal, I felt like running away, I was scared, I thought everything would be a mess, but because I had faith in myself, everything went perfectly. Tinta Barocca was very kind to us.

The night of the big concert with Tinta Barocca, I felt very proud of myself and everyone from Music Academy that played a concerto, how confident we were in front of the audience, our faces and bodies showing the excitement and joy inside our hearts. So the audience enjoyed the music we were playing even more.”

Thanks to HWB Communications we appeared live on the Expresso breakfast show on SABC3. We had to be at the studios at 4h30 in the morning to set up and do a balance. The children were awake, responsive, professional…. Adrenalin pumping…

Both our calabashes were broken when a stand accidently fell over during a rehearsal in Cape Town. But our lemon soon became lemonade when we met Dizu Plaatjes, renowned traditional instrumentalist, who repaired our bows for us, and from whom we were able to purchase another calabash.

Lihle: “Our appearance on Expresso, sharing our music with the entire South Africa,was amazing. And everyone from the Music Academy was very grateful to everyone who made that possible. It was one of the most exciting things of the tour as well.”

We performed at the unveiling of the online auction of the Keiskamma Altar Piece at Oude Libertas. Lihle introduced the programme in such a confident manner. The Ensemble played Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, arranged by Daniel Hutchinson and the Music Academy.

Lihle: “One of the most enjoyable things we did during the tour was going to Robben Island and to the Aquarium.”

Visit to Robben Island

Visit to the Aquarium

On our return to Hamburg, we had a week-long exam preparation workshop with Olivera Nikolic, Elizabeth Winkelman and Kgotatso Kekana. This year we have 47 UNISA exam entries which will be taken during August and October. Several students have jumped grades this year thanks to input from Olivera and our team of instrumental teachers in Grahamstown. They are: Stephen Holder (flute and recorder), Priscilla Glover (recorder), Caitlin Schulze (recorder), Jared Lang (recorder), Jenny Brand (clarinet), Hilary Paterson (oboe), and Daniel Hutchinson (piano accompaniment).

We have an exciting time ahead:
Jen Hoyer, a Canadian recorder expert, is arriving in Hamburg on the 7th of August to visit and teach the students.
Brenda Fishwick, from the UK, is coming to visit us in October.
We will be having our annual Christmas concerts in Hamburg and surrounds around the 18th of December. More details later in the year.

Viva la musica

Helen Vosloo
Founder

Music Academy - Easter Workshop and Concert in Hamburg

WORKSHOP

We had a long and productive Easter workshop at the end of April, which culminated in our concert in the Hamburg Old Hall. We incorporated our eight new beginners into the programme. These brand new students are all having lessons with trainee teachers and they are doing so well.

Hanneke van der Merwe from Ubungani Wilderness experience did personal development and leadershsip skills with the group. She specially focused on the group of senior students. I am grateful for her presence. The students love her and her many interesting games! We need ongoing input for the students learning to take responsibility for their lives, their futures, their exams, their competitions, their concerts, their... I believe Hanneke makes a lasting impact...

CONCERT

The students did their first performance of Daniel Hutchinson’s new arrangement of Musorrgsky’s Pictures at and Exhibition. The work, our most ambitious to date has huge potential. Daniel writes so very well for exactly where the kids’ ablity is at that current moment. We are looking forward to perform the Mussorgsky in cape Town and Stellenbosch.

We had 32 students perform in total, including eight brand new beginners.

Momentous for me was the first ever concert where three students played a movement from a concerto! The three winners of the concerto competition (with Elizabeth Winkelman as the judge) performed at the concert. We are thankful for Peter Breetzke who specially travelled through to from Grahamstown to accompany them on keyboard. Much progress!

The Hall was decorated beautifully by Jackie,Veronica, Mbomba and Fumba and Cathy Stanley made the most beautiful exhibition of ceramics and embroideries.

