1st F-ire Workshop (feedback)
8 - 12 July 2002, City University

The classes were great and the concepts clearly explained. The dance was also a good warm-up as well as giving a physical relationship to the music.

I really enjoyed the course and learnt loads, thanks

really great, information presented in a very clear way

is absolutely the kind of thing which should be happening

Everything was good. Things I liked best were the dance classes, the Friday drum circle activity and jamming with Nana I found the course really strong and inspiring - thank you - and its format as a way of teaching/learning and being musicians heartening. If I were a funding body/educational establishment I'd be hungry to support this kind of work

The structure felt good for me, getting physically engaged early in the course of the day was a strong way in to the work of the day. I also appreciated the moments when there was the opportunity to share work.

I look forward to exploring how I apply the ideas in the course to my music-making.

…the session that our string group had with Sheron was one of the best parts of the week for me. I want to learn how to hear what she hears

This course gives musicians access to the type of music education they do not get in any other organised form in the UK. It is extremely valuable for musicians who have learnt enough to know how much they yet want to learn, and need each others' support. The excitement that almost everyone seemed to feel at the prospect of working with such like-minded, creative people was tangible, and I'm looking forward to knowing everyone better - I feel certain that I will. I'm keen to be in touch with projects that come out of this course (and future f-ire workshops), and I want to be involved in many of them.

I understand the integration of the physical, cerebral and communicative activities of dance, music and language to be a vital aspect of musical creativity, and musical creativity to be the most vital aspect of music education. If music were taught this way throughout mainstream education, and particularly in higher education, I feel certain that more people would enjoy a better standard of musical performance.

…essential to my learning of music and for my future development as a musician. The approach to learning was in my opinion very effective and well balanced- a mixture of collective composition /interaction /communication /active participation/discussion. I found all the information obtained from this course to be invaluable to any person interested in communication /rhythm/music/life. The course also enabled me to meet like-minded people with whom I hope to continue a musical relationship in order to learn and develop ideas collectively. In summary a complete success! This style of education is in my opinion exactly what is needed in our communities /schools /musical institutions.