My second placement, in May – June 2022, was with St Hugh’s Music Academy, and took place primarily during the week rather than on Sundays. My role consisted of supporting the Music Academy by welcoming students and their parents, dealing with some of the admin, and assisting with the group teaching sessions.
I also helped to set up a community choir. The first performance was at a barbecue in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. How long ago those days now seem! (am writing just before the King’s Coronation).
St Hugh’s is a welcoming and inclusive church with a diverse congregation, and I was made to feel at home straight away. The Music Academy was set up to offer music lessons to children who might not otherwise have access to them, and also to offer training in worship leading to children and adults. It wasn’t initially clear what I would have to contribute, but I quickly found that I enjoyed helping beginner keyboard players to get the most from their lessons, where 6 or 7 children would be learning together, with individual support needed. I was able to help the regular tutors with setting up and clearing away the teaching space, and relieving them of some admin.
Conducting a community choir was way out of my comfort zone, but somehow I ended up doing it, as the musical director was not available for our first performance. The boundaries I had to cross were my own internal ones more than the actual church environment. I learned a great deal about encouraging and motivating people, as well as what exercises can help to warm up our voices, and how to keep the whole show on the road with appropriate signals and gestures! The choir members were very accepting of my novice status. We performed one song, which lasted about 4 minutes, and I will admit to breathing a sigh of relief when we successfully got to the finish line.
My big takeaway was the value of singing together, and how that can build wellbeing and friendship very quickly. The whole experience was both challenging and inspiring, and has reignited my love of singing. I also thoroughly enjoyed spending time with this group of people and sharing their journeys, even for a very short time.
On the journey 