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Regional Development Officers |
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Micaela Schmitz, Midlands |
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Micaela specialises in early music, including keyboard performance, choral conducting, editing, teaching and giving workshops. She comes from California and has lived in Worcestershire since December 2001.
She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in Harpsichord, and spent two years studying at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague. This was preceded by a Masters in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, and a double-major in Music and Political Science from U.C. Berkeley. Micaela can finally relish the chance to combine these two disciplines in her work with Making Music!
She has taught at the University of Birmingham Centre for Lifelong Learning, the Open University, and Warwickshire College. As a freelancer, she gives workshops on Medieval, Tudor, Baroque, and Classical (and some later composers like Stravinsky!) music, dance, and choral music. With Kate Fawcett, she is delivering a baroque orchestra project for Worcestershire Arts Education.
Micaela conducts Malvern Young Voices (choirs for children aged 7 and up) for Worcestershire Youth Music and is currently undertaking the Music Leader Key Stage 2 training.
Micaela also keeps busy organising/delivering education workshops to introduce young people to the clavichord and harpsichord, most notably for the British Clavichord Society.
Her business, Early Music in the Vale, provides workshops and concerts for all ages. For details visit www.earlymusica.permutation.com. At this site are details of her work as Artistic Director of Winchester Early Music Series, which gives new programmes an airing to enthusiastic audiences, as well as performances with Cathryn Dew, recorder and the ensemble Lady Georgianna. Her solo keyboard work has her performing and giving lecture-recitals in venues throughout the UK, including Edinburgh, where she performed on an original harpsichord from 1668.
With colleague Cathryn Dew, she ran (and performed in) a successful Worcester Early Music Weekend, and together with Andy Watts, they ran medieval music workshops in Worcester secondary schools which included student compositions and performances at Worcester Cathedral. Micaela also serves as Education Officer for the Chipping Campden Music Festival.
Micaela is Editor of the newly re-launched magazine Harpsichord and Fortepiano. She serves as Consultant Editor for Rondo Publishing. In 2007 she was awarded a Finzi Trust Scholarship to research 18th century English and Scottish song, the results of which can be heard with her costumed ensemble Lady Georgianna.
Micaela's Work with Making Music
Micaela has been involved with Making Music since 2002, when she first served as a volunteer on the committee. After a trial by fire, where she partnered with then Youth Officer Caroline Wright to run a Tuned In day for over 100 children in Evesham, Micaela joined the Development team in a professional capacity.
She is grateful for the support of the Chair and the entire West Midlands Regional Committee who work in an extremely effective way, and they enjoy a congenial working relationship.
With the collaboration of the committee, Micaela has run a variety of administrative workshops. This has included advice surgeries, web training in partnership with Arts and Media Training, and sessions on Publicity and Modern Technology. A highlight was a successful and entertaining event with Terry Grimley, Arts Editor of the Birmingham Post, where he shared with the audience What Journalists Really Want.
Networking and collaboration events are also popular, and together the region has put on several successful events entitled Making the Most of your Membership. These would not be possible without the support and collaboration of many partners and arts development teams, and meetings behind the scenes ensure that these opportunities benefit all concerned.
Alongside the excellent choral workshops for which the committee is well known, Micaela has run artistic training events, including a training day on choral/vocal warm ups with Deborah Caterall, A Day for Violinists featuring Tasmin Little, and a 'Come and Play Jazz Day' in Derby. In 2006, Micaela ran a Day for Winds with Joy Farrall and A Sight-singing Course in Worcester with tutor Carol Green.
Following on a conducting workshop led by Paul Spicer with resident Making Music Member group Birmingham Chamber Orchestra (then called The Halesowen Chamber Orchestra) in Selly Oak, near Birmingham, she advised on a two-day conducting course run in collaboration with the Benslow Music Trust.
Micaela is often seen at various arts events including Birmingham ArtsFest, Creative Partnerships, arts forums, and others, to keep up with what's happening and to fly the flag for Making Music and the voluntary sector. Her favourite part of the work is member support, where the most gratifying thing to hear is a hearty thank you.
So, listen out for a California accent and look out for something red - a Making Music logo pin badge or a red jacket, and a smiling face! |
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Content last updated:
19th October 2008 |
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 Making Music, 2-4 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3NW |
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 Making Music Office, 020 7422 8280
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 micaela@makingmusic.org.uk
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Back to Regional Development Officers
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Local Youth Officers |
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Who's who |
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Making Music's Local Youth Officers enhance the abilities of our local committees and member groups to work with young people. |
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Put faces to the voices you speak to at our London office!
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