Figure 1.--The children learn quite a variety of instruments. The violen, trumpet, and clarinet are all possible choices. Some of the boys do drums and a few girls work on the harp. Here we see a girl with her teacher. She was making considerable progress on a rather difficult instrument. |
Most schools incourage the chlldren to learn a musical instrument. This varies from school to school. Quite a number of the children do try. The schools contract specialty teachers to provide individual tuition on different instruments. Specialty teachers are brought in to offer individual instruction in specific instruments. It is not unusual for more than half the school, in one instance even the headmaster, to be studying a musical instrument. It is a rare to find a prep school where less than a third of the children (even at the boys' schools) are learning to play a musical instrument. Some schools we visited reported that more than half the children were learning instruments and one school, Bramcote in Nottinghamshire reported that an impressive two-third were working on in instruments. The Downs in Worcester has almost all of its children receiving individual instruction on instruments. The older children often reach a very impressive level of performance. Many of the most accomplished seek to gain a place in the National Preparatory Schools Orchestra recruited from schools throughout the country and have a week of intensive coaching during the summer which ends with a public concert under the auspices of the Aldeburgh Festival
Most schools incourage the chlldren to learn a musical instrument. This varies from school to school. Quite a number of the children do try. This is one of the many ways that prep schools have changed since World War II. The often major emphasis on sports is often now much less in evidence, although usually still important. We suspect that coeducation has been a factor here.
The schools contract specialty teachers to provide individual tuition on different instruments. Specialty teachers are brought in to offer individual instruction in specific instruments.
It is not unusual for more than half the school, in one instance even the headmaster, to be studying a musical instrument. It is a rare to find a prep school where less than a third of the children (even at the boys' schools) are learning to play a musical instrument. Some schools we visited reported that more than half the children were learning instruments and one school, Bramcote in Nottinghamshire reported that an impressive two-third were working on in instruments. The Downs in Worcester has almost all of its children receiving individual instruction on instruments. Probably a greater percentage of the girls try instruments, but the difference does not seem very significant.
The older children often reach a very impressive level of performance. Many of the most accomplished seek to gain a place in the National Preparatory Schools Orchestra recruited from schools throughout the country and have a week of intensive coaching during the summer which ends with a public concert under the auspices of the Aldeburgh Festival
We once the children working on quite a range of instruments. Some of the most popular are clarinent, drums, flure, guitar, piano, trumpet, and violin. Smaller numbers of children were trying a variety of other instruments. There were some gender differences associated with the instruments the children chose. We noticed a few girls learning the harp like the Scottish girl here.
