Huntingdonshire Music School Association

What is HUMSA?

It is the parent body that supports the Huntingdonshire Music School - a form of PTA.

The aims and objectives of HUMSA are:-

• to provide a stimulating environment in which to promote the study and performance of music for students of all ages, abilities and backgrounds in Huntingdon and surrounding areas.
• to offer a broad range of specialist, individual music tuition for students at all ability levels, consolidated by theory tuition, aural training and group music making activities to match the varying needs and interests
• to promote the musical education of children and young persons and adults resident in the area around Huntingdon in particular by organising and supporting a music school
• to promote the enjoyment and performance of orchestral, instrumental and choral music and all other performing arts in this area

The role of HUMSA is to strive to achieve these objectives. Specifically it will:-

• establish, provide, maintain and encourage the teaching of music, music theory and music performance in the area around Huntingdon.
• make access to this musical education open to all without distinction of age, sex, race, religion, ethnic origin or place of residence.
• as far as practically possible encourage and enable the pursuit of this musical education and performance by children and young people of families of limited financial means.
• establish, maintain and encourage such orchestras, bands and musical ensembles as are judged by the Management Committee mentioned below to promote the objects of the Association.
• prepare and promote concert performances by such ensembles of music of all kinds both in public and in private.
• strive towards achievement of the highest possible musical standards by the various musical ensembles
• encourage the achievement of the highest possible success in practical and theory examinations in all kinds of music and performing arts by those taking part in the Association’s activities.

Whilst this might sound as though it needs super heroes with underpants on the outside, we are, in fact, everyday mortals (Mk 1 Human Beings).

Who is in HUMSA?

All adult pupils of the Music College and parents of our younger pupils are automatically members of HUMSA. Specifically, the types of membership available are:-

• Ordinary Members. Persons who have enrolled for tuition or participation in ensembles plus parents and guardians of these members. Friends of the Association who have paid the annual subscription
• Life Members. Individuals who have paid a single subscription or donation to the Association of not less than five times the Friend’s annual subscription
• Corporate Members. Bodies corporate and unincorporated societies which subscribe to the Association an annual sum of not less than ten times the Friend’s annual subscription

How Is it Run?

Like any other organisation, we have a committee that runs HUMSA on a day to day basis. We have formal positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. We have an Annual General Meeting (groan ;-( )for the election of committee members and the formal positions which is normally co-incident with an end-of-term concert.

We do involve the rest of HUMSA where collective decisions have to be made or where information needs to be gathered to help formulate plans for the future.

Adults appear at or around the college in all guises.

Some simply deliver the kids and wait in the canteen refectory until the kids have finished. Many give in the unequal struggle and learn something themselves. It’s much easier to tell them to practice their scales when they can see that you have to do them….

Some know that they want to learn an instrument from day 1 and simply get stuck in.

Others reach a point in their lives, such as retirement, and decide that they’re not ready to surrender and learn the instrument that they’d always wanted to but didn’t previously have the opportunity to.

Some help by way of either taking part directly in the association (HUMSA) and it’s activities including:-

• this website (and we always need contributors, photographers , budding graphic designers)
• publicity material
• talking to potential sponsors
• committee posts
• public events
• catering for college events
• ‘roadies’ for gigs
• looking after equipment

Some might be budding experts/tutors in anything from an instrument to composition to the application of music technology.

One of the downfalls/benefits of playing music is that inevitably you get the chance to expose your talents to the wider world (this falls under the grown-up category of “character-forming”). HUMS provides its pupils with different opportunities to play in the bigger-world:-

• externally run competitions
• as part of a group or ensemble
  • in a concert at the end of each academic term
  • in a band that has been booked to play at an external private function
  • at a public event such as the summertime events organised by the Huntingdon District Council

We are also very keen to make the college as inclusive as possible by admitting people from all backgrounds (so long as they like music, don’t take themselves too seriously, are prepared to try and to have fun with others of a similar disposition).