How learning music at Northbridge is a constant in times of change

How learning music at Northbridge is a constant in times of change The world as we knew it, including at Northbridge International School Cambodia, changed rapidly due to Covid-19. At the same time I noticed a change on my social media feeds. More and more people were sharing music; their ten most influential albums, links to videos of their favourite songs, and homemade videos of amateurs and professionals performing.

The world as we knew it, including at Northbridge International School Cambodia, changed rapidly due to Covid-19. At the same time I noticed a change on my social media feeds. More and more people were sharing music; their ten most influential albums, links to videos of their favourite songs, and homemade videos of amateurs and professionals performing.

As social distancing became a new normal around the world, virtual orchestras and choirs and online musical collaborations also rapidly started to become a feature. Technical issues, power cuts and internet lags often mean that the highly polished virtual orchestras and choirs you see are the result of hours of work of editing together individual clips rather than live performances, but the results are impressive.

Organisations such as the Berliner Philharmoniker and New York MET opera have been giving free access to online concerts. Andrew Lloyd Weber has been bringing London’s Westend to people’s living rooms every Friday night with free streaming of his musicals. Lady Gaga’s One World Together at Home global concert showed that even when physically separated, music connects us. Smile! 

If you’d like to be part of a virtual choir, Miss Jenn is offering you the chance to Dream a Dream, and be creatively collaborative in the virtual world. Click here to watch this video  (or view it above) to learn the song and check out our Facebook page for more information on how to take part!  

Music connects with us on a visceral level; it accesses parts of the brain that no other art form can. It’s become clear that far from being an ‘extra’ music is essential - a fundamental part of who we are as humans. Music helps us to process emotions and make sense of what is going on in the world around us. We can express ourselves by creating or performing music. We can equally gain solace or motivation by listening to music.

As part of our Secondary Virtual School Experience, music lessons have focused on creativity, with students composing their own music. Many students have also been playing their instruments; it’s a great way to get some time off screen - I’ve even dug out music and technical studies that haven’t seen the light of day since my student days to re-engage in practical music making. 

Take the time to sit and really listen. Take music from the background and bring it to the foreground. Put your phone down, turn up the volume and let yourself be immersed in the healing power of music. Dance around your living room to old favourites and take the time to discover new masterpieces. When all around us is changing, the music will keep on playing.