The programme:

Saint-Saens (1835 – 1921) Aquarium free arrangement by Keiskamma Music Academy. “Group 3”

Ah, Robyn, Gentil Robyn Khanyi, Siphelo, Mkhululi

Sweetly Sings the Donkey Pink and White Groups

Quick March Lwandile, Nomambinga, Lwazi

Pavane “Group 1”

J.S. Bach (1685 - 1750): Air on a G String

Madosini Whistling Song

Sammartini (1701 – 1775): Concerto in F Major: Allegro Nqophisa

John Baston (1708 – 1739): Concerto in C major, Largo Lihle

JG Linicke (c.1680 – 1750): Concerto “Loure” Yolisa

Ubi Caritas (Latin Hymn) “Group 2”

Orchestral instruments:

Schubert (1797 – 1828): Marche Militaire Lihle

Peter Wastall (1932 – 2003): Let’s beguine Simni

Beethoven (1770 – 1826): Ode to Joy Zimkitha and Nqophisa

Modest Mussorkgsky (1839 – 1881): Pictures at an Exhibition – free arrangement by Daniel Hutchinson and Keiskamma Music Academy

The students who performed were:

Khanyi Cuka	Mihle Cuka	Yolisa Gusha
Nonzaliseko Gxamsa	Sibongiseni Gxamsa	Nokuthula Makubalo
Olwethu Solwandle	Nomambinga Mangwane	Thulethu Mangwane
Lwandile Mapuma	Wonke Mapuma	Simamkele Maxontana
Siphelele Maxontana	Lwazi Mbete	Aviwe Nkani
Lihle Mtshonisi	Nqophisa Mtshonisi	Sandisiwe Mtshonisi
Siphelo Mvapantzi	Simnikiwe Nkani	Siyamthanda Jakavula
Yonela Nompunga	Zimkitha Nompunga	Qhama Noncqe
Nolusindiso Nxasi Zizipho Makubalo Sambesiwe Mavela	Thabo Nqoxo Mkhululi Peter	Tholakele Mapikele Thabiso Nqoxo Emihle Mapuma

Music Academy Concert tour to Cape Town and Stellenbosch 16-25th June 2011

Dear friends of the Keiskamma Music Academy,

A wonderful opportunity has arisen for students of the Keiskamma Music Academy to perform four concerts in Cape Town and Stellenbosch at the end of June. Amongst these concerts is an opportunity for our twelve most advanced students to perform as soloists with Camerata Tinta Barocca – a hugely exciting opportunity and a great chance for our gifted musicians to show their skills.

Our students have lived all their lives in the rural Eastern Cape. The opportunity to venture further afield, perform for new audiences in the Cape, and to perform as soloists with a chamber orchestra, is another step in their development, which continues to change their lives. Excitement is running high.

As is so often the case, however, there is an obstacle – funding. In order to take up this proposal, I need to raise R60 000 to pay for extra music lessons, transport, accommodation and food.

My request to you, as friends of The Keiskamma Music Academy, is that you have some fun with your friends and family during May and June and help us raise funds for our musicians at the same time. We ask you to invite (10?) friends and family for tea, a drinks party or a meal at your home sometime during the month of May. Ask them (beforehand, preferably J) if they would be willing to pay (R100/R200/R300?) for the occasion... (R100 = about € 10 = about £9 = about $7).We will have a short info document available on our website which you can send out beforehand or present on the day.

Please let me know if you feel inspired to participate, creating a community of supporters who believe in the power of the arts to change lives.

Yours in music,

Helen Vosloo

MORE INFORMATION

The vision for the Keiskamma Music Academy is to uplift the quality of life of vulnerable, rural children of Hamburg and surrounds, by creating opportunities through a music education. Established over dears ago, we currently teach 35 children aged between 9 and 16. Of these, we plan to take 16 students on tour to Cape Town and Stellenbosch.

We follow the classical training approach: all students start with recorder lessons (soprano, alto, tenor, bass and great bass recorders), theory, marimba and ensemble lessons and then move onto orchestral instruments. Students are selected purely on their expressing interest. The Music Academy is a programme of the Keiskamma Trust and our foundation is inspired by the internationally known tapestries of the Art Project.

