Music In Need

This weekend Kimichi School, based in Acocks Green, is hosting a musical marathon weekend. The school is a brand new independent secondary school that speciliases in Music education as well as teaching a more flexible, skills based, but still comprehensive curriculum for children aged 11-16. It has attracted the attention of Peter Donohoe, CBE, and has local support, but needs funding and sponsorship in order to fully open its doors in September as well as carry out the many community music activities planned over the next year; community choir, an orchestra, a festival. Having heard about the first specialist music school trying to open in Birmingham, and the problems that it has been facing, Charlotte Moseley, a Bromsgrove native currently studying at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, decided to base her entire final year project on helping. When asked why this particular school, Charlotte said "When I was going to school no one understood that I wanted to make music my career, and that was where my focus needed to lie. Kimichi School is flexible and understanding enough to cope with that. Plus there's a real family feeling to the school. I wish they'd been open when I was of an age to go there; I know I would have suffered less. With no assistance from the public sector, I knew I could build a musical weekend that would help them raise funds and hopefully let prospective parents see what I saw. And also Music is genuinely in Need at the minute; it's always the first thing to go on the school curriculum, which is crazy, because it's been proven time and again to have a positive impact on socail as well as academic abilities."

The weekend will see Charlotte and her father Alastair, a well known local musician, play all of Beethoven's Sonatas for violin and piano at the school on Saturday, combined with an Open Day for prospective parents, a children's orchestra, music workshop, 'paint what you hear' art workshop, and even a visit from Beethoven himself to explain how his life changed between the writing of the first and last Sonatas. The day will culminate in an evening concert where Charlotte will perform his last two Sonatas with the addition of two Romances in St. Mary's church on Warwick Road; sure to be a beautiful evening.

The marathon continues with an evening concert on Sunday 1st March with Charlotte and friends from the Royal Nothern College of Music, assisted by local musicians,playing all of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto's in St. Mary's Church by candelight. This promises to be a spectacular and atmospheric event.

When asked about the weekend ahead, headteacher Sally Alexander said "We are so grateful to Charlotte and RNCM for thinking of this amazing way to help the school truly start the way we mean to go on; with music resounding throughout the building. The evening concert on Sunday should be magical; I can't wait to hear it, and the Music Marathon on Saturday gives us a chance to show everyone what a difference we feel we can make to a childs education."

For more information, go to www.kimichischool.co.uk, or email enquiries@kimichischool.co.uk


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About Kimichi School

We have started Birmingham's first independent specialist music school. Aimed at secondary pupils who either wish to make it a career or those who simply enjoy it for it's own sake. Music is so beneficial in so many ways; has been proven to enhance the brain, teaches discipline, teamwork, leadership and is too often on the back burner in education. We aim to challenge that, and also offer small, friendly class environments with fifteen children in a class and real responsibilities handed over to pupils.