AETHERPHON, global theremin family

Hi all,
I'm giving a workshop this weekend for 'young people' (apparently this is a
definition of what the UK government refer to for 14-25 year olds).  It's 3
hours long and there will be 10 participants.  I have two theremins (but
only one amp).   It is in a gallery and is part of an exhibition about a
Russian girl with X-ray eyes!

INTROSPECTION - EXTRAMISSION considers the interaction of invisible
phenomena and the body using various media including photographs, objects,
projections and light boxes. The exhibition, devised for Leamington Spa Art
Gallery & Museum, explores the claims of a Russian teenager known as 'The
Girl with X-ray Eyes', magical myths surrounding calculus stones and the
work of Austrian physician, Franz Mesmer, who conceived the notion of
'animal magnetism'.

Artist Phillip Warnell uses the body as a site of exploration producing
works using performance, images, and sound. His work is distinguished by its
attention to detail, to scrutiny, to humour, to technique and to the complex
relationship between live performance and the mediated image.
***

I would be interested to know aetherphon listers thoughts on how I can
structure this as I'm relatively clueless when it comes to education - and
'young people'!  (NB; not allowed to call the kids).  I can give a small
talk about theremin and play a few pieces at start so there's some
educational value.  There will be an assistant and the 'young people' can go
and look round exhibition during workshop.  I wondered about splitting the
group into two and to use the exhibition as a space to gather ideas to bring
back to the theremin, rather than just letting everyone queue up to make an
unstructured racket.  Apparently they're all 'nice' young people (Royal
Leamington Spa is v. posh) and most will be likely to play another
instrument.  I'm worried about noise carriage (was thinking of alternating
instruments with headphones), and also people getting bored with waiting to
play.   And also 3 hours is a fair whack of time.  I'd also like the ones
who may have some theremin playing potential (which I guess might be 1 or 2
in the group) do actually get a chance to do something useful in the time,
and maybe have a performance at the end (would this be too much pressure on
them?).  I also wondered if graphic scores would be a good idea to encourage
a bit of structured music making?

Anyway, your thoughts welcomed.

I picked this project up this week.  Can you believe that the gallery
promoted and filled up this workshop which was suppose to be given by a
musician who didn't play the theremin or even OWN one?  They got in touch
with me when they realise you can't even find anywhere that would hire you
an instrument in this country.  I do find it unbelievable (this isn't the
first work I've picked up like this), i mean, I wouldn't give a violin
workshop if I neither played nor owned a violin would I?

There are still many miles to go...

-- 
Susi
(aka Ms Hypnotique)
Tel: 07981 222799

http://www.hypnotique.net
http://www.lunette.co.uk
http://www.babyslave.net

See our blog: http://www.babyslave.wordpress.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]