The unique sound voice of the Music Academy is thanks to the work of our composer Daniel Hutchinson in conjunction with the students of the Music Academy. We are excited by this aspect of our training fitting in with the vision of the Keiskamma Art Project. We incorporate far lying music disciplines within another, building a rich local culture of music. We work around the classical, jazz and traditional Xhosa genres.

The opportunity to learn to play a music instrument has huge long term benefits: together with the new skills students acquire, leading to job opportunities, there is the empowering sense of fulfillment and achievement that comes with the creation of something beautiful, specially showcasing their beautiful indigenous Xhosa music traditions too.

Donations:

Please reference “MUSIC TOUR 2011” on all payments
We have tax benefit status in South Africa, Canada and in the UK.
The information is on http://www.keiskamma.org/
Please feel free to contact helen@keiskamma.org for more information too.

Donations in South Africa:

Name of account holder: Keiskamma Trust
Bank: FNB
Account number: 62059966097
Account type: Cheque
Branch: Beacon Bay, East London
Branch Code 25010900
SWIFT Code: FIRNZAJJ846

Donations in Canada:
If you are in CANADA, please contact Keiskamma Canada: keiskammacanada@shaw.ca Payment through PayPal on www.keiskamma.org

Donations in the UK:
UK donors can give tax retrievable through “Gift aid” on the Keiskamma Friends website http://www.keiskammafriends.com/ there is a donation button. You can contact Jan Chalmers: jan.oxford@btinternet.com for assistance too.
A copy of our book can be ordered from helen@keiskamma.org


Our concert programmes will include:

Aquarium from Saint Saens: Carnival of the Animals: free arrangement by Keiskamma Music Academy.
Three Renaissance Dances by Susato, Hassler and Mainerio
Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro by Abdullah Ibrahim Arr. Daniel Hutchinson
Whistling Song by Eastern Cape artist: Madosini:
Ubuhle Bendoda Xhosa trad Arr. Daniel Hutchinson
Ubi Caritas (Latin Hymn)
Pictures at an Exhibition – Modest Mussorgsky free arrangement by Daniel Hutchinson and Keiskamma Music Academy
Concerti by Baston, Sammartini, Babbell and Linicke

Our concerts:
1. Saturday 18 June 10h00: Performing at the opening of the exhibition titled “in flight” at the Gallery at Beaux Conference Centre at Constantia Neck, This performance is in conjunction with the Keiskamma Art Project.
2. Wednesday 22 June @ 18h00 opening of Entyatyambeni (“in flower”) exhibition at Oude Libertas. In conjunction with the Keiskamma Art project
3. Thursday 23 June: Lunch hour concert at Stellenbosch University: Fismer Hall.
4. Friday 25 June 20h00 St Andrews Church in Cape Town: 8 -12 students performing as soloists with Tinta Barocca Chamber Orchestra.
5. In the pipeline is at least one school performance in the Cape.

We specially look forward to the performances in conjunction with the Keiskamma Art Project, because of our collaborations with our book, Aquarium in which we celebrate the natural beauty of Hamburg and surrounds through music, using extended techniques in creating bird calls amongst others. Our latest collaborative work is based on Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition in which the children have much fun.

Music Academy Newsletter

Dear friends of the Keiskamma Music Academy,

We started the Keiskamma Music Academy in the village of Hamburg under the auspices of the Keiskamma Trust in 2006. In just over four years more than fifty children have received music tuition, comprising lessons on recorder (soprano, alto, tenor, bass and double bass recorders), theory, marimba and ensemble lessons. Of this number, thirty-two students have become regular pupils who attend several classes each week, enter examinations, and play in various concerts every year. While we still use “classical” training methods, we also incorporate indigenous Xhosa instruments, including marimba and djembe in our performances. Without the infrastructure established by the Keiskamma Trust, this programme would not have been possible.

Students are still selected purely on their expressing interest. It is possible for a child to “try it out” and decide for themselves whether they would like to continue. We have three rules which the children have to obey to keep their positions in the Music Academy.

Lessons and material are free, but students must:

* attend all lessons scheduled.

* take good care of their recorders.

* practice at home.

