Ladies of the Stave: Secrets of the Keys

About the event

Ladies of The Stave and The Other Palace are delighted to be hosting this training day, the latest event in the #LadiesoftheStave initiative to support female musicians and musical directors in theatre. 

This event will offer femake pianists, keyboard players and musical directors a series of masterclasses in the essential skills needed to be a versatile accompanist and musical director in today's industry, led by some of London's leading female musical directors.

Schedule 

• 11:00am: Welcome
• 11:15am: Masterclass 1 - Conducting from the Piano
• 12:20pm: Masterclass 2 - Playing the Groove
• 1:20pm: Lunch (free tea and coffee provided)
• 1.50pm: Masterclass 3 - Accompaniment
• 3:00pm: Masterclass 4 - Wellbeing and Confidence

Why this event is needed

Recent surveys of MU members indicate that only a small proportion of musicians working on West End musicals are women. In the commercial musical theatre sector most of the Musical Directors, their assistants or associate conductors are male. Yet London boasts many superb female musicians. Theatre musicians are largely recruited through an informal system of networking and socialising that has overwhelmingly favoured men.

Much progress has been made in gender diversity elsewhere in the arts, and among musicians in the classical world and subsidised sector, but the orchestra pits of the commercial West End remain stubbornly male. Change is clearly overdue, and it is hoped that by generating awareness of the disparity, and the availability of so much under-used talent, we can start to bring it about.

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