November 2014

Tis the season for examinations!

We'd like to wish good luck to:

Rebecca Ledwidge, Sandy Ledwidge and Aaron Austen - Grade 1 Music Theory.

Paul West - Grade 4 Piano and Grade 3 Recorder.

Megan Robinson and Sandy Ledwidge - Grade 1 Flute

Rebecca Ledwidge - Grade 5 Flute.

Clic Sargent Practicathon

On the run up to the Winter Wonderland Concert we're giving all students a chance to participate in a sponsored practicathon. Students agree to practice for between 10-30 minutes every day between 1st December and 12th December in order to raise money for Clic Sargent a charity to offer support to children with cancer and their families. Clic Sargent provide emotional support for all involved in this awful disease and practical support such as enabling families to stay closer to children in hospital. For more inforamtion on the wonderful work that clic sargent provide please go to their website www.clicsargent.org.uk

Sponsor forms will be handed out during your usual lesson.

October 2014

October has been a month of preparation as we have the winter exam session only a few weeks away and the Winter Wonderland Concert only a few weeks after that.

We have more students entering exams than ever before, including three sitting music theory. So far preparation have been going well. We have everything crossed for next month.

Student of the Week

04/10/2014 CJ Fabrigaras

11/10/2014 Rebecca Ledwidge

18/10/2014 Closed

25/10/2014 Noni Davis

September 2014

This month we welcome our first school to Storm Dynamics. Hatherden C of E (aided) Primary School has employed Storm Dynamics to teach all woodwind and piano lessons in school. I'm particularly looking forward to getting to know the new students and setting up a Christmas Concert.

On Saturday 13th September Storm Dynamics went down to Asda in Andover to busk for Ticked Pink. At the last moment sax player and lead tutor Jo went down with a hand injury so up stepped Team Ledwidge to fill in the gap. Between them, Sandy, Rebecca and Hannah Ledwidge raised an impressive £115.71 in the name of breast cancer awareness.

Student of the Week

06/09/2014 CJ Fabrigaras

13/09/2014 Hannah Ledwidge

20/09/2014 Aaron Austen

27/09/2014 Lucy Hide

August 2014

August is always a slow month for Storm Dynamics as many sudents jet off to foreign shores for a well deserved holiday.

For those who remained behind, however, practice did not slow. The students listed below decided that the best use of thier free time would be to spend it exploring new music and were rewarded with some great leaps forward in ability.

Student of the Week

02/08/2014 Juliet Shaw

09/08/2014 Megan Robinson

16/08/2014 Francesca Martindale

23/08/2014 Noni Davis

30/08/2014 Rebecca Ledwidge

July 2014

After the frantically busy month of June, Storm Dynamics settles down in July. We wave goodbye to those students lucky enough to go on long holidays, but remind them to carry on with their practice as they'll need it in September.

The biggest news of the month is that Storm Dynamics has moved its HQ back to the village of Goodworth Clatford, where everything started.

Those student's who have their sights set on achievement have already begun counting down towards the winter exam period. So far we have a broad range of exams suggested. Beside the usual, some students are think of music theory and even recorder grades.

Student of the Week

05/07/14 Sophie Henry

12/07/14 Megan Robinson

19/07/14 CJ Fabrigaras

26/07/14 Lucy Hide

June 2014

June has turned out to be the busiest month so far for Storm Dynamics. Not only did the summer exam session fall on June 16th but the Summer Blockbuster Concert was held on Saturday 28th June. The Blockbuster was a fantstic day and a huge success all round. For the full write up please click here

Student of the Week

07/06/14 Ian Burnham

14/06/14 Scarlett Stokes

21/06/14 Robyn Grace

28/06/14 Concert Day - no award given.

May 2014

May is a more relaxed month for most Students. Spring exams are behind them, as is the wait for results. The students were now able to focus on next month's Summer Blockbuster Concert and we've had some very interesting proposals put forward. Students are looking towards bigger ideas, be these duets or, in one case, a piano four hands piece. Some are also finding that they have to arrange the songs they want to fit their instrument. Sounds like more work for Jo than for the students.

