8 Saltus Stage
Workshops
Year 10 GCSE Drama students had the opportunity to take part in an acting master class with Walnut Street theatre company as part of the Bermuda Festival outreach programme. They participated in an afternoon of intensive Drama activities designed to help actors create characters and situations through improvisation. Saltus students worked with their peers at BHS to create some weird, whacky and sometimes moving characters. They also learned about the importance of reacting and listening on stage. 'Acting is reacting!'.
On Friday the 20th February the Saltus Jazz Band attended an afternoon jazz workshop hosted by Warwick Academy as part of the Bermuda Festival. Directing the workshop were noted American jazz musicians Derrick Gardner and Albert Rivera. Derrick Gardner is based in New York and plays trumpet with, amongst others, the Count Basie Orchestra and the Harry Connick Jr Big Band. He is also Professor of Trumpet in the University of Manitoba’s Jazz Studies program. Albert Rivera is a saxophonist also based in New York where he works with many top jazz artists and has toured internationally with his own groups.
The workshop began with a performance by the Warwick Academy Jazz Band followed some excellent comments and advice from the visiting musicians on improving individual and band sound.
The Saltus Jazz Band was next to perform and played Wizard Wheezes from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Both visiting musicians seemed very impressed with the standard of the band. They worked initially with the rhythm section helping them to build a solid sound before adding in each section of the band, improving articulation and balance to obtain as rich and full sound from the complete band as possible.
A question and answer session followed where the musicians gave advice on a variety of subjects from improving range to working on improvisation and integrating classical harmony into jazz along with some very helpful practice tips.
It was altogether a very worthwhile and enjoyable afternoon’s workshop and the students gained some excellent advice along with a valuable performing opportunity prior to the Spring Concert.