Manchester pupils inspired to play ‘beyond the notation’
Ahnansé working with with pupils from Loreto High School, Manchester
Jazz North was delighted to collaborate with NYJO and One Education Music to bring jazz workshops to 6 Manchester schools during March. Aspiring young jazz musicians had the chance to explore improvisation with the saxophonist, composer, producer and NYJO resident MD Ahnansé. The workshops were designed to introduce a new approach to music making and support pupils to have the confidence to play jazz ‘beyond the notation’.
Prior to the workshops Ahnansé delivered CPD training for music staff from the schools involved. He spoke to them about his approach to music leading and founding Steam Down - a British Afro-Punk band, weekly event and music community based in South-East London.
“It was great to see Ahnansé in action, the children were obviously inspired by his skills on the saxophone but also by the idea that improvising is just talking and having conversations with your instrument”
“My idea for Steam Down and the inspiration behind it comes from the West African griot music family where music is used as a tool for education and for solving problems, and telling the stories and the history of the people around them. For me there’s also something important for us as musicians to take those things and bring them into our music, so it’s not just entertainment. That’s a big part of the ethos of Steam Down, every song should have a message and a meaning to it, more so a meaning than just a message. It doesn’t have to be just for entertainment. You can approach it from that angle, and take all the good vibes from it but you can also go deeper into it. The combination of the emotional power of music with words can open up our perspective to new things. That’s one of the core goals for me.”
Quote taken from an interview with Ahnansé by Charlie Anderson for Sussex Jazz Magazine in 2019.
The next step for the project is for the young musicians to develop the concepts introduced by Ahnansé and then perform this newly developed repertoire as part of the One Education Music Summer Showcase on 24th June at Band on the Wall. They will also be invited to attend a 4 day NYJO summer school at Band on the Wall during the summer holidays (w/c 28th July) to continue their learning. The NYJO summer school will be open access (not just for pupils from the 6 schools) and Jazz North will share these details as soon as they are confirmed.