On May 24th Jo went down to Asda in Andover to raise some money for Tickled Pink Break Cancer Awareness. This year she was joined by Hannah and Rebecca Ledwidge and, much to everyone's surprise, their mum Sandy. They raised a total of £224.48!

Student of the Week

03/05/14 - Scarlett Stokes

10/05/14 - Noni Davis

17/05/14 - Emily Grace

24/05/14 - Phoebe Matten

31/05/14 - Aaron Austen

April 2014

April was a tense month for some students as they waited for their exam results to come through. Luckily there was only a two week wait and here are the results of the 2014 Spring ABRSM examinations:

• Rebecca Ledwidge – Grade 4 Flute – Merit.
• Aaron Austin – Grade 2 Piano – Merit.

Both Rebecca and Aaron worked exceptionally hard for their results and instead of taking a break both have already bought their music for the next grade and begun work on the choices for the Summer Blockbuster Concert.

We also had one student sitting with the London College of Music:

• Laura Wilson – Grade 1 Electronic Keyboard – Distinction.

It was very much an uphill struggle for Laura and to get a result as good as that is simply amazing, well done.

For other students the Easter Holidays followed by the bank holidays caused some disruption and confusion. I’d like to remind all students that we are open during the holidays and bank holidays but if you are unsure always call.

Diary Date

Jo is playing the saxophone to raise money for Tickled Pink – Breast Cancer Awareness on Saturday 24^th May at Asda in Andover. Please come along and show support for a great cause. You can find more information about the event here.

Student of the Week

05/04/14 – Lucy Hide

12/04/14 – Jessica Cooke

19/04/14 – Francesca Martindale

26/04/14 – Laura Wilson

March 2014

In March the weather begins to clear up, but what this means for both students and teachers alike is illness. For the first week we had to shut down thanks to an outbreak of flu but, although many students also went down with it, it didn’t deter those with a goal in sight.

March 18^th was the date of the ABRSM Spring Examination session and the level of commitment to the examinations was staggering. But the bar was not only raised by those sitting examinations, we once again had students setting their own targets and reaching them masterfully. This included little Hannah Ledwidge who one Student of the Week for the second time, making her an early favourite for Student of the Year.

Student of the Week

• 01/03/2014 – Hannah Ledwidge
• 08/03/2014 – Closed
• 15/03/2014 – Aaron Austen
• 22/03/2014 - Rebecca Ledwidge
• 29/03/2014 – Amy Henry

February 2014

February saw a real down turn in the weather with a long cold snap giving students the perfect excuse to stay indoors and focus on their music. This certainly was the case for a few of our students and we saw remarkable leaps forward in both ability and understanding. Half term saw some students taking a break, but this was by no means the majority. In many cases the break had students reaching for music that was of a harder standard to what they had been playing previously.

Student of the Week

• 01/02/2014 – Francesca Martindale
• 08/02/2014 – Hannah Ledwidge
• 15/02/2014 – Phoebe Matten
• 22/02/2014 – Noni Davis

January 2014

For those keen to get back into the swing of music Storm Dynamics opened it’s doors on 6^th January. But it wasn’t until a week later that most students shrugged off the last merry bells of Christmas and greeted the New Year, and what a week that was! We welcomed new students Adam DeMarco and Amy and Sophie Henry and caught up with everyone’s goals for the New Year. For students Aaron Austen, Laura Wilson and Rebecca Ledwidge this meant final preparations for the Spring Exam Session and for younger student’s this meant setting dates for when they would like to finish that all important first tutorial book. Teacher Jo Carr also began working with the Wiltshire Music Service, going into school and offering her unique brand of instrumental lessons.

Our Student of the Week awards were:

• 18/01/2014 – Ian Burnham
• 25/01/2014 – Megan Robinson