Jake Rodrigues - Workshops
Somerset House during a Water Worshop - photo copyright Gideon Mendel
Jake Rodrigues has developed a series of exciting workshops which he leads and creates. He has worked and been commissioned by many projects and organisations including, Somerset House, Prom-Prom, Diverse City, The Royal Festival Hall and The Manchester International festival. He is a Musicians Union member and has an enhanced CRB certificate as well as public liability insurance for workshop events.
The workshops include;
The Windy Workshops – Commissioned in 2007 for The Manchester International Festival, Jake has teamed up with artist Nik Ramage to create a unique musical workshop. Art Deco looking wind machines with fairground names are used in conjunction with brightly painted church organ pipes to create musical chords and effects. Other organ pipes have been customised to be played with people’s bottoms or a windy elephants trunk. Jake leads his motley band ‘The Whacky Windbags’ with a showcase and then they will create music with children and families. This is an ideal workshop for large outdoor spaces and is an excellent and inspiring introduction to musical harmony
Ukulele Workshops – Depending on the size and scale of the event Jake works either solo or with the Hawaiian band The Hula Bluebirds . The workshops will teach 40-60 kids/big kids how to play and perform as an ensemble in under an hour. They’ll learn strumming, chords and Uke tricks as well. The Hula Bluebirds team up as well with The Lei Aloha Dancers to offer a complete package of Live Hawaiian music with dancers, Uke workshops and Hula dancing workshops. Don’t ask Jake to Hula dance though, ( he will but it’s not a pretty sight
Ukulele Teaching - Jake teaches Ukulele at the City Lit. College in central London. His course run for 4 weeks and fill up very fast , the next session with spaces starts in Jan 2009. Jake also teaches Ukulele and singing ( he aims to put the two together ) and also teaches Workshops and Classes at the The Duke of Uke , (Hanbury Street in Spitalfields )
Water Workshops – Are a fun summer workshop where children learn percussion and the Cycle and preciousness of Water. With a hundred or so water bowls groups of up to 50 at a time Jake’s band will create music and percussion with water and perform a piece for happy and invariably soggy audiences. Definetly an outdoor activity
Song Writing – Jake has led workshops with both children and adults in song writing. Kids love making up silly songs ( grown ups too ) and Jake has considerable experience which has led to songs written and publicly performed in community projects.
Windy Workshops at Somerset House - photo copyright Gideon Mendel
Music for Pre School – For over 5 years now Jake has sung songs in Nurseries with kids from 18months to 5 years old. Using a mixture of all the old favourite nursery rhymes , singing games, puppets and an array of different instruments, Jake encourages and nurtures children to love and enjoy music.
Old Time Sing-a-longs – Singing songs from the 1930’s to the 1960’s Jake can lead sing-a-longs with the older generations who know a good melody and enjoy a good sing a long. Music Hall, Jazz Standards, Pop songs and even sand dancing all help us reminice when men and women danced together and songs were cheeky as well as moving