Building creative small ensembles

Small ensembles are an incredible environment in which to develop musicality in students. Having to master one part each, without a conductor, promotes musicality more powerfully than learning in larger ensembles or alone. Small ensemble learning also helps students develop transferable skills like leadership and teamwork, which can be used to build successful careers in any field.

This course is designed for music teachers who want to further promote the magic of small ensembles in their own schools, building and challenging the existing ensemble ethos with Pro Corda's innovative and proven ideas. A small ensemble can be a string quartet, a piano trio, wind and brass, or almost any configuration of instruments that come together without a great deal of reportoire written for them.

As part of the course there is an optional short assignment - those who successfully submit an assignment will receive a certificate of course completion signed by the famous cellist and conductor, and Pro Corda patron, Julian Lloyd Webber. 

The course is taught by Andrew Quartermain, CEO and Artistic Director of Pro Corda. Andrew is passionate about using small ensembles as an incredibly diverse and dynamic teaching tool for music in general and to develop students as human beings. 

The course covers creative ensemble improvisation: taking away reportoire, these lessons show teachers how to use solo and group improvisation techniques to enable young musicians to experience the joy and magic of performing together as a small ensemble for the first time