I hope you are all well and safe and have been enjoying lots of lovely movement over the Summer.
I have been writing, working on my own movement practice, and was lucky enough to have been invited to teach at a summer school for the East London Late Starters Orchestra (ELLSO) held at Uppingham School last week.
I have been dying to get my hands on a bunch of dedicated musicians, who of course spend a lot of time sitting as they play and practice and teach them about my Fit Sit/Feldenkrais work.
I had such a great time meeting the students and tutors. I was lucky enough to have been
invited to supper and to watch the Tutors’ Concert which was given in the school’s Memorial
Hall on Thursday evening and the music was, as you might expect, just brilliant.
As my students will know, I am no musician, but music is movement, and it was fascinating for me to look at how the professionals moved as they played. Each had their own style but each, in their own way, played with their whole body and that was what I was trying to teach the students to do in the workshops that I gave.
For those who haven’t heard of it before, ELLSO is a charity that tutors late-starting musicians and provides them with an opportunity to gather together and play in an orchestra. The students on the workshop came from all over the world, not just London, and ELLSO supports these students, when they return to their own countries and cities, to set up their own local orchestras.
On the final day, I was also invited to listen to the student’s concert and saw and heard them play ‘A prayer for Ukraine’ and a piece by Beethoven. It was amazing experience to be almost alone in the audience and have this wonderful group of musicians play.
Enjoy your movement practice and the rest of the Summer.
Stewart