Emily Askew joins Orchestras for All for a virtual tea break to discuss lockdown, nyckelharpas and why aural leadership is the way forward…
From fiddles and recorders to pianos and bagpipes, esteemed folk musician and music educator Emily Askew certainly knows a thing or two when it comes to playing musical instruments.
Specialising in folk and early music, Emily is best known for performing in The Emily Askew Band and as part of acclaimed English folk duo, The Askew Sisters, while also leading the London Youth Folk Ensemble, arranged by The English Folk Dance and Song Society.
A champion of aural learning, Emily will be hosting a free live webinar in collaboration with Orchestras for All, Learning by Ear Ensemble Leadership, via Zoom on Thursday 25 March at 5:00pm.
Ahead of the event, Emily told Orchestras for All: “Aural leadership is teaching without any written notation in front of you. Participants use their ears to take direction rather than reading, which can develop an ensemble’s awareness of the musicians playing around them – especially if their heads aren’t buried in written music!”
Read more: 17 things you’ll only understand if you’ve played in a youth orchestra >
Emily Askew, music leader at The English Folk Dance and Song Society
She continued: “It’s a very practical approach to teaching chords, harmony and music theory, and I find it really helps develop an ensemble’s creative side and being more open to improvisation and creating their own arrangements.
“Any instruments can be used! You can take in so much more detail about the music style of the person teaching you, which is too detailed to be written down in notation.”
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The live webinar comes as Orchestras for All launches its new Music Leadership Training Programme – specially designed to provide music leaders and teachers working in state secondary schools, music hubs and community music services with new skills.
The online session also follows two fully booked webinars led by Sian Edwards, OFA’s Artistic Patron and Head of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Sian Edwards, Orchestras for All’s Artistic Patron
Sharing her three top tips for aspiring musicians, Emily said: “Listen to as many different styles of music as you can, even genres you think you won’t like – you can learn so much and take influence from other musicians even if they don’t play your instrument.
“It’s easier said than done during a pandemic, but also try and perform with as many other musicians as you can – you can take so much from practically playing with others. And most importantly, enjoy yourself!”
Meanwhile, her advice to teachers is: ”Keep challenging yourself. There have been times where I’ve felt stuck in a rut but then I’ve observed other music leaders or musicians and it’s given me new ideas and increased my enthusiasm and enjoyment in my work. Learning something new also keeps me in touch with what it’s like to be a student.”
Since graduating at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Emily has released three studio albums and toured extensively with Askew Sisters. She has also performed as principal recorder at prestigious English opera house, Glyndebourne, and as a multi-instrumentalist in productions at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End and Shakespeare’s Globe.