Lihle Mtshonisi is a founder member of the Music Academy. Together with the other seniors, he did the hard thing of sticking it out with a musical tradition which was utterly foreign to their community. The children who have joined since then have had a much easier task. The Music Academy has premises at the High School, ongoing lessons, an infrastructure, and a standard set by the older children to aspire to. The group chose Lihle as their leader. He has risen so much to the occasion. He combines humility and gentleness with firmness. When he started he was such a little boy, making lots of noise and jokes. Now he is in grade 10, and one of three students who are preparing to take music as a matric subject .

Our biggest challenge remains that we work in a remote rural area. Teachers must travel long distances to reach us.

Our other current challenge is funding: indeed, our funding situation is rather dire at the moment.

Our teaching programme for 2011 incorporates several facets:

Weekly recorder and theory lessons with teachers from Grahamstown, East London or Port Alfred.

Orchestral instrument lessons are in Grahamstown. And we have 3-4 composition and ensemble workshops planned for the year, with further workshops on Xhosa indigenous instruments, the marimba and djembe.

Oliviera Nickolic, who helped me start the Music Academy in 2006, is encouraging the children to step up the amount of practising they do at home to hasten their development. We will sit UNISA exams both in May and in October. The children are very excited about this.

I plan to go to Hamburg roughly every 4-6 weeks to visit the students, and to oversee and plan and manage the various aspects.

The three grade ten students will be preparing to reach the necessary level by grade twelve for music to count as a school subject.

Seven advanced recorder students have started playing solo concertos, which they find exhilarating. They will be entering a national competition in Grahamstown in June. They are so proud of this new accomplishment. Another ten students will start playing orchestral instruments towards the end of the year.

Eight student teachers have started teaching younger students. The seniors are so encouraging to the beginners.

Says Nqophisa in one of our discussions: “What worked for me is that the beginners, they make me feel proud.”

Highlights of 2010:

· The pride and interest that the parents have taken in their children’s musical abilities is a personal highlight of 2010 for me. We now have a parents' committee of four mothers who play an active role in supporting all our endeavours.

· Daniel Hutchinsonhas started helping to create a unique voice for the Music Academy: enabling the children to make music outside the strict confines of the genre of “classical music”. Together with this opportunity for free improvisation, the skills base of the children is being further extended. We have incorporated playing uhadi bow, djembe and marimba as part of our ensemble.

· Our visitors included Senja Barthel from Berlin, who taught for some months last year. She greatly raised the level of recorder playing. Linda de Villiers gave a warm workshop, culminating in teaching the children an arrangement of Waka Waka. The children loved having a teacher from the early years visiting again. Oliviera Nickolic, assisted by Fladia Buongiorno and Kgothatso Kekana, all came as specialist recorder teachers.

· Four students started on orchestral instruments: Lihle on flute, Zimkitha and Nqophisa on clarinet, and Simni on oboe.

· We continue to have young volunteers from the German Development Corporation. Anna Ferl and Gildas Neukam took over from Janna Regenauer.

· UNISA has become one of our sponsors. Sixteen students passed their recorder practical exams with four distinctions, four merits, and eight passes. The seniors wrote their first theoretical exams too.

· We have started a relationship with Ubungani Wilderness Experience, which helps us with environmental education, leadership training and self-esteem development.

Publication of our first book:

Keiskamma Songbook: Aquarium

The book celebrates the beauty of Hamburg, with an arrangement for recorder quartet of Aquarium from Saint Saens' Carnival of the Animals, and twelve pictures of local birds embroidered by the Keiskamma Art Project, showing how to produce their bird calls on the recorder by using extended techniques.The book is a collaborative project between the Art Project and the Music Academy.

The book would appeal to the art and craft lover, the music teacher, the recorder student and the nature lover. The DVD includes a performance by the Keiskamma Music Academy recorder ensemble, and a feature on Hamburg-based artist Vuyisile "Gaba" Funda, whose dune art inspired the choreography of the Aquarium arrangement.

The book was conceived by Daniel Hutchinson, design and layout by Robert Hofmeyr.

