GALSI COURSE 2023

Join us for the Gender and the Large and Shiny Instruments young persons’ brass and
percussion course on Tuesday 24th & Wednesday 25th October, 10.30 - 16.30, presented in partnership with the Royal College of Music, London.

WHO IS IT FOR?: This two day course is open to anyone who plays a brass or percussion instrument, is from age 8 - 25 years old, and identifies as female or non-binary. Expect a fun and interactive course that celebrates playing large and shiny instruments!

TUTORS: The course is being led by brass and percussion tutors who are leaders within the
profession including trumpeter Matilda Lloyd, trombonist Arlene MacFarlane, and percussionists Angela Wai-Nok Hui and Claire Hasted (scroll down for more info!)

ACTIVITIES: The participants will be split into junior and senior ensembles. The junior ensemble will learn new skills on their instruments, and work on an ensemble piece for a final performance at the end of the two days. The senior group have the opportunity to take part in a masterclass, play a solo at the performance, take part in panels and discussions about working in the music industry, and act as mentors to the junior group - finishing by playing side-by-side in our culmination piece!

REQUIRED STANDARD: This course is designed for a range of standards. Members of the junior group should have been playing their instrument for at least a year, and have their own instrument for the brass players, or sticks for the percussionists.
The senior group is appropriate for students Grade 6+ through conservatoire level, and those who are interested in having a career in music.

SIGN UP: If you would like to sign up yourself or for your child, please book your place via the RCM website.
The deadline for sign up is 17th October.

Note: participants must be available for both days of the course.

COST: £75 for the two days. There are also some subsidised places available - details are on the booking page of the RCM website.

TRAVEL BURSARIES: We have travel bursaries available of up to £400 for participants traveling from outside of London & home counties. If you would like to apply for this please send us an email telling us a bit about yourself, where you live, and your estimated costs.
(NB Our funding dictates that you must travel via public transport if you are able to.)
largeandshiny@gmail.com

We look forward to meeting you soon!

The GALSI course has been supported in-kind by the Royal College of Music, using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and by a Magic Little Grant of £500 through the partnership between Localgiving and Postcode Society Trust, a grant-giving charity funded by players of the People's Postcode Lottery.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Thank you for creating such a wonderful space to play music at all levels and to have important, supportive conversations. I really enjoyed the course and felt like I was a part of something really important and special. Also, a huge thanks for making the course such an inclusive space. Coming into unknown situations as a disabled person can be really challenging and scary but all the staff and tutors were so kind and patient - I felt so comfortable and like I was no different to anyone else.

Meet the Tutors

Senior Brass

Matilda Lloyd

Praised as an “eloquent trumpet soloist” (The Times), Matilda Lloyd captivates audiences with her artistry, communication, and musicality. Casta Diva, her debut album for Chandos Records was BBC Music Magazine’s Recording of the Month in June 2023, with a five-star review describing it as an “album full of delights… Lloyd plays with intense expression and immense warmth.” Nominated by the Barbican Centre London and Konserthuset Stockholm, Matilda will be a European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) Rising Star for the 2024/25 season, performing on some of Europe’s most prestigious stages.

In the 2023/24 season, Matilda returns to the UK to perform with Ulster Orchestra and joins BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Shostakovich’s Concerto No.1 with Federico Colli and Sir Mark Elder. This coming season also sees Matilda embark on three recording projects for Chandos Records, including a concerti disc with London Symphony Orchestra and a trumpet and organ disc.

www.matildalloyd.com

Senior Percussion

Angela Wai-Nok Hui

Angela Wai Nok Hui is a percussionist, sound designer and multidisciplinary artist based in London and Hong Kong. She is dedicated to new music and has collaborated with many composers, artists and ensembles including the Royal Opera House, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Explore Ensemble, Riot Ensemble, and more. She is a member of a percussion collective, Abstruckt, and a co-founder of Hidden Keileon, a multidisciplinary artist-led non-profit that aims to build inter-racial solidarity through imaginative and creative work.

Hui is devoted to exploring and expanding the boundaries of music, performance, and sound art; she has a particular interest in the creative process and a passion for experimenting with different art forms through the recreation and reimagining of sound and music. Her debut solo work Let Me Tell You Something engages with political references and themes of identity from both places she calls home. Her debut album has been described as “Blessed with an extraordinary, curious sound sensitivity” (Boomkat), and “leaves an appetite wanting to see more of her live in action.” (theQuietus)

https://www.angelahuiwainok.com/

Junior Brass

Arlene MacFarlane

Arlene studied Trombone at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she graduated with a Master of Music with Distinction. Following her studies, she was appointed as Sub –
Principal Trombone for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in where she spent four years before going home to Scotland to follow her passion for teaching instrumental music.

Other professional work includes appearances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Opera, RTE
Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Arlene is a brass teacher for East Ayrshire Music Service, brass specialist for the Primary Instrumental Programme at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and lower brass coach for
the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain. In additional to this, she is also the Director of the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust and works for the Benedetti Foundation
delivering sessions and training across all ages and stages.
Arlene is devoted to advocacy for music education and high quality, equitable learning experiences for all. Passionate about not only shaping the future of young musicians but
providing opportunities for all to engage, be inspired and experience the benefits of live music making.

Junior Percussion

Claire Hasted

Claire studied percussion at the Royal Academy of Music in London as part of her degree at King’s College. She then continued her studies completing an Advanced diploma in orchestral studies at the Royal College of Music, graduating with a distinction.

After leaving she performed with orchestras including Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia and the Philharmonia, with whom she undertook many tours to Europe and the Far East.

She formed the all-girl percussion duo Drum Blondes, who performed regularly across the UK for many years. Claire has run percussion workshops for organisations such as the Wigmore Hall, the BBC Proms and the Royal College of Music and is currently a member of Albert’s Band – the in-house outreach ensemble at the Royal Albert Hall, with whom she performs regularly at the Hall and further afield at festivals over the summer.

She is an orchestral tutor for the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain currently teaches at Charterhouse and RGS Guildford.