The ‘pop-up restaurant’ is an increasingly common and it’s easy to see the appeal. A ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ opportunity to be served some fantastic food that has nothing to do with huge chains or fast food. It’s exciting to go to a pop-up restaurant because you know it’s temporary and it’s largely unexpected. This week’s #TandMchallenge seeks to capture that spirit and translate it to school music.
The challenge: pop-up music
Flash mobs were all the rage for a while and it seemed as if schools up and down the country were giving it a go. While flash mobs are certainly an example of pop-up music, their nature can limit the type of music you do and it works best when it’s one song followed by the musicians disappearing. Another type of pop-up music is just to arrange for a performance to happen at a time and place that wouldn’t be expected in your school. One of my favourites is having musicians perform in the canteen at lunchtime.
This type of pop-up music allows you to set up equipment, corner off a performance space and take care of all the usual performance arrangements. You can perform your entire repertoire because you’re not confined by the usual time restrictions of a school concert and you’re putting music at the heart of your school’s culture. It’s also the best way I can think of advertising your ensembles to pupils who may not otherwise quite understand what happens in music rehearsals at lunch and after school.
So, your challenge for this week is to organise a pop-up music event in your school! Here’s a few suggestions:
- a string quartet in the canteen
- a singer-songwriter playing at the school gates as pupils arrive
- your choir singing on the roof of the music department at break (please do all the health and safety checks!)
- a wind band playing in reception on a day where a new teacher is being interviewed
The possibilities are endless!