Yamaha Education News

Amy Winehouse drummer launches Yamaha Music School/Warwickshire Music Service partnership

Pictured here: Top drummer, Troy Miller, enthralling enthusiastic pupils at Ashlawn School, Rugby, in early December 2009

Warwickshire Music Service (CMS), a 'good service with outstanding features', according to a recent inspection, and Yamaha Music Schools recently launched (on Friday 11 December) at Ashlawn School, Rugby of a groundbreaking new partnership that sees the County Music Service adopt Yamaha's highly respected Drum Encounters course and teaching materials.

The new partnership, the first of its kind in the UK, will see initially seven CMS teachers deliver their drum lessons using the Yamaha method. CMS has invested in Yamaha drums, pads and amplifiers to teach drums and percussion to 186 pupils at Warwickshire schools (CMS teaches 25,000 pupils in all 249 schools) - a number expected to increase substantially in 2010 with the opening of a purpose-built, state-of-the-art drum studio, fully equipped by Yamaha and based at Ashlawn School, to serve CMS teachers, pupils and the local community.

The launch, at Ashlawn School, involved a unique master class for the CMS's drum students, tutors and percussion groups, by the world-renowned Yamaha drum artist, composer and university lecturer, Troy Miller - a drummer to artists including Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson and Daniel Merriweather. Troy was joined by Yamaha's top electronic drum specialist, Simon Edgoose.

Yamaha's Drum Encounters course, for ages 8+, offers an encyclopedic knowledge of drum patterns, styles and fills and teaches all the rudiments required to prepare players at all levels of experience for any drumming situation using a variety of modern materials to cover a wide range of popular musical styles.

Andrew Atkins, director of Warwickshire County Music stated, "We are delighted to be bringing in Yamaha in a ground-breaking partnership to enhance our already excellent service. This is a fantastic opportunity for Yamaha and for the County Music Service, its teachers and students, as well as the local community. For our pupils and teachers to experience one of the country's top drummers at such close hand has been an unmissable opportunity and will go down as a memorable and inspirational day for all involved. Group percussion teaching is more of a challenge than for other instruments and using the Yamaha's Drum Encounters course has proved to be a much more effective and efficient method of teaching. Pupils are more likely to want to go on and join music centre activities."

The new drum centre that will open by the end of January at Ashlawn School will feature a mix of live and electronic kits, as well as digital practice pads that can be used with headphones.

Head of Yamaha Music Schools Nigel Burrows told us, "Yamaha Music Schools already enjoys a rich heritage of state school partnerships among its 80 schools nationwide. However, I believe the decision by Warwickshire County Music Service to adopt our Drum Encounters course and teaching materials is a pivotal and defining moment in the history of Yamaha Music Schools. As with our first state school partnership many years ago, we now look forward to extending this arrangement to other county music services around the country."

More about Troy Miller...
For more about how Yamaha's tried-and-tested group teaching courses could benefit your music service or school, please contact Amanda Maynard.

(A DJPR story)

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(Posted: December 2009)