Page 29 - Cadet Review Spring 2022

MUSIC MAESTRO... IF YOU PLEASE
By SI Donna Nixon
I recently had the pleasure of attending a Music Training Camp at Driffield Training Centre where both the Corps of Drums from C Coy and The Band were training.
It was fantastic to see that the training was not restricted to just cadets already in the Band or Corps of Drums but it was open to both cadets and adult volunteers alike from other detachments who expressed an interest to learn an instrument.
I watched as the “students” with little to no experience of instruments were taught, encouraged and supported throughout the weekend by not only fantastic instructors but by other cadets themselves, experienced the joy they had when they started to understand their instruments not only being able to start making a recognisable tune but to also learn music theory, how to care for and maintain the instruments themselves in addition to learning how to play instruments and most impressively how to play and march at the same time.
With the majority wanting to continue to learn and progress with the instrument they started
the weekend with, the two units can only grow as more cadets and adults take the opportunity to get involved.
It was a joy to listen to the more established members of the CoD and Band play as they fine tuned their skills before heading around camp to get back into playing their instruments on the march – it is definitely a great experience for them and for use who were watching. But it wasn’t just them having fun, cadets who wanted to learn how to play an instrument for their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award also attended the camp and started their own musical journey.
I may be tone-deaf, and I can’t read music, but I
I was so happy to receive my Drum Basic Badge this weekend
have started my own journey alongside my cadets.
I started the weekend off, wanting to learn the
bugle but I quickly swapped over to the drums after struggling... after having it explained to me, I was able to drum for the first time keeping the beat. By Sunday I had the basics of Highland Cathedral down and was able to join in with the wide Corps which was a great personal achievement for me.
Over the weekend LCpl Emily Allen passed her basic music award and received her badge from Major John Lomas. LCpl Allen said: “I was so happy to receive my Drum Basic Badge this weekend. It
is with the training, encouragement and support from not only our fantastic instructors at CoD but also from other cadets from the detachment. It was wonderful to see other detachments join us and see how well they did and want to carry on with the instruments they chose, it would be amazing to see others cadets join too"
Leadership Training
By Second Lieutenant Adam Fidment
During a D Company training weekend, the senior cadets (three star cadets) attended leadership training. As part of this, they developed an understanding of how to take a squad for drill and looked at some of the key skills and attributes needed to become an effective leader. As part of this, Captain Chris Ledger gave a leadership talk and took the cadets through a planning exercise - not an easy thing to complete but the cadets managed to develop an effective plan.
He said that it was great to have the opportunity to work with the three stars and he looked forward to seeing them develop further as leaders.
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