Note: Micromusicals are temporarily suspended until the artists can be in the schools teaching in person.
Created by legendary piano composer Christopher Norton, the MicroMusical series has been developed to correspond with curriculum outcomes and target based learning within the public and private education systems.
Covering a wide range of subject content these MicroMusicals have been designed for children between the ages of 7-12 although they have been used for children younger and older than that (primary up to grade 9). Grades 4 – 7 is a great window for this activity. The music is simple and clever, and the story text is easy to learn.
Performances run approximately 30 mins in length and can be taught within a short time frame. Many forms of presentation are possible and can be done either as a simple choral presentation, a full-scale production or anything in between.
The beauty of the MicroMusical is they can adapt to each unique school environment and classroom need, while reaching outcomes and projected targets in a fun and physically engaged form of learning.
MicroMusicals were created with the assistance of Halifax actor and choreographer Alexis Milligan who often participates in the instruction of the program in Nova Scotia schools.
Current titles available (many more to be available soon):
Romeo and Juliet
A Christmas Carol
Queen Nut
Vikings
The Little Mermaid
The Highwayman
HOW IT WORKS
Instruction: PERFORM! will send a minimum of three professional artists into take over your school for a full week (Monday through Friday) giving the participating students classes in acting, singing and dance as they rehearse their production. Participating students take no other classes but the MicroMusical program.
Performances: Week culminates in a performance that includes all students. Performance(s) to happen on Friday. Recommended Friday afternoon performance for the remainder of the school, and Friday evening for friends and family. School can perform up to 5 performances with the license.
If desired – a school band can also be included – full scores available.
Recommended Target Age: Grades 4 – 7
Recommended Maximum: 125 students excluding band (ideal size 50 – 75 students)
COST
Base fee (for up to three classes participating): $3200 (includes artist fees, licensing and performance royalties)
Additional classes involved: $1000 per class
Additional fee for band score if required: $100
All travel and accommodation costs are covered by PERFORM! for all schools.
COMPOSER BIO: CHRISTOPHER NORTON
Christopher Norton was born in New Zealand in 1953. He began composing at the age of 14, and, by the age of 16, had an orchestral work performed and broadcast. Having completed an honours degree in music from Otago University, Dunedin, in 1974, he met with some success as a pianist in New Zealand, playing with the New Zealand Symphony orchestra and broadcasting on the Concert Programme. At the same time, he was teaching music in local high schools, beginning to freelance as a composer and arranger, and had also started to play keyboards in a rock band, having becoming interested in jazz and pop.
Coming to the UK in 1977 on a University Scholarship, Christopher Norton studied composition at York University with Wilfred Mellers and David Blake, writing a variety of pieces, including choral works, orchestral pieces, piano music and musicals. While playing in various bands, he started to experiment with combinations of styles that crossed the divide between his classical background, and more contemporary popular styles.
In 1983, Christopher Norton was signed by Boosey & Hawkes, and the first of the Microjazz series series appeared —music which appealed greatly to children and teenagers but was sufficiently rooted in the classical tradition to be useful as teaching material. The series has expanded over 20 years to include music for all of the major instruments with piano, ensemble books and midi file backings. It is now the biggest selling music series for Boosey & Hawkes, with over a million sales to date.
The success of Microjazz was followed by many other award-winning publications for Boosey & Hawkes. His bestselling titles include the Essential Guides to Pop, Latin and Jazz Styles; the Rock, Country, Latin and Jazz Piano Preludes; the Big Beats playalong series (called “Microjazz for the next generation” by Piano Magazine); and the Christopher Norton Concert Collections of original repertoire for solo piano.
Christopher Norton is now well established as a composer, producer, arranger and educationalist and has written stage musicals, ballet scores, piano music, popular songs and orchestral music as well as jingles and signature tunes for TV and radio. He lectures all over the world on aspects of his work and likes to integrate traditional teaching methods with aspects of modern technology. He has also found time to produce huge numbers of albums for the gospel market, with releases worldwide selling in excess of 1,000,000 units.