It can be ordered from Helen Vosloo: music@keiskamma.org

We also a set of eight cards with pictures of embroideries from the book for sale at R20 per card.

Our current accommodation is in a classroom as St Charles Sojola High School, while we have some access to other classrooms on weekends. We are grateful for our relationship with Ms Thelma Ncumani, the principal of St Charles Sojola High. We are, however, bursting at the seams and I am investigating options towards finding us a home of our own.

The vision for the Keiskamma Music Academy is to uplift the quality of life of vulnerable rural children of Hamburg and surrounds, by creating opportunities through a musical education.

We measure our success not only in terms of exams passed, several of which are with distinction, gold certificates at Eisteddfod or the standing ovations at concerts. Our success is also measured in the personal growth of our students.

In verbal skills development, in young kids being able to express their feelings through music, in harnessing a discipline of music making.

We thank our donors (of 2009 and 2010 combined)

Sopranino donor (up to R4 999)

Don and Marianne Macrobert, Diana Tabor, Julia Davey, John Campbell (Pick 'n Pay Grahamstown), Jobst Bodenstein, Mike Skinner, Graham Gooden (St. Andrew's Prep), Colette Tilley, Dorothy Holder, Garvey Clarke, Priscilla Glover, Peter Breetzke, Kate Davies (National Arts Festival Arts Encounter Programme), Jonathan Ncozana, Robert Hofmeyr, Yannic Herrenknecht, Hilary Tyghe, David Kinghorn, Meg Twyford

Soprano donor (R5 000 up to R9 999)

Dave and Eileen Thayser

Gerard and Helene Weber

Alto donor (R10 000 up to R24 999)

German Development Corporation

SAMRO

The Ackerman Family Educational Trust Fund

Kathleen Sowersby

Industrial Development Corporation

Tenor donor (R25 000 up to R49 999)

Tom and Jean Lloyd

Yamaha South Africa

BASA

Arts and Culture Trust

Noel and Fran Coburn

Bass donor (R50 000 up to R99 999)

Rupert Music Foundation

Rand Merchant Bank / Apollo Music Trust

UNISA

Contra bass donor (R100 000 +)

Anonymous

International Donor

National Arts Council

Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Fund

NB: We are able to issue tax receipts since the Keiskamma Trust has 18A tax status as a registered NPO.

Thank you for keeping the Music Academy in your hearts.

Yours in music

Helen Vosloo

For more information about the Keiskamma Music Academy, contact Helen Vosloo at helen@keiskamma.org or at +27 82 664 119

Music - Plans for 2011

Our year started with an intensive teaching week with Kgothatso Kekano. Anna Ferl’s help (volunteer from the DED) was indispensable. As the children stated their highlights of the week, the beginners’ group mentioned how proud they feel to have started doing theory too. The kids also revel in the opportunity to excel and progress as fast as they determine through their own diligence.

Kgothatso Kekana (she is centre standing with a black top) hails from Mamelodi, Pretoria. She has just completed her BMUS majoring in recorder at the University of Pretoria under Mandy Low.

Our teaching programme for 2011 incorporates several facets and staff:

1) Weekly recorder and theory lessons with teachers from the cities close by.

2) The orchestral instrument component happens in Grahamstown since the closest teachers are in these centres. Three –four composition and ensemble workshops are planned for this year.

3) Expert recorder teachers come and teach about three to four times per annum (mostly during school holidays). During these sessions students have two lessons a day and the progress is phenomenal! These expert teachers are sometimes from within South Africa, sometimes from abroad.

4) I go to Hamburg roughly every four – six weeks to visit with the students, oversee and plan and manage the various aspects.

Compiled by Helen Vosloo, Founder

Music - Christmas concerts

We culminated last year with two Christmas Concerts: the first at the Old Hall in Hamburg on the17th of December. We had a full house! What a wonderful experience!

In this picture our visiting teacher Oliviera Nikolic and her student Fladia Bonguorno are playing Pachelbel Canon with a group of more senior students.

Our second Concert at Richmond House Museum in Port Alfred also drew a full house. In this photo the group is playing Ubuhle Bendoda, a Xhossa Wedding Song: another beautiful arrangement for the Keiskamma Music Academy by Daniel Hutchinson.

Post by Helen Vosloo

Music Academy - UNISA Exams

The Keiskamma Music Academy entered 16 students for UNISA exams this year, and what was really special was that the exams were held in Hamburg! This was a first for UNISA and an initiative that they were very supportive of, as they have set a goal of reaching out to rural communities. The idea to bring the exams to Hamburg was proposed by the Helen Vosloo, the founder of the music academy, and the choice of UNISA (over the other possible exam boards) was made by our specialist recorder teacher at the time, Senja Barthel, who also prepared the students for the exam.

The students were all nervous but ready and in the end achieved four distinctions, four merits, and eight passes with no failures. Four students entered for Grade 2, eight for Grade 1, and four for Pre-Grade 1. The general comment of the examiner Mr. Botes Gresse was “I can see you are all very focused, you’ve worked hard, and you’ve all done excellently. I look forward to hearing your progress in the years to come”.

There was lots of behind-the-scenes organizing going on, from the purchasing of sheet music to tuning of the Hofmeyr’s piano and an excellent invigilation process conducted by Unathi Meslane. It was a real team effort from the Keiskamma Trust! Many thanks to all involved.

The UNISA examiner, Botes Gresse (rector of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School), standing outside the Hofmeyr’s home (our exam venue) with our invigilator and PRO of the Keiskamma Trust, Unathi Meslane.

The Keiskamma Music Academy at the National Arts Festival 2010

The Keiskamma Music Academy had an incredible experience at the National Arts Festival (NAF), performing three concerts on the Fringe entitled "Keiskamma Songbook".

The NAF is South Africa’s largest arts festival, and one of the largest in the world (http://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/).

It was amazing for us to be part of the Keiskamma Art Project’s participation in the same festival by association with the incredible “African Guernica” exhibition at the Thomas Pringle Hall. Visitors to the exhibition were invited to our concerts and we performed at the closing ceremony held in the exhibition space as a celebration of the Hamburg community and as a memorial for those who have passed away.

Throughout the festival, the music academy students grew in confidence, taking audiences by surprise with their unique vibe and music. The review in the festival newspaper (CUE) sums up the audience response: “This up-and-coming ensemble brings you the most beautiful pieces played on their recorders. It feels like you are drifting away to nature surrounded by the sounds that come out of their instruments. Through the creative use of the recorder they give a new meaning to it”.

Courtesy of the NAF’s outreach programme, the students were also privileged to attend 8 diverse shows, varying from Spanish dancing to acapella singing from Soweto to afro-jazz and finally a full scale symphony concert. They had an opportunity to formulate their own views on all that they experienced and what the festival meant to them by writing their own comments in a group journal.

Of all the festivals I have been involved in to date, I found this to be the most enjoyable and the students were exceptionally well behaved, receiving high praise from the staff of the dormitory where they stayed.

We also had excellent publicity material designed by Robbie Hofmeyr (Odd Digital Media), which raised the standard of our overall presentation tremendously. The concerts have already led to two further performance opportunities and our attractive programmes, posters and flyers have potential to further spread the word about the work of the academy.

Click here to view some photos from our first concert at the Commemoration Church on the 22nd of June 2010. (Photos by Stephane Meintjies. Used by permission).

Click here to view some photos from our third concert at the Rhodes Chapel on the 24th of July 2010. (Photos by Daniel Hutchinson).

Lastly, heartfelt thanks to the sponsors of our National Arts Festival experience, the German Development Service (DED) and Business Arts South Africa (BASA).

Post by Daniel Hutshinson

Music Academy - April/May 2010 update

The past few months of teaching music in Hamburg have been intensely rewarding. I have seen the students grow in self-discipline and in their love of music and of one another. The group dynamic is very strong and yet individual ability and talent is also shining through, as the students grow in confidence.

We have entered 19 students for UNISA practical exams, and 4 students for theory exams. These exams will take place in August and October respectively. We are grateful for the input of Senja Barthel, our professional recorder teacher from Berlin, in preparing our exam candidates. Senja is also doing a great job in motivating our new intake: we have admitted 9 beginners so far this year. A generous donation of new recorders from Yamaha made this possible.
On the teaching side, we have added capacity with the input of Janna Regenauer, a volunteer from the German Development Service (DED). Janna helps the students structure and implement their practising programme, to be fully ready for their lessons.

So our Saturday ensemble time now features three passionate teachers, Senja, Janna, and myself, all brimming with ideas and enthusiasm... and occasionally, we are joined by Helen when she is down from Jo’burg – and those are the really exciting times! We have expanded greatly on our ensemble repertoire, incorporating improvisation, extended techniques, and new instruments including the indigenous Xhosa uhadi bow, and (coming soon) the chromatic marimba.

The uhadi element, combined with recorders, is critical as it gives us the opportunity to tap directly into traditional Xhosa music. Our efforts in this direction were kick started by a workshop held in Hogsback facilitated by Jonathan Ncozana from the University of Fort Hare. The workshop was part of a camp that we enjoyed together with children from the Health Project, and staff from the Trust.

Other highlights from the past months were the Easter concert in the Old Hall (especially the jam session afterwards with Gaba!), and the shooting of a music video on the beach under the direction of Robert Hofmeyr.

The ensemble also successfully participated in the Eastern Cape Eisteddfod held in Grahamstown in May, achieving a gold award with their performance of a Mozart Rondo and the African-American spiritual, Go Down, Moses.

The ensemble looks forward to three performances at the National Arts Festival from the 22nd to 24th of July under the title “Keiskamma Songbook”. These performances will be the culmination of all the hard work and preparation over the past months.

Daniel Hutchinson - Teacher (Keiskamma Music Academy)

Music Academy - Plans for 2010

We have been very excited to have started our new year with Daniel Hutchinson joining us as teacher. He is a Grahamstown based composer and music teacher and is teaching part time for the Academy in Hamburg. In addition, Senja Barthel, a recorder teacher from Berlin, will be joining us from the beginning of March for 6 months. She has studied recorder and music education at the University of Arts Berlin with Christoph Huntgeburth.



Daniel Hutchinson is starting to build on the marimba playing skills of the children. He is equally at home in both classical and jazz musical idioms and has a particular interest in indigenous African music.

Plans for performances in and around Hamburg are under way, including an Easter Sunday concert in Hamburg. We will be performing at the Grahamstown Festival in July. As well, we are considering a benefit concert date in Johannesburg for the end of April.

Special thanks to Dave and Eileen Thayser for their donation of curtains. We have had them embroidered by the Keiskamma Art Project and hung in the music room. Thank you to Suzette Lombard at the SABC Music Library for posters which now adorn the walls of the Music Academy. Thank you to Julia Davey for her donation of a carpet.

Many thanks to all of you for keeping the Music Academy in your hearts.

Yours in music

Helen Vosloo


The Keiskamma Music Academy thank their donors: (contributions since 2008)

Sopranino donor (R500 up to R4 999)
Don and Marianne Macrobert,
AVI, Desklink Publishing,
National Arts Festival,
Nigel Carman

Soprano donor (R5 000 up to R9 999)
Gerhard and Helene Weber

Alto donor (R10 000 up to R24 999)
Dave and Eileen Thayser,
Robert Chalmers and Lawrence Yates- UK,
Dr. & Mrs Viljoen of Northwards Manor House,
SAMRO

Tenor donor (R25 000 up to R49 999)
Tom and Jean Lloyd,
Yamaha South Africa,
National Arts Council

Bass donor (R50 000 up to R99 999)
German Consulate Cape Town,
Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Fund

Contra bass donor (R100 000 +)
Industrial Development Corporation,
Anonymous International Donor,
Rand Merchant Bank


NB: We are able to issue tax receipts since the Keiskamma Trust has 18A tax status as a registered NPO.

For more information about the Keiskamma Music Academy, contact Helen Vosloo at helen@keiskamma.org
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